The Ferrari Mondial Buying Guide – The mid-engined sports car with space for four

The Ferrari Mondial offers a curious mix of practicality and performance that extends its appeal beyond the usual sports car offerings.

The Ferrari Mondial has many great attributes that should see it trading at far higher values than where it currently is, the most obvious reason for its comparatively depressed pricing is due to its looks. The Pininfarina designed 2+2 body shape that was revealed in 1980 never quite conveyed the effortless cool that the two-seater 308 GTB did-fitting four seats into a mid-engined layout was never going to be easy-the Bertone-styled 308 GT4 that preceded the Mondial was ample proof of that. Yet the designs have aged well and the Mondial was no cut-price Ferrari either, it shared much of the 308’s running gear and aside from the early Mondial 8, offered strong performance and a driving experience that often eclipsed the two-door offerings.

The sweet spot in the range can be found in the Quattrovalvole and 3.2-litre models produced between 1982 and 1988, these earlier cars allow servicing of the timing belt and clutch without the engine needing to be removed and offered between 240 and 270bhp,  well up on the 214 bhp that the Early Mondial 8 had to make do with. With the introduction of the Mondial t in 1989, a number of important changes took place. Power was now up to 300bhp thanks to a 3.4-litre V8, while the gearbox was transversally mounted, just like in the newly released 348 . Exterior styling as well as the interior trim received a welcome upgrade too. One drawback of this layout was that these cars required the engine and transmission to be removed to access various serviceable items. The clutch however was now mounted at the rear making replacement a far less labour-intensive prospect. The added complexity of the later cars can increase the running costs and that is why some owners prefer the slightly earlier models.

With just over 6,000 units produced over the 13-year production run, there are a decent number of cars still out there and the addition of those two rear seats makes these ‘80s Ferraris rather unique, the convertible variants remain the only cars with a mid-engined four-seater configuration ever built.

Ferrari Mondial Engine and gearbox

Timing belts need replacing every 30,000-miles or a maximum of 3-years (Some specialists recommend longer intervals). If they break, they can cause catastrophic engine failure so make sure that the service history shows them as being done within this mileage and timeframe. Post 1989 Mondials require the engine and (transversally mounted) transmission to be removed to carry out this service so budget for higher maintenance costs. Exhaust systems are likely to be replacement/aftermarket items on all but the most pampered low mileage examples.

The Mondial uses a largely similar five-speed manual transmission as the contemporary two-seater mid-engined V8s, the Mondial t has a transversally mounted gearbox, a layout it shares with the 348 tb. Second gear is typically hard to engage until the ‘box is warm.

Ferrari Mondial Suspension and Brakes

The suspension and braking system is not particularly troublesome and most issues can be traced to tired shocksor worn rubber bushes. ABS was introduced during 1987, evidenced by concave wheels as opposed to the convex units on earlier cars. Cars still on the old metric wheels are not cheap so check whether they have been swapped over to the more common 16-inch wheels which all 3.4-litre models and some 3.2-litre cars came with as standard.

Ferrari Mondial Bodywork and interior

Rust is always something to look out for, the earlier cars are a bit more prone to corrosion but regardless of the year, check the arches, sills and rear window surrounds thoroughly. Electric windows operate very slowly on all model years and there is not much that can be done to speed them up bar bypassing the fusebox and running the wiring straight to the battery. Upgrading the old air conditioning system using an R134A conversion kit makes for far cheaper refills and it is worth checking if the car you are interested in has had this upgrade carried out. The electrical system can suffer from corrosion at the contacts over time. There are many guides online on how to resolve minor issues however it is usually best to leave the electrics to a specialist as making mistakes here can cause a lot of headaches.

Model History Of The Ferrari Mondial

1980:   Mondial 8 introduced featuring 2+2 coupe body style and 214bhp 2.9-litre V8 shared with 308 GTBi

1982:   QV – Quattrovalvole introduced pushing power up to 240bhp

1983:   Cabriolet body style option added. Making this the only mid-engined, four-seater convertible ever made

1985:   Mondial 3.2 introduced with 270bhp. Major interior update carried out as well as restyled bumpers and lights

1987:   ABS introduced across the range

1989:   Mondial t Coupe and Cabriolet introduced with major changes both inside and out

3.4 litre engine replaces 3.2 unit pushing power up to 300bhp and gearbox now mounted transversally. ‘Valeo’ semi-automatic option made available and power assisted steering introduced

1993:   Final Mondial rolls off the production line

Production numbers:

Mondial 8:                  703

Mondial QV:               1145

Mondial QV Cab:        629

3.2 Mondial Coupe:   987

3.2 Mondial Cab:        810

Mondial t Coupe:       840

Mondial t Cab:           1010

Which Ferrari Mondial To Buy

Following the upward pricing trend of most classic ‘80s and ‘90s Ferraris, the Mondial is no longer the budget ‘entry-level’ Maranello offering it once was. That said, values still trail the 308/328/348 models it was built alongside and many feel that the later Mondials are a better drive than either of those svelte two-seaters.

There is not much wrong with a well kept Mondial 8 but the more powerful variants that followed it definitely have strong appeal. The 300bhp Mondial t offers strong performance along with strong pricing, that is why a QV or 3.2 may be the better bet. They are quick and the convertibles are a great family-friendly sportscar. The latter 3.2-litre models also have a refreshed interior and from 1987-on came fitted with ABS.

Low values in the past may have seen some cars missing out on essential maintenance work so check the service history and make sure you are not going to be facing a potentially big repair bill down the road. The Mondial may never match its contemporary two-seater stablemates in the looks department but it is at least as much fun to drive and the added practicality makes it hard to beat.

Ferrari Mondial Specifications

2.9-litre V8 – Mondial 8

Power:             214bhp

Top speed:      143mph

0-60mph:         8.2sec

Economy:        17.6mpg

2.9-litre V8 – Mondial QV

Power:             240bhp

Top speed:      149mph

0-60mph:         6.4sec

Economy:       20.3mpg

3.2-litre V8 – 3.2 Mondial

Power:             270bhp

Top speed:      155mph

0-60mph:         6.3sec

Economy:        21mpg

3.4-litre V8 – Mondial t

Power:             300bhp

Top speed:      158mph

0-60mph:         6.1sec

Economy:       20mpg

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Text John Tallodi Photos Ferrari

Author: David Lillywhite

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