Top Gear’s Chris Harris has bought a Ferrari Mondial 3.2 Cabriolet, which, even he admits, is “arguable the shittest Ferrari convertible ever made.” And yet, he seems quite happy with the purchase.
For one thing, it didn’t cost him very much – not by Ferrari standards, anyway. Harris reports having paid just over £21,000 ($29,188 USD) for the car, which he points out is barely enough for the deposit on a modern Ferrari convertible. It’s only a little less than the full price of an MX-5 Miata, though, which starts at £24,055 in the UK and at $26,830 in the US.
However, for his money, Harris has gotten access to a one-of-a-kind vehicle. Whereas Mazda has followed the trodden path by placing the engine at the front and giving the Miata just two seats, Ferrari showed more courage. For the Mondial, they put the engine in the middle and gave it four seats – a very unorthodox layout that, as far as we can remember, has been adopted since only by the Lotus Evora.
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The engine in this one is a transverse-mounted 3.2-liter V8, which made 266 hp (270PS/199 kW) from the factory. In a car that weighs just 3,543 lbs (1,607 kg), that’s a healthy amount and gets the car going in a hurry, contrary to what you might believe about the Mondial.
“Of course, the first Mondial from the very early ’80s was laughable,” admits Harris. “Whereas this: this feels proper spritely to me. It’s a piece of joy! I love it!”
Even its terrible reputation (and less than stellar condition) aren’t knocks against it, argues Harris. He figures he can treat it like a real car. He can fix it in the cheapest way possible and not worry about it being Concours quality, he can let the dog in, put kids in it, and drive it all summer long without worrying about babying it like you might any other Ferrari.
Mind you, when the clouds break and he has to put the roof up, the illusion falls apart somewhat. Although the car might feel quicker than expected, putting the roof up certainly isn’t with its many snaps, buttons, and missing pins. It’s all very indicative of the reality of owning a questionable classic. How much you enjoy it will have everything to do with how willing you are to put up with its many shortcomings. If you don’t mind that, though, you can have a really good time.