The kit originated with the French manufacturer Heller, all right. That 1974 date sounds a little off; I bought mine in about 1978, when it was new. My recollection is that Heller didn't start distributing Heller kits until a little later. My recollections, however, frequently turn out to be wrong these days.
Some years ago another Forum member (who now seems to have disappeared) got some information about the kit's French origins. It's pretty clear that it's based on the unfinished model in the Musee de la Marine - with some big discrepancies (most notably in the quarter galleries, the knee of the head, and the proportions of the underwater hull. Our Forum friend also found references to something called a "bakelite" model that was made by somebody else.
I really need to drop out of this discussion for once and for all. I don't have anything else to contribute - unless and until somebody produces some genuine primary sources about this ship. I suspect there are some in France, but I've never seen them.
Youth, talent, hard work, and enthusiasm are no match for old age and treachery.