1987 Ferrari MONDIAL 3.2

First registered on the 7th of August 1987, this wonderful Ferrari Mondial QV is still showing just 52,152 miles. Complete with its original book pack and what looks to be every old MOT certificate, it has been in the care of the same owner for the past 17 years.

Interestingly, the previous owner found himself unexpectedly in need of a house extension, forcing the sale of his pride and joy. Luckily, he’s a skilled mechanic by trade and has continued to service it for the vendor for the past 17 years, so it would be fair to say it’s been maintained by someone who knows the car intimately…

It resides in a heated garage, only being wheeled out for high-days-and-dry-days. Only now for sale as the vendor has treated himself to a Maserati convertible, it’s being offered with a very sensible reserve.

The iconic red coachwork is excellent with tight, even shutlines, ripple-free flanks, straight panels, and a very good sheen to the paint. Those years in a warm garage, allied to only occasional use, have clearly paid off as it still looks fabulous.

The glass, light lenses and badges are all good, too. In fact, it looks damned fine no matter what angle you view it from: As Martin Buckley wrote in the August 2018 issue of Classic & Sports Car: “Fioravanti’s shape had a light touch that diverted attention from the packaging headaches of creating a mid-engined car with half-sensible rear seats and a usable boot.”

The five-spoke TRX metric alloy wheels are in a great condition being free of scrapes and kerbing marks and showing only the odd small area of peeling lacquer. They’re shod with matching Michelin TRX tyres too.

As we will never tire of explaining, our experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you an insight into their attitude towards maintenance.

Aside from the usual stonechips and minor marks, the only issue we can see that needs resolving are the struts for the boot and bonnet, all of which are weak and need replacing. Also, the rear driver’s side black rubber buttress has become slightly misshapen over the years yet does not detract from the overall shape and lines of the car.

Oh, and the windscreen surround is slightly marked. It’s not bad at all but given how good the rest of the exterior is we can see the new owner will almost certainly want to tidy it up.

The cream leather interior is good with only light creasing to the seats, which are still firm and look terrific. What little patination there is in no way detracts from the overall ambience, and while it could be improved with some professional intervention, if it were ours we’d just chalk it up to the car’s developing patina and leave well alone.

The tiny rear seats are, unsurprisingly, in an even better condition given they’re more notional than practical. The headlining and door cards are also very good and only lightly marked.

The carpets are pretty good with only light wear to some of the binding on the edges. Lifting them shows only solid metal, which is probably the more important point to take from this.

The trademark gated gearchange is present and correct too, as is a period Blaupunkt Memphis radio-cassette player and three-spoke Momo steering wheel; it’s the little details that lift a car from being merely good to being iconic, isn’t it?

We are told that everything works as it should.

The rear boot is neatly carpeted and very clean, while the front boot is more utilitarian and home to the spare wheel and various mechanical components.

Work to do is minimal. You might like to give the leather a deep clean and feed but other than that we think it only needs to nearside door rubber pushing back on.

The servicing regimen as per the stamped service history booklet reads:

21.10.1987 – first service

31.05.1988 – 10,000km service

06.02.1989 – 20,000km service

12.12.1989 – 30,000km service

09.10.1991 – 40,000km service

26.07.1994 – 50,000km service

22.08.1997 – service and cambelts

10.06.2000 – 60,000km service and cambelt

After that it reverts to invoices rather than stamps; please see the photographed history for details including a letter from the Methold Motor Company who confirms that it has serviced the car every year for the past 16 years while MOT-ing it. The owner tells us that the cambelts were replaced a couple of years ago. It has also had a new battery only recently.

The owner says it “drives very well and goes like the wind”, a description our brief test drive gave us nothing to argue with.

The underside looks to be strong but may well have been welded in the past. Also, some of the underseal is flaking away so could do with refreshing.

It is now due a service. The need for this work has been factored into the reserve and guide prices.

The Mondial’s MOT certificate expires in July 2021. It has a number of expired MOT certificates and tax discs plus a sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it over the years.

It also still has its original owner’s handbook, book pack and wallet plus two sets of keys.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very good standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

And please be reassured, we’ve undertaken a full COVID-assessment and put into place strict control measure to enable us to safely facilitate a no-contact, socially distanced viewing that includes disinfection of the vehicle before and after your viewing.

However, if you’d rather not come to see the car in person, please give us a call and we can shoot a personal video of the car honing in on any areas you’d like us to concentrate on.

Or, even better, why not contact us with your mobile number and we can set up a WhatsApp video call? You get to direct us in real-time, giving you a virtual personal viewing experience while maintaining the lockdown. We like to call it ‘The Market’s 2020 Vision’…

While some might be a bit sniffy about the Mondial, we like its slightly quirky looks and its rarity - only 152 RHD Mondial QVs were ever built - means it draws as much of a crowd, if not more so, than some of its more obvious and gaudy siblings. Martin Buckley again: “In a world where modern Ferrari seem to be getting uglier and more offensive on a daily basis, the Mondial is looking better all the time.”

We think this is a car whose time has come.

As to its value, we think it’ll sell for between £26,000 and £31,000, to which price you’ll need to factor in the cost of a service. Thus fettled it’ll be fighting fit and ready to thrill and delight its lucky new owner.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.