Since Jensen is mentioned, I have a question. Anyone know where I might find a
"FF" Jensen Interceptor that's available for
purchase. Not a standard Jensen, must be "FF".
Herb
Christian Stanton wrote:
> Reading the notes about Kjell Qvale off of the website www.mangusta.net
>yeilds the following strange connection to our LBC's:
>
> In 1947, Kjell Qvale laid the foundation for British Motor Car Distributors,
> Ltd. (BMCD), based upon his passion for the MG sports car. He quickly
> became a leading promoter of the sports car movement in America and
> introduced many people to the thrilling experience of driving the unique
> MG. He soon aspired to open the first MG distributorship on the West
> Coast and built a customer base by personally demonstrating and
> test-driving the new MG.
> <snip>
> Headquarters for BMCD were established in San Francisco. In the years
> that followed, BMCD became the largest single distributor of English
> automobiles in the US, including MG, Austin Healey, Triumph, Jaguar,
> Jensen, Lotus, Rolls-Royce and Bentley.
>
> In 1968, BMCD was awarded the rights to import and distribute British
> Leyland vehicles in Los Angeles, Arizona, Nevada and Utah markets. The
> company set up facilities in Southern California and carefully selected
> over 50 dealers in the southwestern US. The dealers were given the full
> line of British Leyland vehicles to sell, and dedicated exclusive facilities
> to the brand.
> <snip>
> In 1970, Kjell Qvale purchase Jensen Motors, Ltd., of West Bromwich,
> England. Mr. Qvale was responsible for the successful introduction of the
> Jensen Interceptor III. However, an important reason for Qvale's
> purchase of Jensen was to produce a totally new sports car, the Jensen
> Healey - a project on which Donald Healey and Kjell Qvale collaborated.
>
> During the design and tooling of the Jensen Healey, the Interceptor was
> imported and distributed in the US by Jensen Motors, Inc., a subsidiary
> of BMCD. When the Healey was ready, it too was brought to the US.
> Jensen Motors established a network of 45 dealers throughout the US
> and Canada. Many BMCD dealers were awarded the Jensen franchise,
> depending on sales success, profitability, and ability to market the new
> line of cars.
>
> >>> Roger Cotting <rbc@ili.net> 10/17/00 01:21PM >>>
> The Mangusta is produced by Qvale because their agreement with De Tomaso went
> south. It costs about $80,000 and is not particularly beautiful. There was a
> test of ti in either Car & Driver or Automobile in the last two months.
>
> Roger Cotting
>
> Larry Miller wrote:
>
> > I was at the ALMS and Trans-Am races at Laguna Seca this past weekend and
> > spotted a Qvale Mangusta parked near the security trailer. It is a Ford
> > powered Italian job. I was told that DeTomaso has something to do with it.
> >
> > Anybody know anything about this car?
> >
> > There is a Qvale race car that runs in the ALMS and I know that Kjell Qvale
> > had a hand in the design of Laguna Seca and was the first MG dealer in
> > Northern California.
> >
> > I've never heard of them producing a street car though.
> >
> > So far a web search has not turned up anything on this particular car.
> >
> > Larry Miller
> > http://www.ado13.com
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