There is no oxymoron likelier to raise a bunch of red flags than “cheap Ferrari.” Quite right, too. If it’s cheap, there must be something terribly wrong with it. Missing engine, bent frame, rotting panels? No, it’s just a Mondial. Those were born cheap and stayed that way ever since. So what’s the catch?
It’s not entirely clear to me why Ferrari thought this car was a good idea. The basic concept is certainly pretty quirky: a four-seater with a transverse V8 ahead of the rear wheels. That’s a lot of things to locate within the wheelbase of any car, let alone a sporty Italian one. Consequently, said wheelbase needed to be stretched a bit, as did the car’s other dimensions, increasing the weight to a decidedly hefty 1.5 tons.
Bonus headache: you have to use the same 3-litre engine as the predecessor, only detuned to 214hp (in Euro spec) because of the EFI replacing the carbs. The dreaded Mondial 8 coupé was launched in 1980, right as the Western world entered a recession. The new base model Ferrari was barely able to reach 100kph in under 10 seconds – underwhelming to say the least.
In 1982, things started to improve a bit with the new Quattrovalvole (four valve) head, good for 240hp; the drop-top joined the range in 1983 and significantly added to the Mondial’s appeal. That’s the model we have here – made between 1983 and 1985. After that date, the nose changed and the bumpers were body-coloured. Oh, and the V8 became a 3.2 litre, with 270hp now on tap. The final version was the 1988-93 Mondial T, thus named because its new 300hp 3.4 litre engine was now mounted longitudinally, when the transmission kept its east-west orientation, thereby forming a ‘T’ shape.
In the end, the Mondial got the engine it deserved, but the early cars, especially in US-spec, were reportedly painfully slow. However, the longer wheelbase made for a better-handling mid-engined Ferrari than any that preceded it. Said longer wheelbase also almost makes for a genuine four-seater, or a generous 2+2. This I can vouch for from personal experience: the only Ferrari I’ve ever had the pleasure of sitting in was a Mondial coupé, back in the mid-‘90s. I sat shotgun and two of my buddies were in the back – both were six footers at least, and they survived.
The Ferrari Mondial has regularly made the “Worst car” lists of various car magazines since the ‘90s. Heck, when I sat in one as a teen, even I knew this was the “poor man’s Ferrari” I had been warned about. Still made all the right noises and had a lovely leather interior, though. And that gated shifter looked just as nice as it does in any Italian 12-cyl. supercar.
Beyond the performance issues, many feel the need to criticize the car’s looks – any combination of “it’s too big, too chunky, too plain” – and point to Pininfarina’s prominently-displayed plaque to indicate the chief culprit. But PF had to work with the chassis that Ferrari presented them with, and it was quite an unusual one.
I mean, I get that folks prefer the (Bertone-designed) 208/308 GT4. It’s objectively a very nice car. In my view though, that doesn’t make the Mondial horrible by comparison. If you want ugly, the Lamborghini Jalpa and the Maserati Biturbo are in that dumpster over there. And I personally find the 348 and the F355 far less interesting to behold than the Mondial, and the less said about ridiculous things like the F50 the better.
On top of that, literally, the work that PF did with the soft-top is nothing short of sublime. The shape of that fabric top emulates the coupé down to the flying buttresses, preserving the Mondial’s overall shape. Well played, Farina.
Incidentally, the Interwebs claim that the Mondial cabriolet is the only mid-engined open-top four-seater ever produced, conveniently forgetting that most Matra M530s had a targa top, rear seats and a V4 ahead of those rear wheels. But then the rear seats in those are nowhere near as generous as the Ferrari’s, and targa tops are not exactly equivalent to a convertible, but still, the asterisk is warranted here.
The snobbery of people who look down on these as “unworthy of the Ferrari name” is only matched by the snobbery of the folks who bought these because of the prancing horse badge in the first place. Despite the snootiness, questionable claims of “ugliness” and, more justifiably, the car’s lackluster performance, people bought these Ferraris in droves. Well, relative droves: just over 6000 were made, which is a lot for Ferrari. They did keep them in production for almost 15 years. The cabriolet version ended up being a firm favourite of the California crowd, which helps explain why they made so many.
Now that the Mondial’s reputation is shot, most original owners (present CC probably excepted, given the license plate) will have sold theirs on and moved down to deeper money pits, so these cars remain affordable. On its own merits, the Mondial can be appreciated as a roomy oddity among its usually cramped peers, dressed in a pretty restrained Pininfarina body — and topless, too, if the weather’s good. All for a reasonable price, you say? So I repeat: what’s the catch?
Related post:
Curbside Classic: 1985 Ferrari Mondial QV- Los Angeles Family Car, by Dave Skinner
Shame that Ferrari chose to ruin the metalwork by drilling the holes for side running lamps and markers. Ferrari could have incorporated lamps and markers into the bumpers like BMW did for the US market.
I think I’m in the minority that actually likes these, then again I like the shape of the referenced Jalpa and Biturbo as well. Perhaps it’s a time and place thing, getting very interested in cars in the early ’80s in SoCal.
A 308 will get its ass handed to it by any modern minivan as well in terms of the stoplight grand prix, so if owned, best just to be circumspect about it and not get hung up on the “performance”. Inner Tokyo may in fact be the best place in the world to enjoy that aspect…Ah, sorry chap, would love to have a run but the traffic!… It still sounds fantastic without being obnoxious when wound out and with the top down all the better to hear it.
If I didn’t just read this was the “poor man’s Ferrari” I wouldn’t know. I actually like it. I’d drive it even if it’s slower than a Sienna.
I know the CC readership isn’t exactly a representative sample, but I’ll add my opinion to Jim and Chris above – I like the Mondial. In fact, both now and back when these were new, I liked them more than the 308/328, though I actually prefer the appearance of the Mondial coupe more than the convertible.
Maybe it’s because I’ve always had a passion for GT cars rather than sports cars, but my favorite Ferraris from this era were the 412s and the Mondials. And with the Mondial, the rather absurd nature of it being a relative large car with mid-engine layout just added to the allure for me. Of course, I’ve never been remotely close to Ferrari’s market demographic, so I can’t say what what qualities attracted buyers to these cars in the first place… but I’d love to know what did compel folks to buy these when new.
Rich mans Celica.
PF did a fine job, given the brief. But it’s the brief that’s highly questionable. A mid engine 2+2? Just how often did someone ever sit in the back of one of these?
It’s just too long in the middle, making the wheels and tires look even smaller, and the ends don’t match the middle properly. It looks like an aftermarket stretch of what started out as a nicely-proportioned mid engine Ferrari. I’m sorry, but it’s just too long for what it is.
Someone should do a shortened version of a Mondial in PS; it would undoubtedly look great.
Hemmings lists a ’92 cabriolet (in red of course) for $75k; 22k on the odo. It would take care of the earlier performance problem; although I suspect maintenance would still be expensive. That’s not bad if you lust for a car with the Italian Stallion but have less than hedge-fund manager bucks. I for one would consider that if I had said lust.
As established by the R&T used car classic feature on the 330 GT 2+2 and the Wheeler Dealers episode featuring the 308 GT4, the cheap Ferrari is the one with a rear seat. By precedent a used Mondial is going to be cheap relative to a 308 or 328 GTS.
The only Mondial cabriolet I’ve seen in the metal was parked in Lower Manhattan with a child seat in the back around 1990, making it the most used since somebody was driving around New York City with their kid in the back of their Ferrari.
Enjoyable post, and I agree that these cars were (and still are) overly maligned. But, let’s face it, these things are butt-ugly. PF had the capability do better and instead it phoned it in on the Mondial.
The Mondial’s Betrone-designed 308 GT4 forbear was also maligned in its time, although it was a reasonable sales success which no doubt gave Ferrari the confidence to green light the Mondial. Gandini’s superior design, in contrast, had stood the test of time far better.
But, if one wants to be able to say they own a Ferrari there really isn’t a cheaper purchase option. One just has to be able to swallow its looks. And lack of performance on the earlier (and cheaper) cars.
Yet, when you’re sitting in the Connolly leather driver’s seat tooling down the boulevard being seen by your neighbors in YOUR Ferrari, perhaps that’s an acceptable price. Just remember that there’s no such thing as a “cheap” Ferrari.
I was a big fan of these, especially after the laudatory road test reports in all my favorite car mags. After a few years their market price generally had dropped to somewhere near a new Honda’s, and I was becoming even more hopeful … until my favorite Alfa mechanic told me that a routine tuneup took about a week in and out, with the “out” costing a cool $1500, minimum. This was in the mid-Nineties. I decided to stick with the Milano …
I have owned (2) gt4, a 456, 355, 308gtsi QV and (3) fiat dino V6 and a euro spec 84 Mondial QV coupe.
Maybe everyone should read some articles about the Mondial QV, try one out, view it from diff angles, learn more about it vs here say. It is a great Ferrari.
Read older reviews on the GT4 as horrid cars non Ferrari like, read about the horrific Porsche w the 2.7 engines , the 996 w the ims issues. Often what was spoken harshly about turns into being very well liked.
Now most strive to get a rarer coupe Mondial vs can. I have seen some Mondial 8 sell 55-65k.
From an owner who has owned 146 cars including near dozen Ferrari plus various Maserati and Lancia, Lotus and dozens of Porsche air and water cooled…. The Mondial QV is a great fun affordable and yes “ good looking “ car that with age like a fine wine has become better, more liked and seen for what it is – a Ferrari by Pinninfarina / Scaglietti from Italy.
Happy Motoring
I love my 85 QV Mondal!!
Mike –
Enjoy it !!! Beautiful car. Any negative sentiment is by now so passé and/or by either those lacking knowledge, finances, appreciation or even jealousy.
Happy Motoring !