Gotta Love the ‘80s: 25k-Mile 1988 Ferrari Mondial 3.2L Cabriolet

In the world of ’80s Ferraris, the Mondial is all too often overlooked, overshadowed, and forgotten largely to the Testarossa and 308/328, upon which the Mondial is based. This is a shame – okay, it’s a little awkwardly styled with its cab forward design made popular by Chrysler in the 1990s but get to know Mondial and you open yourself up to a worldly experience unlike any other. They drive like a Ferrari – and nothing drives like a Ferrari. But, Mondial has the cache of being the lesser-known sister in the family, gorgeous in her own way, but preferring the background to the limelight, the quieter life to the fast lane. Not that she doesn’t know how to move – she moves very well. But that’s not her point. Mondial enjoys delivering the goods in her own way – occupants are comfortable with space behind them and in the trunk. Plenty of room for raiding the shops on Rodeo or Ocean Drive, or packing a couple more bags for that trip to Escapesville. Produced in Cabriolet or Coupe form, the Mondial seemed to be a little something for everyone who wasn’t afraid to be a little offbeat. This was, after all, no run-of-the-mill 308 or 328, even though beneath that four-seater body, it was largely similar.

This one seems fabulous – it’s painted in the traditional red with the yellowy-tan interior that we love, it’s optioned with the ABS brakes as illustrated by the convex alloy wheels (non-ABS cars used a concave wheel design), it’s powered by the more robust, fuel injected 3.2L V8 with a 5-speed manual transmission, and, being a later Mondial, it was built during the reign of the 328, meaning refined electricals, mechanicals, seating, and more, all creating a better driving experience and a more reliable vehicle overall. A four-time winner at St. Armand’s Ferrari Show, it received three Silver Awards and one Platinum. Highly original, it’s still got the factory spare tire, jack, and tool kit. Equipped with air conditioning, power brakes, and power windows, it’s also equipped with an AM/FM/CD player stereo system. It’s being sold by an owner of 15 years, so we expect to see some decent records and receipts, particularly of that engine-out service in 2017, pay attention to the miles back then and today.