Mr. Kjell Kvale |
| Founder and Proprietor |
| British Motor Car Distributors, Ltd., San Francisco Bay Area |
|
United States |
About Mr. Kjell Kvale
San Francisco resident Kjell Qvale excelled as a high school and college athlete and fought bravely in World War II prior to pursuing a career as a foreign car dealer magnate on the West Coast. Building British Motor Car Distributors, Ltd. from the ground up, Kjell Qvale today oversees the company’s San Francisco dealership, where he sells fine sports cars, including Jaguars, Land Rovers, Lamborghinis, Lotuses, and Bentleys.
Raised in Norway and Washington State, Kjell Qvale showed a passion for athletics early on, finding he could run much faster than many of his classmates in grammar school. In high school, Kjell Qvale continued to run, competing in the 100-yard dash and other short-distance track races and winning numerous awards in both team and individual events. Capturing the attention of collegiate recruiters, Kjell Qvale attended University of Washington on an athletic scholarship. During his two years at the University of Washington, Kjell Qvale consistently earned the position of the school’s top sprinter and tied or beat nationally ranked and former Olympian competitors from other colleges. Kjell Qvale’s most significant win of his notable running career was at the 1941 Pacific Coast Conference Championships, where he beat out top sprinters from the University of California, Berkley; Washington State; and other colleges in the 100-yard dash.
In 1941, Kjell Qvale was accepted into the Naval Air Corps. and began basic training at Sand Point Naval Air Station in Washington. Trained as a Navy pilot, Kjell Qvale attended flight training schools in Corpus Christi and Fort Worth, Texas, before being assigned to a transport squadron responsible for flying military personnel and cargo cross-country. Kjell Qvale’s time in the Navy was marked by a tour in the Pacific Theater with the Naval Air Transport Service, flying all manner of military aircrafts, and a sixth place finish at a 1942 National Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) meet, where Kjell Qvale again beat out former and future Olympians. In 1945, prior to being discharged from the Navy, Kjell Qvale taught pilots at flight training schools in California.
Soon after he was discharged, Kjell Qvale opened Qvale Motors in Alameda, California, later changing the name to British Motor Car Distributors, Ltd. and opening several dealerships nationwide.
Mr. Kjell Kvale Links
