Obituary: Kjell Qvale Pioneered Auto Racing at Buchanan Field

An entrepreneur who sponsored car races at Buchanan Field in the late 1940s and was an early dealer of the quirky British sports cars that helped define the postwar California lifestyle, died in San Francisco on Nov. 1. He was 96.

The New York Times published an obituary of Kjell Qvale Thursday, which tells how the Norwegian immigrant and WWII veteran parlayed a small savings into an automobile empire specializing in marks like MG, Jensen-Healey, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Morris and Rolls Royce.

Qvale sold a Jeep dealership in Alameda after he fell in love with the MG, an automobile the New York Times described as the first imported sports car to find a broad market in the United States. Qvale promoted his still unfamiliar brands by sponsoring races at Buchanan Field. He also established the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

Do any longtime Concordians remember Qvale’s races at Buchanan Field? Who bought an MG from Qvale?