No Reserve, Low Miles, Ultra-rare: 2001 Qvale Mangusta

The genesis of the Qvale Mangusta had nothing to do with Kjell Qvale. In fact, it was inspired by Giordano Casarini, an engineer at Maserati, who had seen a 1990s TVR Griffith during a trip to the UK. Meanwhile, Alejandro de Tomaso, Cesarini’s close friend, was pondering the fate of his company; when Cesarini suggested that de Tomaso make a small sports car like the Griffith, the wheels were set in motion. Marcello Gandini was hired to style the sporty car. A prototype – called the De Tomaso Biguà – made it to the 1996 Geneva Motor Show, but before the car could enter production, financing ran dry, and that’s when Qvale stepped in. He provided the funds to manufacture the car, to be called the De Tomaso Mangusta. Disagreements plagued the arrangement, however, resulting in yet another name change, to Qvale Mangusta. Only 284 examples of this quirky Italian car exited the marble-laden Modena factory. Today’s example has traveled fewer than 14,000 miles. Not only is it practically brand new, it’s been serviced and detailed for its new owner. The car is being sold from an estate via eBay, and bidding has stalled at $17,100 in a no-reserve auction. The winning bidder will pick it up from Cincinnati, Ohio.

When this car was conceived, the chassis design was outsourced to Enrique Scalabroni, an F1 engineer formerly of Scuderia Ferrari and Williams. The body panels are not fiberglass per se: engineered by a French firm from resin transfer molding plastic, they were painted by an Italian specialist. It’s easy to see why so few were built, with the chassis and its parts shipping all over Europe before assembly at Modena. This Qvale Mangusta cost $85k new, and the seller indicates that another $45k was spent on upgrades – mostly in the motor department. The factory engine was Ford’s 4.6-liter V8, rated at 320 hp. A swap to a 4.9-liter Cobra V8 fitted with an Eaton supercharger has boosted output to 600 hp. The gearbox was similarly changed out for a Tremec six-speed manual. The Borla exhaust, Brembo brakes, 18″ Antera wheels, and top-shelf Alpine sound system are icing on the proverbial cake. The car – as we can imagine – is said to run very well.

While the cabin is nice, it doesn’t hold a candle to the car’s Roto-top, capable of three positions. With the top up, the Mangusta looks like a coupe; or the center section can be removed and stored in the trunk, targa-style; finally, the rear window portion retracts into the car’s body at the touch of a button. Looking past that party trick, the upholstery is plush leather, while the dash and many other components came from Ford’s parts bin.

The car’s prodigious manufacturing costs did not bode well for its staying power. But its failure to launch can also be attributed to deficits in its factory form. Power steering didn’t offer the road feel that buyers wanted. The car was heavy, and while the engine was great in the Mustang, it was considered less great in the Mangusta, since buyers were paying a lot more for the Italian exotic. The original Borg-Warner five-speed wasn’t an ideal fit for the 4.6-liter engine; swaps to a six-speed are not uncommon. The targa portion of the top was finicky. And Gandini’s styling drew criticisms. The values of these cars, despite their rarity and Italian roots, remain stuck around $25k to $30k. What’s your opinion of the Qvale Mangusta? Interesting, or no way?