If you think that owning a car manufactured in less than 300 units will drain your bank account, take a look at this Qvale Mangusta.
Q…what? Qvale Mangusta; an extremely rare Italian sports car, produced between 2000 and 2002. Qvale was an independent company founded in 2000 by Bruce Qvale, and its sole product was the Mangusta.
Designed by Marcello Gandini, the model was intended to bear De Tomaso’s badge and the Bigua moniker, but it ended up under Qvale’s name after a falling out with Alejandro DeTomaso, who at the time as looking for a business partner due to financial troubles.
Only 284 Qvales were built, the majority of which were exported to the USA. However, due to its quirky attributes and lack of a well-known brand name, it turned out to be a commercial flop.
Inspired by the TVR Griffith, the Mangusta was conceived to be a simple and straightforward sports machine, just like the British brute. Its chassis was designed by former Formula 1 designer Enrique Scalabroni, who had worked for Dallara, Williams and Scuderia Ferrari.
Qvale opted for a 4.6-litre Ford Cobra SVT V8, which produced 320hp and 317 lb-ft (430 Nm) of torque, mated to a BorgWarner T45 5-speed manual or an optional 4-speed automatic.
This particular model is in full working order, has 19,821 miles (31,898 km) on the clock and it’s for sale at Rayco Eurospec Motorcars for $39,900. You can’t get more exotic at this price level.
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