Out of the 600+ Ferraris here, I estimate about 150 are the older models. Although the Testarossa is the most recognizable model, there are also a couple that fly below the radar, such as these Ferrari Mondial Quattrovalvoles!
The Mondial was designed by Pininfarina and unveiled to the public in 1980, firstly as the Mondial 8. Its name, which is French for 'global' or 'world', originated from Ferrari's racing history in the 500 Mondial Monza, and also to commemorate winning the F1 World Constructors Championship multiple times in the past 5 years. The body panels were fitted onto a unique space-frame chassis and additional louvers at the side provided crucial air flow to the engine and oil cooler, which were near the back of the car. Surprisingly, it featured ample boot space to fit in a few large bags; the Mondial was intended to be a practical 4-seater Ferrari and as such it was quite spacious. It also featured pop-up headlights and a black plastic bumper as seen above.
The Mondial 8 was followed by the QV, where it featured a more powerful engine. A rare convertible variant was also introduced, leading to increased market demand for consumers in the US. Later on, the Mondial 3.2 and Mondial t [both sporting larger engines] also appeared. The Mondial QV was powered by a 2927 cc Tipo F105 32V V8 engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 240 km/h with an acceleration of 7.4 seconds [0-100 km/h]. It was 4580 mm long; the coupe weighed 1490 kg while the cabriolet weighed 1500 kg due to the added reinforcements required in the open-top system.
Production of the Mondial ended in 1993, where it was not replaced by any new models. Of the 1,145 coupes and 629 cabriolets made, only 152 and 24 respectively were made in RHD! The MY 1984 cabriolet, which is also the rarest out of all Mondial models, is most likely the only one in Singapore and there should be around 4 coupes that still exist here. According to their VIN records, the MY 1983 coupe featured 3-point seatbelts for the front and back seats, while the cabriolet featured 2-point seatbelts for the rear occupants.
They were brought in by Hong Seh Motors (our former Ferrari dealer) back in 1983, where they faced strong demand from those wealthy enough to own a supercar. At that time, a Mondial coupe cost S$234,300 while the cabriolet cost S$259,000. Today, they would be worth S$477,047 and S$527,338 respectively! It is always a pleasure to come across such rarities that people do not normally talk about, and maybe you'll get to see them someday!
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