Qvale
Encyclopedia
Qvale was an independent Italian
car manufacturer founded in 2000 by the American
Kjell Qvale
's son, Bruce Qvale. Qvale's sole product was the Mangusta
, originally the De Tomaso
Biguà. Kjell Qvale founded British Motors in 1947 in San Francisco, California and is very well known in the automotive community. Kjell was the first distributor for Jaguar on the west coast and one of the founders of the San Francisco Auto Show.
Alejandro de Tomaso
, an Italian car manufacturer with Argentine
roots, had chosen the Biguà to revive his brand. The car was designed by Marcello Gandini, a designer for Lamborghini
and Maserati
. The Biguà was shown for the first time in 1996, in Geneva
.
Financial troubles forced De Tomaso to look for a business partner whom he found in the American Bruce Qvale, an importer and distributor of a number of exclusive cars in the United States
. The De Tomaso Biguà was renamed the Mangusta, a historic name (see De Tomaso Mangusta
).
As the first cars were about to be delivered, Qvale and De Tomaso parted ways. Qvale took over the factory and the car's production. De Tomaso, however, refused to allow the use of his name. The first Mangustas were delivered to their customers with De Tomaso badges, which subsequently had to be exchanged at the dealers for the now-official Qvale logos.
Between 2000 and 2002, Qvale built 270 cars (or 272, depending on which source is to be believed), the majority of which were exported to the USA. The lack of a well-known brand name, the slowing economy, and the unusual design made marketing the car difficult. In 2003, Qvale sold the rights to the Mangusta to Britain's MG Rover Group
.
In 2004, MG launched the MG SV
and SVR. Designed by MGSR (MG Sport & Racing, the racing division of the MG Rover Group), the SV was based on the structure, suspension, engine and gearbox of the Mangusta. The car was built largely in Italy, with some fitting and pre-delivery customisation in the UK.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
car manufacturer founded in 2000 by the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Kjell Qvale
Kjell Qvale
Kjell Qvale is a Norwegian-American business executive. Qvale is one of the key figures in the creation of the Jensen-Healey. Qvale became the first distributor for Jaguar on the Pacific West Coast. Qvale is one of the founders of the San Francisco Auto Show.-Early life:Kjell Qvale was born in...
's son, Bruce Qvale. Qvale's sole product was the Mangusta
Qvale Mangusta
The Qvale Mangusta is a sports car produced in limited numbers in Italy by the automaker Qvale between 2000 and 2002. During development and early production, it was badged as the De Tomaso Biguá in Europe, in North America it was badged De Tomaso Mangusta after the De Tomaso car built between 1967...
, originally the De Tomaso
De Tomaso
De Tomaso Automobili SpA is an Italian car-manufacturing company. It was founded by the Argentine-born Alejandro de Tomaso in Modena in 1959. It originally produced various prototypes and racing cars, including a Formula One car for Frank Williams' team in 1970. The company developed a reputation...
Biguà. Kjell Qvale founded British Motors in 1947 in San Francisco, California and is very well known in the automotive community. Kjell was the first distributor for Jaguar on the west coast and one of the founders of the San Francisco Auto Show.
Alejandro de Tomaso
Alejandro de Tomaso
Alejandro de Tomaso was a racing driver and industrialist from Argentina. His name is sometimes seen in an Italianised form as Alessandro de Tomaso. He participated in two Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on January 13, 1957...
, an Italian car manufacturer with Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
roots, had chosen the Biguà to revive his brand. The car was designed by Marcello Gandini, a designer for Lamborghini
Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian car manufacturer. The company was founded by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963, with the objective of producing a refined grand touring car to compete with established offerings from marques like...
and Maserati
Maserati
Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993...
. The Biguà was shown for the first time in 1996, in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
.
Financial troubles forced De Tomaso to look for a business partner whom he found in the American Bruce Qvale, an importer and distributor of a number of exclusive cars in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The De Tomaso Biguà was renamed the Mangusta, a historic name (see De Tomaso Mangusta
De Tomaso Mangusta
The De Tomaso Mangusta is a sports car from Italian automobile manufacturer De Tomaso produced between 1967 and 1971.-History:The Mangusta replaced the Vallelunga model, on which its chassis was based. The word "Mangusta" is Italian for "Mongoose", an animal that can kill cobras...
).
As the first cars were about to be delivered, Qvale and De Tomaso parted ways. Qvale took over the factory and the car's production. De Tomaso, however, refused to allow the use of his name. The first Mangustas were delivered to their customers with De Tomaso badges, which subsequently had to be exchanged at the dealers for the now-official Qvale logos.
Between 2000 and 2002, Qvale built 270 cars (or 272, depending on which source is to be believed), the majority of which were exported to the USA. The lack of a well-known brand name, the slowing economy, and the unusual design made marketing the car difficult. In 2003, Qvale sold the rights to the Mangusta to Britain's MG Rover Group
MG Rover Group
MG Rover was the last domestically owned mass-production car manufacturer in the British motor industry. The company was formed when BMW sold the car-making and engine manufacturing assets of the original Rover Group to the Phoenix Consortium in 2000....
.
In 2004, MG launched the MG SV
MG XPower SV
The MG XPower SV is a sports car which was produced by MG Rover. Manufactured in Modena, Italy and finished at Longbridge, UK, it was based on the platform of the Qvale Mangusta, formerly the De Tomaso Biguà.-History:...
and SVR. Designed by MGSR (MG Sport & Racing, the racing division of the MG Rover Group), the SV was based on the structure, suspension, engine and gearbox of the Mangusta. The car was built largely in Italy, with some fitting and pre-delivery customisation in the UK.