Jean Daninos

Jean Daninos (2 december 1906 - 13 october 2001) was the founder of the French luxury car firm, Facel Vega.

He was the brother of the romancier Pierre Daninos, had founded the society Facel ('Forges et Ateliers des Constructions d'Eure-et-Loir) in 1939 to realise his dream to design his own automobile.

This engineer had collaborated before with Citroën for the "Traction Avant" and worked in aviation.

The Facel society produced the bodies of special versions and luxury cars like the Panhard Dyna cabriolet or the Ford Comète.

The first Facel Vega, designed by Jean Daninos, arose in 1954, equipped with a Chrysler engine. Daninos counted around his clients stars of showbusiness (Tony Curtis, Ava Gardner) and racing drivers (Stirling Moss, Maurice Trintignant).

Several racecars followed until, for want of support of a great constructor, the last French make of grand luxury came into peril and diappeared in the middle of the years 1960. During ten years of existence, the make had built only 3.000 Facel Vega, which are much wanted today.

He died in Cannes (Alpes-Maritimes, France) from the consequences of a cancer at the age of 94 years. The funeral of Jean Daninos took place with intimity in Jouy-en-Josas (Yvelines).