Why Critics And Owners Hated The Ferrari Mondial
The Ferrari Mondial launched in 1980, and was immediately unique when compared to other offerings from the storied brand at the time. It was mid-engine, but sported four seats, and a much more affordable price tag. It also sported a name, rather than a number. Mondial roughly translates to ‘world’ or ‘global’ in Italian, which hinted at Ferrari’s aspirations with the car.
As it happens, the name was appropriate. The Mondial performed incredibly well across global showrooms, particularly in North America, where Ferrari had previously had to pull their models off sale due to new emissions regulations. While the old V12 engines weren’t clean enough to pass, the Mondial’s humble 3.0-liter V8 was. Over a 12-year run, more than 6,000 examples of the Mondial were sold worldwide — and here-in lies the first issue enthusiasts have with the car.
Ferrari cars were typically produced in the hundreds, not the thousands, and so exclusivity was a big draw for owners. The Mondial wasn’t alone with its high production numbers, as other models from the ’80s also sold thousands of units, but they also had some performance on its side. The Mondial did not. This was the other main issue with the baby Ferrari — the tiny V8 kicked out only 214 horsepower, and 181 lb-ft of torque. This meant darting from zero-to-60 mph took almost 10 seconds, which was over two seconds slower than the comparable Lamborghini Jalpa, and almost three seconds behind that of a Porsche 928.
Awkward styling was the nail in Mondial’s coffin
The final and arguably main reason why the Mondial failed is a subjective one. It didn’t really look like a Ferrari. Car And Driver stated that “The Mondial 8 is also a rather unattractive lump” after reviewing it in 1981, and while that may be forgivable with a practical Chevrolet or efficient Toyota, it’s quite damning with a mid-engine Ferrari. Had Ferrari kept it as a two-seater, and provided the Mondial was a sleeker profile, then perhaps it would have found more fans both in the period and now, as an up-market luxury sports car. However, in an attempt to retain the four-seat practicality of the 308 GT4 it replaced, the Pininfarina-penned design ended up looking quite dumpy and difficult to love. It’s worth noting that, not only was the preceding 308 GT4 much sweeter looking, but with 240 horses under the hood, it was notably more powerful too.
Time has moved on somewhat, and, while we’re not about to argue that the Mondial is all of a sudden worth ranking alongside the best-looking Ferrari models ever designed, it does at least sport a retro charm which can be enjoyed with some rose-tinted nostalgia now. It’s also a great entry-level option for prancing horse enthusiasts. According to Hagerty, a smart and usable example can be secured for right around $22,000, which is over $50,000 cheaper than the 308 GTB of the same era.
