Mr. Kjell Kvale |
| Founder |
| British Motor Car Distributors, Ltd., CA |
|
United States |
About Mr. Kjell Kvale
A visionary and prominent athlete, San Francisco resident Kjell Qvale has played an influential role in the establishment of several well-known athletic events as well as the bolstering of other sports into the national limelight.
Excelling as a collegiate and amateur runner, Kjell Qvale sprinted against and beat numerous former and future Olympians and professional athletes in the 1940s before turning his attention to building a foreign vehicle dealership empire under the name British Motor Car Distributors, Ltd. An early pioneer in post-World War II auto racing, Kjell Qvale helped organize widely popular car races at Pebble Beach and Golden Gate Park and founded the still active San Francisco International Auto Show.
Applying the same passion and attention he did to working on the forefront of America’s budding auto racing industry in the 1950s and 60s, Kjell Qvale financed the first women’s professional tennis tournament in 1971. Kjell Qvale’s funding of the event set in motion the creation of a national forum for women tennis standouts, including Billie Jean King and Rosie Casals, eventually leading to the founding of the Women’s International Tennis Association.
A passionate thoroughbred horse breeder and racer, Kjell Qvale has spent 50 years investing in the sport, owning several ranches, winning between 700 and 800 races, and at one time overseeing the care of 250 horses. Throughout his horse racing career, Kjell Qvale has served as the Director and President of Pacific Racing Association of Golden Gate Fields and Chairman of the California Jockey Club. In addition to owning stables around the world, Kjell Qvale developed a quarter-mile quarter horse racetrack, stables facility, and viewing area capable of accommodating 400 to 500 people in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
Throughout most of his life, Kjell Qvale has enjoyed golfing and skiing, formerly competing in the Crosby Pro-Am Golf Tournament for 20 years and playing on courses around the world, while remaining an active skier well into his eighties.
Mr. Kjell Kvale Links
