Big, fast and French - the Facel Vega HK500 is an automobile that was launched by the Facel auto company (which stands for Forges et Ateliers de Constructions d'Eure-et-Loir) of France at the 1954 Paris Salon.

Names like Bizzarini, Intermeccanica, Griffith, Sunbeam, and, yes, Shelby were some of the makers of sporting hybrids, but out of France came another sort of hybrid - one that combined understated elegance with Mopar motivation.

This car ties exotic European coachwork with rock-solid mechanics from Detroit to produce a luxurious hand-made GT car that is designed to whisk its occupants from Paris to la Côte d'Azur in a brief few hours at brisk speeds.

Though the Facel Vega brand may not be a well-known in the US, the HK500 is powered by a mighty Chrysler V8.

Originally fitted with the 4.5-liter Hemi V8 from the DeSoto Firedome, the Vega’s flashy American-influenced styling was penned by company boss, Jean Daninos.

The tubular chassis was designed by Lance Macklin, featuring c...