Why no love for the Mondial?

First of all Congratulations on your new born baby!! I was wondering where you were and then i remembered a certain pic of your wife in the passenger seat! You must be so proud!.

Second... who cares, about the views of other ignorant people as it comes to the Mondial. Ive personally have never experienced this in real life, ive only heard about it. I think the Mondial is stunning, especially from the seat of other cars as i pass by... i know this because all i can see is their wide open mouths and the fingers that point as i speed by.

There is one truth to this... its so very hard to get a good picture of it.

 

HeHeHeHe - - my friend driving a hopped up M3, took this shot of Rachel & me. Then, we were gone in a New York second !! I actually thought we looked pretty cool.

My dear friends, never forget that beauty or ugliness, is perceived in the eye of the beholder. I buy and drive what makes me happy. If putting gold beads and fake snow flakes on the top of your car makes you happy, that's all that counts. Whether it's cool or not with others, DOESN'T MATTER !!!!!

Bottom line - - if this Forum was entitled "best Ferrari of all - what do you think?", I don't think I would have ever posted at all.

Cheers,

Hank
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I have enjoyed my Mondial 3.2 cab for 8 years, and have had countless compliments and thumbs up and shout outs from other drivers of all ages and walks of life. People are blown away when I tell them its near 25 years old, and some are really impressed when I tell them its a daily driver I maintain myself, everyone respects an enthusiast. At the end of August I pulled up next to a fellow in a Porsche gt, the one with the v10 engine, and he wanted to buy my car. Another time i was stuck in gridlock, and an attractive lady jumped out of a new 911 Porsche convertible and into my car saying mine was nicer, all good fun! I was just at a local collectors industrial unit where he has a dozen cars, including two modern Ferraris, various old and new Porsches, Jags, etc. and he was admiring my car! Now I admit my Mondial is in really unusually good condition, basically like new, so it probably gets attention just for that reason, but the lines and detailing are from the hand built era, straddling classic and modern vehicle era's, and seems to be capturing the imagination. Looks like lots of love for Mondial's to me, and will be more so as good condition one get really hard to find.

 

Don't listen to the self-proclaimed critics - buy a Mondial (or any other car) because YOU like it. What attracted me to the Mondial was the iconic Pininfarina wedge body design, the rare 4 seat mid engine layout and of course all of the luxury, handling and lineage associated with the Ferrari name. I am not at all concerned about resale - this car pays dividends every time I get behind the wheel!

Remember, the Mondials were one of the last truly hand-built body-on-frame cars made by Scaglietti. Furthermore, the design and production were personally overseen by Enzo before his passing. How can anyone claim the Mondial is anything less than a pure Ferrari?

Oh, did I mention the dropping of jaws and popping of eyes when I drop my son off at school?

 

I am puzzled as well... for when I considered a sports car after owning two Boxster S's my thoughts were I wanted:

1. A four seater for the family
2. Mid engine for handling
3. Convertible
4. Reasonably priced

In the end there was really only once choice.
Back to the question of why F-car owners shun the Mondial I believe it is due to #4.
There is a tendency (just like the Boxster) where folks who spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a car don't like to see the same brand on the road where a guy spent only $20K or so...

 

I swear this thread must pop up twice a year like clockwork.

Its right up there with timing belt threads.


There is a lot of love for the Mondial, much more outside the Ferrari community than it, but still more than a little love to go round.

Hang around here long enough and you will find that every F-car built in the last thirty years has its share of detractors. For example, there are those who hate the 308 GT4, 360, TR, 348, 400i, 456, 355, and on and on and on. Unfortunately, the main stream media has taken to the Mondial 8 as their sacrificial lamb, just as Luca has done with the 348.

IMHO, the world's truly great cars all have character and are not necessarily universally loved--primarily because of it.

I've never met a Mondial detractor who has actually driven one , the same is not true for other Ferrari offerings.

In convertible form especially, the Mondial remains one of Ferraris great achievements... and elegant, understated four seat mid engine convertible.

 

I think the Mondial is the cheapest Ferrari of all at this moment of time. Aren't we the fortunate ones. Again I say, if the market saw what we saw, not all of us could be owners. Be thankful we are under the radar.

If these cars were valued at what I think they are worth, I could not afford my car.

 

I think for me and for many, the Mondial is the "least" favorite of the Ferraris but at the end of the day it's still a Ferrari and it's still great.

I don't think it's hated, it's just a little different and more square looking than other models from the same era.

This being said, I would love to have one, especially with today's prices...

 

Cheapest is all relative. I think if you are buying or have a Mondial because its cheap, well that's the wrong attitude. These cars are undiscovered gems that not alot of people really know about.
Most think my 3.2 is worth BIG Money, not the low $30ks as I have spent but the general public does not know. They only know what the critics have said based on biased facts and hearsay. The fact of the matter is that these cars, if you take care of them, are as good or better than any other Ferrari of its era! Hands down. I would go with first impressions, jaw dropping awe, yep its a Ferrari folks -make no mistake about it!
Now lets wait for the prices to go up in the coming years because it will happen with less and less good quality Mondials available!

But I think you are referring to the Forbes article below: http://www.forbes.com/2001/07/02/0702vow.html

Vehicle of the Week
The Cheapest Ferrari

With rumors persisting that Ferrari is thinking of building a four-door (say it ain't so!) sedan, it's worth looking back at what is today the most affordable Ferrari ever--the Mondial. It depends on who you talk to, but a lot of Ferraristas (self-described Ferrari nuts, collectors, racers) mostly consider the mid-1980s-to-early-1990s Ferrari Mondial a big mistake. Today that debate rages on, but there's one thing nobody disagrees on: If you want a $15K to $30K exotic car with a 150mph top speed and four seats (the back ones are big enough for little kids), this is the only choice.

Taking a closer look at the Mondial: The car has crisp--if not wholly inspired--lines by designer Pininfarina, based on the late-1970s 308 platform. But the Mondial has a longer wheelbase than the two-seat 308, with a midengine design and a trunk aft of the motor. Early Mondials (the 1980 Mondial 8) had limited horsepower but, by 1985, the car came with a 3.2-liter V-8 with four valves per cylinder that were good for 260 hp (versus 235 hp for the Mondial 8). By 1989, the Mondial t had 300 horses.


The Mondial Cabrio is a very pretty package.

What enthusiasts rave about in the Mondial is its classic midengine handling (the moment of inertia in cars like this is predictable right up to the limit--with excellent grip even in the wet), its beautiful Ferrari engine note that's like no other car, its excellent transmission and sporting pedal box (the arrangement of gas, brake and clutch in a racing fashion).

Put bluntly, what other car on the planet gives you access to this kind of history and power at this price? Not one. Want to know what new convertible sells for about $20K? You can't even get into a milquetoast Chrysler Sebring for under $28K. Let's see, a Chrysler or a Ferrari? -- Michael Frank


The haute Italian interior circa 1985 is somehow still cool.

Forbes Fact

The dark side of the Mondial isn't about the engine or the drivetrain, but the electrical system. Keith Martin, publisher of Sports Car Market magazine says that the first step to buying a Mondial is to be very choosy. "First, you want a four-valve model [1985 or later]. Then you want one that's been driven about three to four thousand miles a year." That means the owner has fixed what's broken rather than giving up and letting the car rot.

Martin also advises calling the service manager at the local Ferrari dealer, telling him what you're looking for and asking what to have inspected before you buy. In the best case scenario (the one you're shooting for), you should have to spend no more than $2K to $3K after you get the car to bring it into good running condition and then only fix what breaks. That still means a few thousand dollars a year (maintenance on Ferraris is more expensive than on any other make of car) but the thrill of owning a Ferrari should outweigh the burden on your wallet. -- M.F.

 

I do have to say though, like children, there's always that one favorite you like the most!
(close your ears kids...) Thinking out a loud, as much as I like my Mondial, that 308 styling is just BRILLIANT !
I think its definitely the curves that does it for me!!! Oh in life, compromises abound. Nah, I'll stick with my Mondi, the kids can come along !
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

No offense but i find the Mondial so much better looking than the 308, 348 and maybe the 355. i recently purchased a 355 1:18 model to see if i can fall in love with it, I didnt have to do that with the Mondial, it was love at first sight. There are certain parts of each model that i find attractive, such as the ass end of the TR, but no one model has it all like the Mondial.

Im really having a bit of a time deciding which Ferrari i want next, they didnt bring the beauty back until the 430, although some 360's are appealing. The Mondial is a really pretty Ferrari and i couldnt be happier that not everyone feels this way. I like being a part of an exclusive club.

 

Ted, your car is stunning, my favorite pic! Sure you don't want a 4 door?

Cheers
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

you know, i didnt notice that extra door at first, i just went "mmmm thats a nice coupe" and thought "love those wheels", then i thought, "mmm maybe those wheels would look good on mine", then i read your message, then i went back and went "damn, theres an extra door" then i thought, "they should have made it that way" all within .03 of a second.

 

It even looks good in a four door!!

 

Yes, but will the rear windows work any better?



Cheers

 

Hey now -trick question ? that answer would be as good as the front door windows. Still need accelerators.

 

Ted,

Just for the record. The testarossa is the most beautiful car to leave Maranello since the '60s.

I love the Mondial, but if a vehicle can be considered art... It's the TR.


No, I'm not biased

 

NO　ｃｏｎｔｅｓｔ！

Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Got to agree with Mike that the 3X8 styling is even better than the Mondial. Don't get me wrong...I absoloutely LOVE my cabriolet. I would have bought a 308 or 328 in similar condition had I been able to drive it. I unfortunately wear a brace on my left leg and I physically cannot hit the brake and clutch simultaneously. The wider pedal box in the Mondial is the only thing that allowed me to by a Ferrari, as I just can't afford a paddle shifter car. As with most Mondials, mine has some issues, but I'm working through them. I can't afford to do the full restoration that Ted did, but I can maintain my car and improve on it significantly as the time passes. People don't need to know that I paid less for my Ferrari than they did for their Honda. That's our secret!
Steve

 

I must admit the 4 door Mondial looks way better than the Porsche.
Or the 400.

 

I think the "no love" is usually directed towards the Coupe. Who would not love the Cab? Well, except maybe when the top is up.

For example, check out these lines...
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

You can't love a toy car. Try a ride, or a drive in the real thing. The exhaust sound, the responsiveness, the ease to rotate the chassis, and the 375 HP thrust at the right RPM and you will fall in love with the 355. Until then, do enjoy your Mondial which you patienly waited for.