Mondial Buyer s Guide

Ferrari Mondial Buyers Guide

FFFerrari
forum
TM

First Published April

2005 by Ferrari Forum.
Revised & Updated May 2005
Phone (415) 216-8716
Email: guides@ferrariforum.com
Copyright 2005 ALL RIGHTS
RESERVED.
Author: William Taylor and John
Cameron
Editor: Andrew Naber
Photos by: Bob Hagendijk, Dirk
de Jager, & the Ferrari Forum
Team

Contents

Ferrari Mondial Buyers Guide

Introduction & Model Information

Driving Impressions
Model Information
Maintenance & Reliability
Pros & Cons
General Buying Rules
Expectations
Purchasing Options

2
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6
7
8
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F e r r a r i F o r u m - w w w.fe r r ar i f o r um.c o m
Introduction & Model Information
Ferraris World car made
its entrance at the 1980 Geneva
Auto Show. The Mondial 8 replaced the Dino 308 GT4 in the
Ferrari lineup and represented a
switch from Bertone to Pininfarina
as the design studio responsible
for the mid-range four-seat model.
This was the second Ferrari to bear
the Mondial name, the rst being the Mondial 500 produced in
the mid 50s. The original carried
a in-line 4 cylinder 2 liter engine
and was bodied in both coupe and
spider form. Other than the prancing horse badge, the two Mondials bear lile in common. The
rst was a successful sports racer,
the second a compact 2+2 which
underwent signicant evolution
during its 12 year production run.
The Mondial design was
a challenge for Pininfarina. They
had to t four passengers, the engine/transaxle and a trunk into an
area which normally held 2 out of
the 3 items. The solution created
by Pininfarina has a rather interesting visual appearance which
grows on you over time. To allow
for both the mid engine layout
and adequate luggage room in the
rear of the car, the passenger cabin
is pushed forward and sits on a
signicantly longer wheel base
than the then-current two-seat 308.
The rear seats are set high enough
to allow the twin fuel tanks to be
located ahead of the engine, giving the car a higher rear roof line
which the designers blended back
to the engine deck with tapering
side buresses. On all Mondials
the rear edge of these buresses
consists of a thick black rubber
insert, making the Mondial one of
the more instantly recognizable of
recent Ferrari models.
The basic mechanicals of
the Mondial evolved in parallel with the 308/328/348 line. A
mid-engine conguration using
a quad cam 90 degree V8 mated
2 Ferrari Forum

to a 5-speed manual gearbox sat

partly under and partly adjacent to
the block. Camshas were beltdriven, and power was taken by a
diaphragm clutch mounted on the
ywheel and delivered through
a series of drop-gears down into
the gearbox. Twin front-mounted
radiators vented engine cooling air
though the bonnet louvres while
side intakes just rear of the doors
provided for engine and oil-cooler
airows. Fuel injection was ed
to all models.
A box-tubular steel-frame
chassis with integral welded steel
monocoque created a sti and
robust vehicle. Suspension is fully
independent twin-wishbones incorporating coil-over-damper units
and anti-roll bars at each corner.
Steering was via direct rack-andpinion and brakes were all-wheel
disks with power assistance.
Between 1980 and 1994 four
models of the Mondial were produced, each representing a distinct
stage of ongoing development.
The original car was the Mondial 8
in coupe form with a 3 litre engine
siing transversly behind the cabin. Aesthetically the car borrowed
much from the then-current 308
series, with front and rear black
bumpers, a steeply raking louvred
nose, retractable headlights, side
air intakes and a handsome cut-o
tail with four ush exhausts. In
comparison to the 308 the Mondial
is of chunkier proportions, not
helped by the dominance of the
bumpers.
The Mondial 8 was clearly
developed with one eye on the
Porsche 911. The 2+2 seating
conguration in a 3 liter 214 bhp @
6600 rpm (205 bhp US) mid engine
car resulted in a long stable car
able to eat up highway mileage at
high speed with a great degree of
comfort. However the extra length
did result in signicant extra
weight which resulted in o the

line performance not quite up to

the normal Ferrari expectations.
In common with the concurrent two-seater models, vehicle
performance under emission
constraints was clearly an issue
recognized by Ferrari and signicant advancements were made to
address this through the model
series. The rst major power boost
was made through the introduction of the quarovalvole 4-valve
per cylinder engine of the Mondial
QV, released in 1982. This model
retained the 3 litre capacity of the
Mondial 8 but increased output
to 240 bhp @ 7000 rpm (230 bhp @
6800 rpm US), a noticeable li. A
useful reduction in gross weight
was also made, a trend which
continued throughout the models
life. Although in appearance the
QV resembled the pervious model,
Ferrari incorporated numerous
improvements to systems and interior. These included a reworked
console with beer switch layout,
relocation of the air-conditioning
and heater controls to the console, and a solid-spoked steering
wheel design. Apart from the
badging, the model is identied by
the prominent red-nished alloy
intake plenum with emblazoned
Quatrovalvole.
One of the most exciting
development steps happened early
in the Mondial life with the introduction of a convertible version in
September 1983. This was the rst
open top Ferrari since the Daytona
went out of production in 1973.
The convertible top maintained
the roof prole of the coupe when
raised. The so top did reduce
the rear seating space and was
manually operated. A very large
percentage of the Mondial convertibles were sold in the US market.
In 1985 the QV was replaced by the Mondial 3.2 packaged with a larger 3.2 liter engine,
also 4 valves per cylinder. Power

Mondial Buyer s Guide

jumped to 270 bhp @ 7000 rpm
(260 bhp US), and the overall
weight was trimmed further. New
features with this model extended
to signicant aesthetic changes,
mirroring the sibling change-over
from the 308 to the 328 model.
The front bumper became a colour-coded item nicely integrated
into the body and valance, with a
similar treatment at the rear. The
lower rear valance was black with
full-width air slots and four integral ush exhausts. A new road
wheel design was introduced, with
a larger, convex 5-pointed star. The
interior was again revised, with
a new-look angular binnacle and
orange-on-black instrumentation.
The centre console now extended
back to the rear seats and incorporated air conditioning outlets for
the rear passengers. Changes to
the major systems included a welcome reduction in turning circle
and a raised nal drive ratio. Antilock ABS brakes were available as
an option through 1987, becoming
standard tment during 1988.
The most comprehensive
changes to the Mondial line were
released in late 1989 with the 3.4
liter Mondial t. As well as having
increased capacity, this engine in
common with the new 348 model
was of longitudinal and not transverse orientation. Power output
was again signicantly boosted,
this time to 300 bhp @ 7200 rpm
(295 bhpUS). Weight of the t
remained essentially the same as
the 3.2, which is admirable considering the extra items ed.
Power steering nally made it to
the Mondial range, along with
electronic rate-control of the shock
absorbers, a further raising of the
nal-drive ratio to reduce rpm at
cruising speeds and the replacement of the twin fuel tanks with a
large single unit. The metric wheel
system pioneered by Michelin with
its TRX series was nally dropped
with the Mondial t, and all cars

came equipped with conventional

17-inch rims and tyres.
Aesthetically the car remained close to the 3.2, the biggest giveaway being revised side
intakes. These were reshaped to
be rectangular in side-view rather
than the distinctive trapezoidal
shape used on all earlier models.
The front and rear guards lost the
ared lip and adopted a fuller,
more bulbous prole. Quad rectangular headlights replaced the
earlier round ones, giving a very
purposelike look to the front end
when raised. The cabin was also
given a complete make-over with a
nicely rounded and more compact
binnacle, smaller proled steering
wheel and much revised centre
console. The open elegance appearance of the previous models
was replaced with a more sporting
and hands-on look.
Very late in the Mondial t
production run, a small number
of cars were produced with an
electronic Valeo clutch. Developed in conjunction with Valeo
of France, this was a two-pedal
system (no clutch) which mated
an electronically-activated clutch
with a conventional 5-speed
gearbox. Incorporating numerous
sensors feeding into a computerised controller, the driver just had
to move the gear lever from one
gear position to the other. Initial
movement triggered instant clutch
disengagement, allowing clashless
gear changes. Road tests of cars
with the system showed that acceleration and top-speed performance
were lile dierent to the standard
car. As the model run was very
small, the Valeo t remains a rare
car and lile is known about the
long-term reliability of the system.
Production of the Mondial series
ended in late 1993.
Throughout its run the
Ferrari Mondial epitomised the
traditional 2+2 high-speed tourer.
Long-legged, robust and very well

appointed, it combined increasingly serious performance with a

smooth easy personality.
With a slightly longer
wheelbase than the sibling 308,
328 and 348 models, the Mondial
was able to provide reasonable
2+2 seating space. Two adults
and two children can easily t for
longer journeys and the Mondial
is quite capable of carrying four
adults in acceptable comfort on
shorter trips. The cabin is roomy
and has a feeling of airiness. The
long wheelbase provides a great
degree of stability and the Mondial
handles bumps with authority. All
seats are bucket with adjustable
head rests (only front in the convertible), moveable fore/a and the
backrests recline. All convertibles
and the Mondial t coupe featured
a rear seat back which could be
pulled forward to form a luggage
platform. The Mondial t can also
be identied from the earlier versions as the uted side air intakes
are rectangular vs. the original
trapezoid shaped, and the quad
headlights (when raised) are rectangular and not round.
Power windows (fronts
only on coupe models) and airconditioning were standard on all
Mondials. Unlike several earlier
models, the air-conditioning is
eective if well maintained. All
the controls are within easy reach
of the driver and the dials easily
readable. Dial colors did change
during the 14 years, moving from
white on black to orange on black
from the 3.2 onwards. The center
console also changed during the
model run, becoming narrower
over time. The steering wheel is
classic 3 spoke Ferrari wheel fully
adjustable for height and reach,
with the dog leg 5 speed gear shi
located next to the driver. The
steering is unassisted and heavy at
rst. It lightens quickly with speed
and provides excellent feedback.
There is a reasonable amount of
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F e r r a r i F o r u m - w w w.fe r r ar i f o r um.c o m
luggage space in the trunk located
behind the engine. The only negative is the proximity to the engine
can create a signicant amount
of heat so care needs to be taken
when packing.

Driving Impressions
From rst acqaintance, the
Mondial is an easy car to live with.
The large doors open wide onto
an inviting cabin of leather, dials
and that eye-catching chromegated gearchange. The feeling is of
space and elegance, especially in
the earlier models with their wider
and lower instrument binnacle and
slimmer, larger-diameter steering
wheel.
Entry is smooth and easy,
even on the coupe - no embarrasing moments here. Seling into
the drivers seat the rst impressions are of spaciousness and great
vision. Rarely do mid-engine cars
oer such excellent all-round visibility. For most drivers the nose
will drop almost completely out
of view giving terric front vision, while rear three-quarter blind
spots are negligible thanks to the
rear pillar design. Negotiating serious trac is quite easy by Ferrari
standards..
Clutch in and push to
neutral. The gearbox paern uses
a dogleg rst and gears second to
h in a standard H paern. An
ideal arrangement for high-speed
open road use where rst is rarely
used, but in city driving the more
conventional arrangement would
be superior. With such long legs
(rst gear runs to 70km/hr and
second to almost 100) you can nd
yourself looking for rst more
oen than you would think. The
clutch is a genuine surprise. Expecting a real thigh-shaker it is
light but strong. All V8s should be
like this.
Key in and turn. From
down under the rear seating comes
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the high-speed gear whine of the

starter. Almost turbine-like, it
lasts only a second before being
overtaken by a rumbling of eight
cylinders and what sounds like the
muted voices of a thousand belts,
cams and gears. A full orchestra is
tuning up just a few feet behind,
and theres no ignoring it!
Surveying the panel and
controls, all seems logical enough.
On all models up to the 3.2 aention needs to be paid to the centre
console where a systems warning
panel highlights any abnormalities.
Minor problems such as blown
bulbs or unlatched doors trigger
are noted along with a yellow
warning strip, while serious issues
such as low oil and coolant levels
trigger a red warning strip. We
are showing green, so all is OK to
proceed.
Push the gear lever down
hard and then forward gets reverse
gear, directly in front of rst. Its
a solid-feeling piece, albeit rather
long and slim. The handbrake is
beside the drivers door and works
like a cross between the normal
and y-o types. Pull-on in the
normal manner, the lever can then
be lightly pushed to the oor to assist entry and exit without disengaging. To release, the lever needs
to be upright again where the button is simply pressed and the lever
lowered. Clutch take-o is nice
and progressive and the ample engine torque means that negotiating
the steep ramp from the carpark in
reverse is no big deal.
Moving o, the words of
caution in the Owners Handbook
come to mind. No full throle
until the oil temp is above 65 deg
C and revs kept below 4000 until
coolant temp above 70 deg C. In
normal conditions this will take
at least ten minutes, possibly a lot
longer in a North American midwinter, so diligence is required
here. Time enough to get to know
the controls.

From the beginning the

steering wheel feels slightly too
large, a maer that was addressed
on the T model. Possibly it is just
because they are all fairly slim. No
maer though, the steering eort
once moving at any speed is easy
enough. Without power steering,
the 8, QV and 3.2 models need
some eort and many turns during
tight manoeuvering, but its nothing excessive. Many Mondials are
owned and/or driven by female
drivers - its just something to live
with. Dont pull on the wheel
when stationery however - it puts
horrible stresses on the column
joints and will promote their rapid
wear.
On the road, the gearbox
has a reluctance to mesh quietly
with second until well warmed-up.
Either live with the small clonk
or go straight to third, the car
doesnt seem to mind at all. Gear
throw is fairly long and it takes
some learning geing around the
gate. As temps rise however the
true nature of the transaxle becomes apparent. It is strong and
very positive and surprisingly fast.
And it rewards good technique
in spades. Practice your doubleclutching as this car makes you feel
like a pro.
Were up to temps now
and the backroad is calling us on.
Approaching a corner, the turn-in
force is nicely light and lots of road
feel comes to your palms. Too easy
- the car seems low and wide and
at and the corners gone. With its
tall gearing the Mondial eats the
road eortlessly but with a redline
of almost 8000 there are almost
always lots of gears on-tap. We
drop down two and grab third.
The bitumen stretches into
the foothills as the engine winds
out. There seems no perceptible
on-cam power band, it pulls
hard everywhere. Pressing the
throle above 3000 produces that
eerie tell-tale Ferrari whistle from

Mondial Buyer s Guide

the four exhausts. Above about
5000 and the world knows you
mean business - this is a Ferrari accelerating hard. The redline comes
up fast and your feet and hands
need to be quick. The ratios are
good and the next gear picks up
just as hard, or so it seems.
The road ahead dips and
then turns. Brakes on hard and
heel & toe back across the gate to
third. The annoying brake squeal
in trac is now gone as the pads
bite and the nose lowers, but
doesnt dive. A stable, at platform for the corner. Turn in takes
time to master as the steering is
quite light and doesnt get loaded
up with understeer - the tendency at rst is to turn too much.
Through the apex and geing back
on the throle, again the Mondial
doesnt show noticeable change in
pitch. No nose up running wide,
just a slight seling on its haunches as the rear tyres get down to the
business of .
Despite being mid-engined,
the Mondial doesnt show any willingness for the rear to step grossly

out of line should the throle be

snapped-o or brakes applied mid
corner. Rather it changes its stance
from essentially neutral to a more
nose-in, tighter line. Through
linked, tight corners the low CG
and all-round wishbone suspension of the car give it great grip
and composure, although you can
sense the signicant weight that
the chassis is controlling.
Driving a Mondial at night
shows o the excellent high-beam
headlights, and also the almost
imposssible to read central console
switches. While the lights will
allow you to cover long distances
very quickly and safely, you may
well run o the road trying to put
the windows up! Most models use
a bunch of bre-optic leads from a
single bulb source to light the various console symbols, but their output is meagre. Possibly a simple
bulb-upgrade would x things.
Generally the controls fall
easily to hand, although the central
radio unit is a long stretch. The
pedals are oset somewhat towards the car centreline, but they

are well sized and weighted and

permit easy heel-toe action. Access
to the rear seats is also surprisingly good for a 2+2 due to the
front seats sliding forward when
their backrests are unlatched. All
seats are rm. The rears are set
high with great forward vision and
give each occupant their own snug
space. The fronts give good lateral
restraint but need extra lumbar
support for some people. Headroom is very generous all round in
the coupe.
Overall, the Mondial range
impresses with its versatility
and hassle-free nature. Here is a
car that can easily accomodate 3
adults (or 2 adults and 2 children),
has reasonable luggage space, is
comfortable for long distances and
is genuinely easy to drive in trafc. It is stocked with a bulletproof
mid-engined V8 with a gorgeous
soundtrack and has a great chassis.
It is an exceptional road-eating GT
car in the established Ferrari tradition.

Above: A Mondial on the track shows that while it is a 2+2 it is still a Ferrari and meant for driving hard. Top-right:
The intake here helps feed air to the engine bay. Boom-right: The wheels have been changed to F355 wheels.

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F e r r a r i F o r u m - w w w.fe r r ar i f o r um.c o m
Model Information
Units
8

703

QV

1774

3.2

1797

1850

Engine
Rear-mounted 90 V8
Timing gear
2 valves per cylinder, twin overhead camshas per cylinder bank Bore and Stroke 81 x 71 mm
Displacement
2927 cc
Compression ratio 8. 8:1
Engine Lubrication
Wet Sump
Maximum power 214 bhp (205 US) at 6,600 rpm
Max engine speed 7700 rpm
Transmission Single dry-plate clutch, 5-speed gearbox + reverse, limited-slip dierential
Chassis Tubular Steel
Front suspension Independent, double wishbones, coil springs
Rear suspension Independent, double wishbones, coil springs
Wheelbase, front and rear track 2,650/1,513/1,535 mm
Kerb weight 1,586 kg (coupe)
Top Speed 220 km/h

QV (Were dierent from 8)

Compression ratio 9.2:1

Timing gear
4 valves per cylinder, twin overhead camshas per cylinder bank
Maximum power 240 bhp (230 US) at 7,000 rpm
Kerb weight 1,550 kg (coupe)
Top Speed 230 km/h

3.2 (Changes from the 8 and QV)

Bore and Stroke 83 x 73.6 mm

Displacement
3185 cc
Compression ratio 9.8:1
Maximum power 270 bhp (260 US) at 7,000 rpm
Wheelbase, front and rear track 2,650/1,520/1,572 mm
Kerb weight 1,540 kg (coupe)
Top Speed 240 km/h

(Changes from 8, QV, & 3.2)

Engine longitudinal mounted
Bore and Stroke 85 x 75 mm
Displacement
3405 cc
Compression ratio 10. 4:1
Maximum power 300 bhp (295 US) at 7,200 rpm
Max engine speed 7500 rpm
Transmission Twin disc dry-plate clutch, 5-speed gearbox + reverse
Wheelbase, front and rear track 2,650/1,522/1,560 mm
Kerb weight 1,560 kg (coupe)
Top Speed 255 km/h

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Mondial Buyer s Guide

Maintenance & Reliability
Common issues are few for the Mondials as most of
the early new car problems would have been sorted
out long ago. Several areas of weakness that seem to
be fairly widespread are:
Clutches can tend to wear rapidly, due to weight and
tall gearing.
Second gear engagement obstructive when cold (typical all Ferraris of this era)
Air conditioning systems need regular aention
Camsha oil seals leak - seal housing modication
can help
Paint work is oen fragile and can fade
Electrical fuse box / relay problems on early models
Coolant expansion tank corrosion
Fragile ignition-key/turn-indicator assembly

Other potential issues:

Wheels on many earlier models will only
accept Michelin TRX tyres which are now rare and
expensive.to replace
Exhaust systems can suer corrosion if doing mainly
short trips
Coolant system hoses can become frayed on
ings, etc.
Oil Pressure/Temp sender failures
Electrical switch problems (boot/bonnet/engine/glovebox/windows/aerial/etc)
Headlights are prone to freezing if not used regularly
Leather on front dash tray susceptible to shrinkage
Cold start smoke, piston sealing problems
Accident damage and improper repair

Average Parts and Service Cost

Fluid

Quantity

Oil (5w30)
Gearbox
Brake Fluid
Antifreeze

11 liters (12 quarts)

4 liters
1.6 liters
20 liters

Details of Service
Annual Service (6,000 miles)
Major Service (18,000 miles)
Cambelts (3 years)
Valve Guides
Clutches

Above le: The dash is easy to read with

large dials.
Above: The center console is perfect for
holding coins and has the classic gated
shier.
Below: Just enough from for a golf bag.

Price
$1,500
$3,500
$1,600
$800
$1,600
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F e r r a r i F o r u m - w w w.fe r r ar i f o r um.c o m
Pros and Cons
Pros
Probably the best value in the Ferrari world
Earlier models well depreciated and fairly pricestable
Can actually carry four people
A real useable Ferrari, very easy in trac
Great visibility for all driving conditions
Stability at speed and under brakes
Useable luggage space
A great drivers touring car
Unmistakably a Ferrari
Cons
O-line performance on early models
No power steering except on Mondial t
Large glass area requires good aircond performance
Unlikely to appreciate in value
Polarizing design elements

8 Ferrari Forum

Buying Tips
1. Demand to see the Service book and Maintenance History le. Make sure you have solid
answers to any major holes in the history. If not,
move on.
2. Get the car inspected by a Ferrari trained mechanic. He will nd things you miss. Given the
age of all Mondials this is absolutely critical.
3. If the asking price is very low, there is a reason
for it. Major work on Mondials can easily exceed
the purchase price of the car.
4. Never buy the rst car you see, look and test
drive several. If possible drive at least two different versions of the Mondial (recommendation
either an 8/QV then a 3.2/t). Preference among
the four variants is highly subjective.
5. Make sure the car has all the original Books,
Tools, and Records. These are very expensive to
replace later.
6. Talk to other owners, join the Ferrari Forum.
7. Talk to the Mechanics that have historically
serviced the car.

Mondial Buyer s Guide

Expectations
When you purchase a Ferrari, you
are not buying a car but rather a
work of engineering art and a piece
of history. A Ferrari has a soul and
character unique in the automotive world. A Ferrari comes lled
with Italian passion, for both beer
and occasionally worse. Driving a
Ferrari is never boring. It is engaging. You are always involved and
interacting with the car across a
multitude of senses. While driving, this includes the constantly
changing sound track as the engine
moves through the rpm range,
the heavy but exact clutch, and
the metallic click with every gear
change. There really is nothing
else on the road that sounds like a
Ferrari. Until you have driven one,

it is impossible to appreciate the

totality of the experience. It is this
emotional link between car and
owner that sets Ferraris apart from
other sports cars
Two other cars that many rst time
Ferrari owners consider are Lamborghini and Porsche. Lamborghini has similar roots in the Modena
area . It however does not have the
racing heritage or, for the majority
of its life, the single minded guidance of a brilliant owner. Lamborghinis ownership history has included everyone from Chrysler, an
Indonesian Conglomerate, to Audi.
This is reected in the history of
the models. Lamborghinis tend
to be overly amboyant, dicult
to drive, and highly temperamental. Porsche, on the other hand, is

ecient, reliable, and an engineering masterpiece. It is also highly

predictable and aer a time, can
be construed as boring. A Porsche
does everything with extreme
competence, to the extent that you
begin to wonder if you, the driver,
are really needed.
The fact is Ferraris are expensive
to maintain and less reliable than
many other cars. This is simply a
small part of the deal that comes
with being a member of the small
and special club of Ferrari owners. The Porsche is a cold rationale
machine, a Lamborghini is pure
emotion, and a Ferrari gives you
both.

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F e r r a r i F o r u m - w w w.fe r r ar i f o r um.c o m
Purchasing Options

In general most Ferrari

Buyers purchase their cars at one
of four channels:
- Ocial Ferrari Dealers
- Independent Specialist Dealers
- Private Sellers
- Auctions
Each has its own strengthens and
weaknesses. In summary:
Ocial Ferrari Dealers
Purchasing through an ocial
dealer will provide the most
piece of mind when making the
rather considerable investment in
a Prancing Horse badged automobile. In almost all cases the car will
come with some sort of warranty,
a comprehensive service history,
and a clean bill of health. All of
this comes with a cost and you will
likely pay a 10-20% premium vs.
other options. One other limitation
is that dealers normally only stock
the current, plus 1-2 generations of
prior models. As a result, dealers
are really only an option for the
modern (1990s -) model enthusiast.
Independent Specialist
Independent Specialist can provide both outstanding service and
a wide range of models to choose
from, covering all price ranges.
Reputation is critical and so is doing your research on an Independent Specialist before writing out
a check. Information and insights
on dierent Specialists can be
obtained both through your local
Ferrari Owners Club members and
via posts on the Ferrari Forum.
Like ocial dealers, many specialist can provide warranties (via 3rd
parties) and on-going maintenance
facilities. The quality of the maintenance for modern models can
be on par with the ocial dealers
as many independents employee
Ferrari trained mechanics. For
modern models though it is critical
to conrm that the service center
10 Ferrari Forum

has the necessary diagnostic equipment and soware (SD1 or SD2)

for your model. For Classic and
Vintage Ferraris, independents
many be your only, or best (for
more recent models) option. Prices
at Independents should be 5-20%
less than Ocial Dealers.
In most countries, purchasing from either an Ocial Ferrari
Dealer or an Independent Specialist will provide you with the strongest legal rights should anything
go wrong.

- spend time both test driving the

car and talking to the owner. No
car is perfect, does the owner point
out both the good points of the car
and the issues needing aention ?
Buying from a private seller
will provide both the lowest cost
of acquisition and the highest risk
should any major undisclosed issue emerge post purchase. Doing
your homework properly is critical
and in many cases it is a rewarding
and enjoyable experience for both
parties.

Private Sellers
Caveat Emptor. Buying from a
private seller is both the lowest
cost and highest risk option. In all
Ferrari purchases, a Pre Purchase
Inspection (PPI) by a specialist
is recommended, in the case of
a private purchase, it is critical.
Purchasing well privately is both
a maer of form and substance.
First the form which is mostly
related to general appearance and
presentation:
- check the condition of the interior, is the leather conditioned and
cleaned
- pull up the mats, check the condition of the under carpet
- spray water on the car, make sure
it beads up immediately
- look in the engine bay
- is the owner a member of the local Ferrari Owners Club
Positives on the above are
an initial indication of a careful
owner, but could also be the result
of a pre-sale clean up. Then move
onto the substance:
- review the service records, a comprehensive le is always a good
sign
- check the history of the car, make
sure it has always been well cared
for
- always check that the mileage on
the odometer matches the other
records
- conrm that the seller is the cars
owner and that the title is clear

Auctions
As a very broad guideline, cars
that appear at auction are either
very high value recent models
(example Enzo) or models no
longer carried in the Ocial Dealer
network. As per purchasing from
a private seller, it is critical to do
you homework ahead of time. All
auction houses provide for pre-sale
viewing but it is very unlikely that
a PPI or test drive will be permitted. Both need to be included
in the buyers purchase risk consideration. Auction Houses act
as agents on behalf of the sellers
so your legal protection in many
countries is not much greater than
in the case of a private sale. On
the positive side, auctions provide
both the opportunity to acquire
very rare, unique cars with important histories and other models at
a potentially outstanding value.
Many Independent Specialist attend auctions, it is critical that a
private buyer understand the environment that he is competing in.
Fee schedules dier signicantly
between the auction houses, so it
is strongly advised that these be
reviewed ahead of time. Currently
the most famous Ferrari Auction
is Bonhams December Auction in
Gstaad, Swtizerland. Other well
know auction houses include:
Christies, R&M (North America), Barle Jackson (North America), Barons
(UK), H&H (UK), Coys (UK), and
Artcurial (France).

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