posted 06-29-2004 12:48 PM         

First things first. Qvale is pronounced "Kah-VAH-lee." And Mangusta is a 2+2 low-slung sports car with a removable roof, a Ford V8 and a $69,500 price tag. Oh yeah, and Mangusta is Italian for mongoose.
Now, here’s a little history that explains what the Mangusta is all about: In 1947, MG enthusiast Kjell Qvale started a business called British Motor Car Distributors Ltd. (BMCD) in San Francisco. It was the first MG distributorship on the West Coast. He quickly became a leader of the nation’s sports car movement and was active in the Sports Car Club of America. He even had a hand in designing the world-famous Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, Calif., Corkscrew turn and all.





Soon, BMCD became the largest distributor of British automobiles in the United States, dealing in MG, Austin Healey, Triumph, Jaguar, Jensen, Lotus, Rolls-Royce and Bentley. In 1953, Qvale opened Riviera Motors, the first Volkswagen distributor in Northern California. Sales were good. By 1955, Volkswagen granted Riviera distributor rights to the entire Northwest. Then, in the early 1960s, Qvale added Porsche and Audi to his list of clients.
In 1970, Qvale purchased Jensen Motors Ltd. of West Bromwich, England, and soon thereafter introduced the Jensen Interceptor III, a Mopar-powered 2+2 sports car. Around that time, Donald Healey and Qvale collaborated on the Jensen Healey.

In 1976, the year Kjell’s son Bruce joined the company, Qvale began to import and distribute Maseratis in America. This Italian relationship lasted a decade.

Then, in March 1998, the Italian sports car manufacturer DeTomaso Modena SpA. (the company responsible for the Ford-powered Pantera of the early 1970s) signed a licensing agreement with Qvale for the manufacture, distribution and marketing of all current and future DeTomaso products. This included the Mangusta. But in March 2000, the relationship ended and Qvale decided to produce the Mangusta under its own name.

Which brings us to the present. Bruce is now president and chief executive officer of Qvale, and the Mangusta is available exclusively at 15 dealers located in 10 states.

Proportioned and sculpted by famed Italian designer Marcello Gandini—who penned the Lamborghini Countach and Diablo—the stubby Qvale Mangusta measures only 165.1 in. in length. By comparion, that’s 6 in. shorter than a Porsche Boxster. But the Qvale rides on a long 105.1-in. wheelbase, which positions its wheels way out at the corners of the car’s body. The Boxster’s wheelbase measures just 95.2 in. The Mangusta is also 4.5 in. wider and about 1.5 in. taller than the Porsche.

The front-engine, rear-drive Mangusta is powered by the same DOHC 32-valve 4.6-liter V8 you’d find in a Ford Mustang Cobra. It puts out 320 hp at 6000 rpm and 314 ft.-lb. of torque at 4800 rpm. That’s enough, according to Qvale, to squirt the Mangusta from 0 to 60 mph in the 5-second range and to get the car near a top speed of 160 mph. Backing up that engine is a Tremec T45 five-speed manual gearbox and a hydraulically actuated limited-slip differential.

The car is based on a steel chassis, wears a French-built composite body to save weight and rides on a multilink all-independent wishbone suspension with coil springs and front and rear antiroll bars. Brembo four-wheel disc brakes hide behind standard 17-in. wheels and tires. Want larger ones? Eighteen-inch rubber is optional for $2200.

The 3352-pound Mangusta—which offers a scant 7.5 cu. ft. of trunk space—is also a convertible. Well, sort of. Qvale calls it a Rototop roof system. It features three positions—closed coupe, open targa and topless convertible. The center section, which must be removed manually, stores easily in the trunk. This leaves the rear window and rear roof section in place for the targa look. If top-down motoring is your thing, the rest of the roof can then be lowered with the touch of a button. There’s no soft-top or messy boot to mess with. Pretty cool.

Bucket seats, leather, leather, leather, and some recognizable Ford hardware make up the interior. It’s hard to miss the Mustang Cobra gauge cluster, window switches and climate control vents. But the hides are buttery and the analog clock is a nice touch. Dual airbags are standard, as are air conditioning and the expected power accessories.

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originally posted by CTProwler: Made in Modena Italy

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posted 06-29-2004 01:42 PM         

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posted 06-29-2004 01:48 PM         

SEXY!!!!

Enjoy!!!!

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posted 07-01-2004 10:48 AM         

Hell of a gift.

I bet ole' Chuck won't sleep on the sofa for a while!

posted 07-02-2004 08:07 AM         

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Brian K. Richardson
West Palm Beach, FL http://www.brianrichardson.net

1997 Purple W/ 1997 Mopar Trailer
TGF Metalcrafters Rear Spoiler ~ Mopar Borla Prowler Exhaust ~ Splash Guards(Front + Back) ~ Ceramic brake pads (front) ~ "Cracked Ice" shimmers on rear bumpers ~ Magic Touch Design 2.2 Air Intake ~ Purple Painted Shift Bezel ~ Trailer Leather Bra ~ Complete, Speaker Upgrade ~ $15 chrome grill ~ Front Suspension Brace ~ 2001 Prowler Ignition Key ~ Louvered Transmission Cover ~ Flamed Panther Prowler "Cat-Skins" seat covers.

posted 07-02-2004 08:13 AM         

1. Does the car have a warranty?

2. Where do you get something like that serviced?