When will Mondials stop depreciating?

Since I own an '84 Mondial that I'm trying to sell at the moment, I'm hoping that the curve has bottomed out and prices will climb sharply, and that a bidding war will erupt over my car. But I'm not betting my retirement money on it.

 

I think all of the 80s and older Ferraris are going to be appreciating and will ultimately be worth more than some of the newer models that were produced in higher numbers. I've seen higher asking prices recently on mondials than I saw while I was shopping for mine 3 years ago, if that is any indication.

If anyone wants to kickstart the appreciation trend on mondials and purchase mine for $75,000 let me know.

 

I watch fairly closely, and I think they are pretty well bottomed out; the supply continues a slow attrition. Cabs are going up slowly, and the couple a coming up a little more slowly. It is still not an 'investment' or poseur car, rather one that is terrific for folks that drive their cars often - they are really subtly elegant, and the best capability packaging job Pininfarina and Ferrari ever did; "and it's just not another Magnum car"...

 

I have been watching the market for a loooong time.

What I see currently is that "well used" early versions are just plain cheap to buy. However, they will require considerable wealth to bring up to the standards that I see on this board. So often times they are purchased by a 1st time F car owner who does not spend a dime on upkeep. Then, after the awe wears off, the cars are just pawned off in the same state of disrepair - & never will appreciate. Sad really, but who's going to fix them?

I also see some "experienced" versions for sale. Good driving & working cars. Hard to find these days, mostly owned by a Ferrari club members etc., and often times demanding a pretty penny to buy. I see prices holding & heading up on these.

Lastly I see very nice examples (low miles, records, current service, luved) appreciating. I have seen several auction reports with very strong prices on 3.2 cabs/coupes & especially Mondial T's lately that fit that description.

Mondial magazine articles like the one in Forza a few months ago will just drive the interest of these cars up. Some Ferrari types have no idea how great of a car these can be.

 

All speculation here but...

Historically, 2+2 Ferraris lag their 2-seater counterparts in demand and collectibility, so it's likely the 308 and 328 will be preferred by people shopping for a hot red Italian toy. That should drive prices up. Much of this is due to the iconic appearance of those, not because they're 'better' cars.

OTOH, Mondials are currently inexpensive and may be slipping into the hands of anyone who wants the prancing horse hood badge but has no idea that NAPA doesn't carry all the parts or that 7500 miles is too long to wait for servicing. This will kill the supply of nice cars.

But I think demand is the bigger part. The Mondial may end being a victim of conservative design and 4-seater status: Wealthy guys looking for a weekend toy will likely always prefer racy looks and 2 seats.

The upside is that Mondial's are stylish cars that sound great, and may ultimately be extremely rare. Rarity doesn't always mean expensive, though. Lancia Betas are beyond rare - I see maybe 1 a year - but people aren't queuing to get one.

Unless you're planning to have the car when you turn 100, I'd say buy it because it's a great car, not because it's going to appreciate much.

 

Not sure if they are appreciating, but it appears I could sell my 3.2 Mondial Cab for about what I paid for it three years ago. Asking prices in the usual places seem to be the same.

I agree with the fact that they aren't making more of these and good ones will continue to get harder to find. Restoring a poor one is simply not cost-justifiable....

 

I would think the mondial 8's will suffer the most and its the 3.2's and the T's that have any chance of gaining in value but if you want a 4 seater (not a cab) then buy a 365 or 400 and you get 340hp V12 and plenty of room cheap.

 

I have a cunning plan to recycle all unloved, rusty, beaten-up Mondials into Mondial Zs.....

 

Good Mondials are hard to find in the UK, and because they are so rare, this bodes very well for the long term. They are now emerging as true classics in the same way that Dinos and Daytonas did in the 1980's.
Ditto Lancia Delta Integrales. All the dogs are cheap, but the right cars are moving up.
If you have a good'un hang onto it. If you haven't, you should consider moving in soon.

 

Must admit...I would not sell my 91 Mondial Cab."t" for a penny under 75K...Which is probably why I won't sell it! It however was the nicest one that I have ever found for sale, which is why I purchased it.

Now if we could just get all of the Mondial owners to not sell cheap we would be onto something. Most non-Ferrari people that I run into are amazed at how affordable they are. Remember a Ford Truck can set you back 50 grand these days.

They do seem to be pretty rare in the scheme of things and should be commanding a lot more than they do. But only we control that don't we???-it needs to become a sellers market and only we can change that.

Just like the housing market in California...

My depreciating .02

 

I look at it this way: the Mondial is still a Ferrari that was created under the direction of Enzo Ferrari himself, something that cannot be said for the later cars that are also being produced in higher numbers. Looking at the Ferrari Market Letter, it looks like Mondial prices have bottomed out and finally have started appreciating, especially the 3.2 convertible (9% appreciation in the last 6 months!). This is not going to keep me from putting miles on my car though. I agree with earlier statements that a nice example of a Mondial is extremely hard to find these days. The same Mondials that repeatedly keep showing up on eBay would concern me as a prospective buyer. Regards

 

Agreed. Owners of good cars must not deviate from the actual value. Once they realise there's only a limited amount of similar cars, they will feel empowered NOT to slide the price downwards.
Message to owners: Stand Firm. Buyers who want a Good Mondial will soon realise there aren't enough to go around. Knowledge is everything !

 

I agree, as good examples become rare, the value will obviously go up. I know I'm subjective on Mondial 8's, but as NONE of the 80's f cars are really fast, I think an 8 will also increase in value. That is, a "perfect" example that could win a concours will be worth more than a ratty 3.2.

 

The 80's F40 was pretty fast though.

 

I had the opportunity to buy my friends and opted for a 328.....
He was willing to take much less than what I paid for my 328 at the time.

 

Interesting point - I think the ease with which anyone sells a car has a lot to do with how long you waited to find the right one. I'm going through this right now with the 308 QV's. I know of a couple of great ones that the owners don't want to sell, and about a dozen average ones. If I ultimately get a truly great QV I'm going to think damned hard before I sell it.

I also see tons of nice 328's for sale, and people selling them less than a year after they bought, because they're easily available.

When the population of great Mondials dwindles enough, prices will rise. How many people are on a money's-no-object quest for a Mondial?

 

I was on that very quest, until I found the right one. Wouldn't part with it now, even if someone offered substantially more than I paid. It's much more econonomical long term to wait and buy the very best you can afford, not to mention the other benefits. BTW: I also trackday my T. To have it wrapped up in cotton wool would be a real waste.