Qvale

Kjell Qvale founded British Motors in 1947 in San Francisco, California and was a well known importer of European luxury cars.

[1] Alejandro de Tomaso, an Italian car manufacturer with Argentine roots, had chosen the Biguà to revive his brand.

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 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.

The lack of a well-known brand name, the slowing economy, and the unusual design made marketing the car difficult.