Rare QV Droptop: 1983 Ferrari Mondial Cabriolet
There was a time when you wouldn’t consider restoring a Ferrari Mondial once it reached the point of becoming “restorable.” The car was simply the bottom of the rung of the Ferrari ladder and wasn’t nearly sought after enough by collectors to warrant saving. That’s all changed now and all but the absolutely worst Mondials are potentially restorable. Find this re-conditioned QV Cabriolet here on eBay with a Buy-It-Now of $53,920.
The Mondial was always a much better-looking car than it got credit for. It was seemingly typecast into being the runt of the litter owing to the fact that it wasn’t exactly a home run among diehard Ferrari fans when it was new. In reality, it was a more than respectable driver chock-full of Ferrari DNA that made it a genuine driver’s car, even if it was the so-called “cheap” model in the family tree hierarchy. The seller has updated with example with reconditioned factory wheels and fresh tires.
While mileage is low at 50,000, that’s still plenty of time to rack up some cosmetic faults. Not so here as the Mondial still presents as being in very nice condition inside as well as out. Wearing a light color, this interior would certainly show signs of wear and tear if it was left neglected in the California sun, but it seems this Mondial was parked with its top up as I don’t see rampant evidence of sun damage. The seller claims the interior was “restored” but doesn’t elaborate as to how.
The drivetrain is where it seems the lion’s share of the work was performed. The must-do timing belt service has been performed, along with new idler bearings, idler pulleys, oil pan gasket, water pump, alternator belts, and more. The air conditioning has also been updated and now works perfectly. The Mondial QV benefits from four valves per cylinder versus the standard two, so this will be a delightful driver that goes as good as it looks.
Comments
The last car i sold was a 92T, 93 was the last year for Mondial’s, the price on this early car is crazy high, and so are the miles.
Mondials being junk is as antiquated as saying Xerox’s are better than mimeograph machines. The only people that knock Mondials are the ones that never owned one. I have one in my driveway and it’s an awesome car.
Right on Tommy. Its a driver’s car w the click clack manual shift, and a wonderful note 🎶 from the exhaust pipes. 🏁🙌
https://www.vintag.es/2018/10/pope-john-paul-ii-in-a-ferrari.html
…and one often unappreciated part of the Mondial Cabriolet’s history is it was the fastest ever Popemobile.
The other people that knock Mondials are the people that will never be able to afford one.
I really like the QVs with the black bumpers. Nice video here of a guy who knows these cars and appreciates them.
https://youtu.be/WHkU1h_sKM4
Wait a minute…Did you say the air-conditioning has been worked on and is working???? What’s happening at Barn Finds. Did hell freeze over?
Crowsnestpete
Been an F car owner for over 20 years, in the Austn F club same amount of time, these Mondials worst car ever made by Ferrari, very nearly sent the company into liquidation, the 355 saved the show, then the 360 even moreso.
People that HAD a Mondial soon moved it on, saved up for a later model. Car a complete disaster!!
The 355 was the savior for Maranello as they got caught with their pants down when the NSX showed up.
Auction ended with no takers.
Located in:Charlotte, North Carolina
They may have depreciated more rapidly (or, more accurately, failed to appreciate from used-car status to collectible status) than other models, but it certainly wasn’t “the so-called ‘cheap’ model in the family tree hierarchy,” costing more than the “entry-level” 308/208.
It hurts my eyes to look at the instrument cluster (housing) – it appears to be a box set on the dash. And my winter car is an Isuzu Amigo with a similar raised cluster housing but the surfaces have been styled (shaped).