This glorious Facel Vega barn find has been sleeping for almost 50 years

A stunner of a barn find has been discovered in North Wales, with the 1960 Facel Vega HK500 that you see above finally uncovered having spent nearly 50 years in the dark. 

Reportedly one of only 98 UK-supplied examples, the HK500 is set to go up for auction at the Pavilion Gardens, Buxton in April, although its last MOT was in 1972, so it’ll need a bit of work. Still, although it's a 63-year-old car it has only clocked up 55,000 miles, so how bad can it really be?

Mike Davis from the auctioneer H&H Classics says: “This vehicle find is an absolute gem. To find such a complete car tucked away in a garage for such a long period of time is a very special moment. Further adding to its appeal, both rare and stylish in equal measures, this right-hand drive ‘HK1’ has the makings of an incredibly rewarding project.

“Having spent so much of its life hidden away, the HK500 has lost none of its allure and would make a great alternative buy for those who consider a comparable Ferrari or Aston Martin ‘too mainstream’. Being such a complete example and coming to auction with ‘no reserve’, we look forward to seeing a considerable level of interest in this rare and highly collectible lot.” 

Known as the ‘fastest four-seater sports coupe in the world’, the Chrysler-engined Facel Vega launched in 1954, with the HK500 variant arriving in 1959.

Facel stands for ‘Forgiers et Atliers de Constructions d'Eure-et-Loir’ - the point at which the Rivers Eure and Loir meet. Originally the French firm pressed steel for other car makers, then it turned complete car maker itself.

From 1939 to 1964, the brand had a relatively short-lived existence in the automotive world. Yet, at the height of its popularity, it made cars for all the stars, including Pablo Picasso, Sir Stirling Moss, Christian Dior and Ringo Starr. 

This one perhaps doesn’t hail from such glamourous garaging, but is a rare, right-hand drive version of the model. Originally finished with Brunswick Blue paintwork and interior grey upholstery, the HK500 was designed to compete with the Ferrari 250 GTE, among others. How much do we think it'll fetch at auction?