1957 Facel Vega Tire Fitment Guide

1957 Facel Vega vehicles use three sizes across two models: the Excellance uses 8.45-15 and 815-15, while the FYS uses 670-15. All three are bias-ply sizes built for 15-inch wheels. The listed rim-width range for 815-15 is 5.00 to 6.50 inches, while 670-15 appears with 4.50 to 5.00 inch and 5.00 to 6.00 inch fitment ranges depending on the product chosen.

Model identification matters first, because the Excellance and FYS do not share a single universal size. Once the model is confirmed, compare the tire's approved rim-width range to the wheel actually on the car, especially on restored cars that may no longer wear their original wheels. That extra check is more useful than assuming every 15-inch Facel Vega wheel accepts every 15-inch bias-ply size.

On a 1957 Facel Vega, 815-15 is a period numeric bias-ply tire size. The first number is the nominal section-width designation used in the era, and the 15 identifies the wheel diameter in inches. It is not a modern metric radial code, and it does not describe the tire the same way a later P-metric size would.

That matters because a modern buyer may look at 815-15 and expect current sizing logic that simply does not apply here. For an Excellance owner, the practical takeaway is to search within period-style 15-inch bias-ply offerings and confirm the product's approved wheel-width range, sidewall treatment, and visual character instead of trying to translate it directly into a modern passenger-car size.

No. 1957 Facel Vega models do not use one common tire size across the full range. The Excellance is associated with 8.45-15 and 815-15, while the FYS is associated with 670-15. All are 15-inch bias-ply fitments, but the sizing still varies by model.

That difference is important if you know only the year and make but have not yet pinned down the model. An owner restoring an Excellance should stay within the Excellance size set, while an FYS owner should focus on 670-15 choices and then decide between blackwall and wide-white styling. Knowing the body style first prevents unnecessary confusion when comparing products that look similar but belong to different model applications.

1957 Facel Vega tires are available in several period-appropriate sidewall styles depending on size. The 815-15 Excellance fitment includes Narrow Whitewall and Whitewall-Redline options from BFGoodrich. The 670-15 FYS fitment includes Blackwall and Wide Whitewall choices from brands such as Firestone, US Royal, Coker Classic, and Universal Vintage Tire.

Sidewall style changes the car's finished personality almost as much as wheel cover choice. A wide whitewall generally suits a formal luxury presentation, while a blackwall gives a more restrained look, and a redline introduces a sportier visual accent that is more about style preference than fitment. If show accuracy matters, compare the sidewall treatment to period photos, market-specific references, and the way you intend the car to be presented.

Several brands cover 1957 Facel Vega fitments. The 815-15 Excellance size is available from BFGoodrich, while the 670-15 FYS size is offered by Firestone, US Royal, Coker Classic, and Universal Vintage Tire. All listed options for these applications are bias-ply tires rather than later radial substitutions.

Brand choice often comes down to the exact size your model uses and the sidewall look you want on the finished car. An Excellance owner choosing within 815-15 is really comparing BFGoodrich visual treatments, while an FYS owner in 670-15 has a broader mix of marques and whitewall widths to consider. Staying within the correct model-specific size should come before brand preference.

The two listed BFGoodrich 815-15 choices for the 1957 Facel Vega Excellance share the same basic construction and working specs: both are Silvertown Classic Bias Ply tires, both fit 15-inch wheels, both carry a 1610-pound maximum load at 32 psi, both fit 5.00 to 6.50 inch rims, and both weigh 25 pounds. The meaningful difference is sidewall styling, with one using a 1.00-inch whitewall and the other combining a 1.00-inch whitewall with a 3/8-inch redline.

That makes the decision largely visual rather than structural. If you want a cleaner luxury look, the plain whitewall keeps the presentation more formal. If you want a more individualized late-1950s custom flavor, the whitewall-redline combination delivers that appearance without changing the tire's listed load, wheel, or construction characteristics.

Rim-width requirements vary by size on 1957 Facel Vega applications. The 815-15 size used on the Excellance is listed for 5.00 to 6.50 inch rims. The 670-15 size used on the FYS appears with fitment ranges of 4.50 to 5.00 inches on some products and 5.00 to 6.00 inches on others, so the exact tire chosen matters. All listed applications mount on 15-inch wheels.

That means wheel diameter alone is not enough when selecting a tire for a Facel Vega. Measure the wheel actually on the car, then compare it with the approved range for the exact product under consideration. Cars restored over many decades sometimes receive replacement wheels, and a quick wheel-width check can prevent selecting a tire that is correct in diameter but mismatched in section support.

The listed 1957 Facel Vega products are all bias-ply tires, but the tire markings shown here do not assign a tube-type or tubeless designation across every product. For a 1950s collector car, inner-tube decisions often depend on the exact tire chosen, the wheel's original design, and the wheel's current condition after decades of use or restoration.

A sound approach is to confirm the sidewall marking on the specific tire and inspect the wheel before assembly. Original-style wheels with rivets, pitting, or bead-seat wear may lead an owner or installer toward tube use even when the question is not settled by size alone. Have the shop setting up the tires evaluate the wheel surface, valve-stem condition, and intended use before final mounting.

All listed 1957 Facel Vega tire sizes use 15-inch wheels, so they share the same basic wheel diameter. That said, the Excellance sizes and the FYS size are model-specific applications, and the approved rim-width ranges are not identical from one size to another. Diameter compatibility does not automatically make every 15-inch Facel Vega wheel appropriate for every listed tire.

Owners should treat original wheels as size-specific components until the wheel width is confirmed against the tire being considered. An Excellance owner comparing 815-15 options can focus on whether the wheel falls inside the 5.00 to 6.50 inch range, while an FYS owner should match the exact 670-15 product to the wheel at hand. That keeps the setup faithful to the model and more likely to mount correctly.

A stored 1957 Facel Vega should be kept out of direct sunlight and away from ozone sources such as electric motors, battery chargers, furnaces, and welders. Bias-ply tires are especially prone to flat-spotting when a collector car sits in one place for long periods, and sidewalls also age faster in damp, hot, or poorly ventilated spaces.

Keep the tires properly inflated, roll the car periodically, and use stands or tire cradles if the storage interval will be extended. A clean, dry floor and a stable indoor climate do more for tire life than cosmetic dressings. If the car wears wide whitewalls, routine cleaning with non-harsh products also helps preserve appearance without prematurely drying the rubber.

Tire age matters more than mileage on a 1957 Facel Vega because most cars like this are driven sparingly. A practical rule is to begin evaluating collector-car tires closely once they are around five to seven years old, and to treat the ten-year point as a serious replacement threshold regardless of remaining tread depth. The DOT date code on the tire is the baseline for judging age.

That timeline is especially useful for grand touring cars that may look ready for the road after sitting through long seasonal gaps. A tire can appear visually acceptable yet still harden, crack, or lose resilience with time. If the car's service history is unclear, checking date codes should happen before planning regular road use or any longer-distance event.

Tires on a 1957 Facel Vega should be checked before every drive and given a more thorough inspection before any extended outing. Look for sidewall cracking, cuts, bulges, uneven wear, signs of impact damage, and any tire that has lost pressure since the last use. Valve stems and wheel condition deserve equal attention on a collector car that may sit for long intervals.

That routine matters because low annual mileage can hide age-related issues until the car is finally driven at speed. A simple pre-drive walkaround catches many problems early, and a hands-on inspection before tours or shows helps you avoid discovering a weak spare, a leaking valve stem, or a weather-checked sidewall once the trip is already underway.

A 1957 Facel Vega Excellance would have been associated with bias-ply tire construction in period, not modern radial construction. The sizes tied to the Excellance here are 8.45-15 and 815-15, both on 15-inch wheels. That aligns with what a buyer would expect from a high-end late-1950s European luxury car built before radial conversion became a routine restoration choice in this kind of application.

For an exact restoration, confirm the original market and build details through factory literature, period photographs, and Facel Vega marque specialists. The main authenticity checkpoints are correct size family, bias-ply construction, and an appropriate sidewall presentation for the car's intended look. A marque club or concours rule book is the best final authority if the car is being prepared for judged competition.

Correct tire fitment matters on a 1957 Facel Vega because judges and knowledgeable enthusiasts notice size family, construction type, and sidewall appearance very quickly. A bias-ply 15-inch tire that matches the model's proper size range is far more appropriate for an originality-minded presentation than a visibly modern substitute. Whitewall width and overall visual proportion also affect how authentic the finished car looks.

That does not mean every event uses the same judging standard, but it does mean tire selection is part of the restoration story rather than an afterthought. Owners aiming for concours presentation should compare their chosen tire with period references and event guidelines before mounting a full set. Owners building a driver can be more flexible, but the tire should still respect the model-specific size assigned to the car.

The 670-15 fitment for the 1957 Facel Vega FYS is available from several brands with meaningful differences in presentation and some differences in listed working specs. Firestone and Universal Vintage Tire offer blackwall versions, while US Royal and Coker Classic offer wide whitewalls. Listed load figures include 1450 pounds at 32 psi for Firestone and US Royal, and 1550 pounds at 32 psi for one Coker Classic offering. Rim-width ranges also vary by product, from 4.50 to 5.00 inches on some examples to 5.00 to 6.00 inches on others.

That means the right 670-15 choice depends on both appearance and wheel compatibility. A formal restoration may favor a wide whitewall, while a more understated presentation may suit a blackwall. Before committing to a set, compare the wheel width on the car to the approved range for the specific 670-15 product and decide how period-luxury or how restrained you want the FYS to look.

A properly mounted, correctly inflated, age-sound tire for a 1957 Facel Vega can be appropriate for normal highway use, but the key word is properly. The listed fitments are bias-ply tires, and no explicit speed ratings are shown here for the available products. On a 1950s grand touring car, overall roadworthiness also depends heavily on brakes, steering, suspension, alignment, and the condition of the wheels themselves.

In practice, highway safety is less about chasing modern performance expectations and more about ensuring the whole car is ready for sustained speed. Fresh tires do not compensate for worn kingpins, tired shocks, weak brakes, or a long-stored spare. If the car is newly returned to service, treat the first longer drives as a shakedown period and verify how the chassis behaves before asking more of it.

Several 1957 Facel Vega tire options list their maximum load at 32 psi, including 815-15 BFGoodrich products at 1610 pounds at 32 psi and 670-15 products at either 1450 pounds at 32 psi or 1550 pounds at 32 psi depending on brand and specification. Those figures are tire ratings, not a blanket instruction that every Facel Vega should always be run at 32 psi in service.

Use the factory owner's literature as the first guide for vehicle operating pressure, then confirm that the chosen tire's construction and rated-pressure framework are being respected. Do not transfer one tire's load-and-pressure figure to a different size or assume all 15-inch bias-ply choices should be inflated identically. Pressure should match the vehicle application, the exact tire, and the way the car is being driven.

Before a longer drive in a 1957 Facel Vega, inspect each tire for cracking, cuts, bulges, tread separation, embedded debris, and signs of air loss. Check cold inflation pressure, confirm that wheel fasteners are secure, and inspect the spare so it is more than a decorative trunk accessory. On a collector car, the condition of the wheel and valve stem deserves as much attention as the tread itself.

A longer trip is also the right moment to think beyond the tires. Verify brake feel, steering response, coolant temperature stability, charging system health, and whether the car tracks straight at speed. Facel Vega grand tourers reward proper preparation, and a thorough pre-drive check turns the tires from a possible weak link into one confirmed part of a broader road-ready package.