It was Wes Tarkington who sent me the link to the ebay listing for this car and he and I bantered about regarding the potential coolness of this 2000 Qvale Mangusta with the right upgrades like skinnies in the front, drag radials, and turbos. The car is an interesting piece because it is one of only about 280 built between 2000 and 2002 and in typical Italian fashion, there was treachery and tumult through the development and right up until they were sold. They were going to be DeTomaso branded and then they ended up being Qvale branded because someone overcooked the Cappuccino or showed up to work on time or some other thing that you simply don’t do in Italy. The cars retailed for over $80,000 when they were brand new and the seller of this one is looking for a little more than $20k to offload his.
The idea was to combine American V8 power with the sleek Italian design outside and stout European suspension design and engineering underneath. The cars were built using the four cam engine that was used in the Mustang Cobra of the era and lots of Mustang interior parts. There are some Mustang front suspension parts on the thing but all the stuff we have read suggests that the car was NOT built on the Mustang chassis. The wheelbase is a few inches longer, allowing the motor to be moved back and better balancing the handling, the rear end is IRS and not the type that was found in the Cobras (we think). The photos taken under the car seem to show a robustly built chassis and by all accounts it should perform about like a Mustang Cobra as it comes it at roughly the same weight.
With only 284 documented as ever being sold, we’re sure that these will have their day in the collector car sun…but it is now?
The seller wrote a very Qvale-owner sounding ad and we’re going to let it do the talking from here on out –
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This is a fun car. If you’ve never been filmed by the entire occupants of a tour bus it may not be for you. If you don’t like answering questions every time you pull in to a gas station this car may not be for you. I’ve got it down to, “Italian body, Cobra engine.” I’ve uttered these words dozens of times already. If you’ve got a friendly inquiry, sometimes I show them how the roto top works. As it quietly slips in to position, the ooohs and aaaahs come out like you’re at the Bellagio. In the up position, it’s totally tough guy. In the down position, you slip on down the highway like an ice skater. I do love this car. It’s quirky and cool all at the same time. It has it’s downfalls. You can bottom this baby out if you’re not careful. The previous owner did on his 40th birthday. And so he got a new engine as a birthday present to himself. This was at 40K miles. The replacement engine doesn’t have some of the Qvale frills. It sure is smooth and roars to a start every time, no problem. I have had all the brakes and front end suspension replaced and there is a nice solid feel with no clunks or squeaks. The brakes do squeak however and my mechanic has put a ton of effort into quieting them down. It’s only after some long down hills or stop and go that they peep a little. You will have more conversations about this car than any car you have owned I would imagine. I have had well over 300 and this one hands down has started more fun dialog than anything I can recollect.
The car is far from perfect. It has little scuffs and scratches and rock chips to the discerning eye. The interior is showing some shrinkage on the dash and some wear on the seats. The steering wheel needs to be redone or replaced with a slick Italian Job. The roto top has a thin spot in the finish and a tear on the material underneath. The targa top has a small chip from being stowed improperly in the trunk and there is no stereo. The previous owner had a CD changer, MP3 combination that I had removed. The wiring is completely intact and unmolested. I just had a $100 sports alignment done and I wouldn’t hesitate to drive this sweet machine anywhere right now. There is no spare tire from the factory and in fact if you are looking seriously at this purchase please read up on it’s intricacies. I have had every fluid and tune up business taken care of and this is my #1 machine. I enjoy every drive and when it’s not in service it is garaged and covered and never put away wet or dirty. The car looks amazing in its present condition and folks perceive it as much more fancy and expensive than it is. Here you have a rare and unusual car and if it’s the one for you, welcome to the “What the Heck is That Club”.
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Worth 22K?
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE PHOTOS AND THE EBAY LINK FOR THE 2000 QVALE MANGUSTA –
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE EBAY LISTING FOR THIS RARE 2000 QVALE MANGUSTA
The styling is certainly, uh, unique. But I bet it’s fun to drive. It needs a Terminator motor up front though
The car looks exactly like a Mazda Miata with an Ebay body kit. Its got the V8 though so its not all bad!
OK … a little history lesson . The real story behind this car was it was originally DeTomaso’s [ of Pantera fame ] last ditch effort to revive the company before the final death throws set in . Using as DeTomaso always has Ford drivetrains etc . In Europe and the UK it was sold as a DeTomaso Mangusta .
Then Mssr . Qvale in his infinite and ever delusional wisdom decided he could sell them here in the US . Only as a ‘ Qvale ‘ in order to feed that ever expanding ego of his …while not taking into consideration all the changes that needed to be made in order to make the last ditch effort Mangusta street legal here in the US and what the consequences of those changes would be
With the Qvale Mangusta becoming a mere shadow of its DeTomaso former self … not that the DeTomaso version was any gem either mind you
Hence … this offering today . A watered down last ditch effort to revive what once was a great mark … that missed the mark on all counts [ unfortunately] … with a weird assed name on the hood that has little or no meaning for most [ other than a serious GearHead such as myself ] to boot .
But …. damn .. I loves them Italian beasts with a Yankee heart beating underneath the hood .. and this could of been one of them had it been done right on both sides of the Atlantic … and minus the Qvale moniker on this side … 😉
So in light of the little history lesson and abject reality ? Worth $22k ?
Hell no ! At perhaps $10k … yes .. it could make for one heck of a project car for someone with the extensive skills and knowledge needed to cure all the ills of the original . At $5k … an incredibly fun and original project for the masses
But $22K ? Just Say No !
A little soundtrack for the above ….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fNY0JuATpQ
They lost me at “Mod-Motor” I can’t imagine the combination of flying/braking spark plugs and notorious Italian craftsmanship. Hell why not contract of the electronics to Lucas to complete the perfect storm.
Shows how little you know about mod motors. Not that many had plug issues, it was certain years and combinations.
BeaverMartin – you need to learn your mod motors a bit. The flying spark plugs were mostly the v10s and the other 2v pi motors up to 2001 model year. 2001 received extra threads and all is well there. 1992-1998 non pi heads were fine.
The breaking ones were the 3v heads from 2004 to 2008 model year. 2009 (2008 in some cases for some trucks) and up received reworked spark plugs and after that they were fine.
At no point did the 4v model, which is what this has, have any problems with spark plugs. Not the lincoln mark VIII, not the 96-98 cobras and their B heads, not the 99/01 cobras, not the 2000 cobra R, not the 03/04 cobras, not the 03/04 mach1, not the Aviator, and not the navigator. And not the lincoln continental either in the fwd version of this motor.
I do agree this car could use a terminator style swap… or just rods and pistons swapped and a big blower on top. Chances are good that this is a teksid block, and with a bit of work and other rods/pistons it should be damn near bullet proof, capable of insane power levels. You want a conversation starter… crank that thing to 700+hp
Thanks for teaching me as I admittedly haven’t had much mod motor experience beyond the 2 and 3 valve 4.6s, and then only by-proxy (friends had them) For my money I’d much rather have a LS_. I’ve never been a Ford guy though in all honesty, so I’m biased there. To each his own.