Kjell Qvale
courtesy of roadrunning.com

Kjell Qvale: An Automotive pioneer, part 1

by Jon Rosner

There are a number of people around who have left big footprints in automotive history, and most are well-known in automotive circles. One whose self-effacing demeanor allowed him to achieve a tremendous series of accomplishments, almost without anyone noticing, is Kjell Qvale. His name, pronounced "shell kev-all-ee," is from his Norwegian birth.

One of a family of four boys and one girl, he excelled in sports, becoming Pacific Coast Champion in the 100-yard dash, and a skiing champion in Seattle, where he grew up. From school he trained as a Naval Air Cadet. He became a pilot and flew 4,000 hours in DC-4s out of Oakland, traveling throughout the Pacific between 1942 and 1945. Qvale always knew he wanted to be a businessman and when the war ended he was looking around and connected with the person who owned the Willy’s Jeep concession in Alameda. What he did not have in terms of money (he had $8,500 to his name) he had in the confidence that he inspired in the owner of the Willy’s concession.

He started with two desks, one for him and one for his future wife and business partner, Kay. All the spare parts for the vehicles were in the drawers of his desk. In early 1946 a mechanic friend told him about the fun-to-ride James Motorcycle that was going to be imported to the U.S. from England. Qvale hopped on a train and went to New Orleans to see the motorcycle.

Not long after arriving in New Orleans he saw a young fellow driving a car from Morris Garages, an M.G. The two struck up a conversation and it turned out that this fellow was the son of the person importing the motorcycles to the U.S. Following a positive conversation and a handshake, Qvale became the San Francisco Bay Area dealer for M.G. He ordered six M.G.s five to come by rail and one in need of being picked up in Los Angeles.

When Qvale got to L.A. to pick up the car he met Chuck Hornberg and William Lyons. Yes, that William Lyons, the man who owned Jaguar. It was late 1947 and cars were one year away from delivery. Qvale ordered one Mark Five sedan and one Mark Five convertible. And on another handshake, he became the Jaguar distributor for the West Coast. On Jan. 1, 1947, he sold his first M.G. and subsequently moved the dealership to San Bruno, picking up Rolls-Royce and Bentley in the process.

What really made the M.G. popular was not only the soldiers coming home with the spiffy little car, but the 1949 photo taken of Qvale driving the car under a lumber carrier. The picture appeared in Life Magazine and sales just took off. Not long after that Qvale was involved in setting up the first post-war races on the West Coast at Buchanan Field in Concord. Three years later, he worked with the Guardsmen on a fund-raiser, and set up a sports car road race through Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.

Meanwhile, he was also very involved in racing in a little town called Monterey. It was his suggestion that since the races were a social event that a Concours be set up. He spoke with the woman who did publicity for the Del Monte Lodge and got the go-ahead for the racers to show some of their cars before charging through the woods. And yes, that was the beginning of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the oldest and most important car show in America.

The Pebble Beach race was held over roads in the Del Monte Forest, 1/2 mile from the Lodge, with the start/finish line at the Polo Field. At the end of the race Kjell handed Phil Hill his trophy for winning the first event in the Del Monte Forest. When the crowds grew too big, the cars too fast and the situation too dangerous to continue racing through the woods-Qvale was one of the folks that worked with the commanding officer in charge of Fort Ord to find some land to accommodate a real track.

As part of the first group of folks working with Jim Orr, Army Base Commander, he was invited to walk around the area being proposed for the track. Qvale was offered the opportunity to put in his two cents worth, and when he walked over the hill toward the far side of where the track might run, he was asked if they should bring the track around and follow the dirt roads already in place. His response was that, no, "I think that we ought to go down there, right down this hill. I thought that it was sensational, and I pushed it." The others sort of looked at him a bit funny, but were willing to try. That suggestion became the world famous Corkscrew at Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway.

In 1949 he also changed the name of his company from Qvale Motors to British Motor Cars Distributing, Limited. By 1950, Qvale was hearing bits and pieces about a small company named Volkswagon. He took a trip to Europe and met with the Volkswagen. people and negotiated to be their West Coast distributor. But there was a catch.

Volkswagen did not want their cars in the same showroom with the British cars, so Qvale asked Reynold Johnson, the friend who gave him his first dealership, Willys, to come in and be in charge. Qvale would be the silent partner. Reynold had never heard of the car, but Qvale convinced him that it was a good idea. In 1953 they placed their first order with Volkswagon. It was for 12 cars, and parts from the two-page order book. By the end of the 1950s BMC would be selling 2,000 Volkswagens per month up and down the West Coast. Qvale was now the West Coast Distributor for M.G., Volkswagon and several other makes, and a man integral to the car scene.

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