Classic & Sports Car Magazine August 2018 Back Issue

FERRARI BARGAINS
Judged against other Ferraris, the Mondial appears to fail every test, being neither conspicuously fast enough, rare enough nor conventionally pretty enough to match people’s blinkered preconceptions. With too many seats and insufficient cylinders it seems destined to remain firmly at the bottom of the food chain, almost the definition of the ‘affordable’ Ferrari, but the model that no-one seems to want to buy for its own sake. However despite not having got off to the best start in life, this mid-engined 2+2 coupé is still worthy of the Prancing Horse badge. Built for a dozen years to the tune of more than six tousand examples, the Mondial, like so many supposedly ‘lesser’ species of exotic Italian machinery, was actually a reasonable commercial success for the Maranello firm. Fast, practical and affordable, this month we discuss why the Mondial is a modern classic great.