More Magazines added to Archives...

Hello Friends...I have literally found a gold mine of new magazine articles...I have about 8 (after these) more coming soon across all 4 model iterations..for now enjoy

Here is the first batch:

Ferrari Magazine (talking about collectability) - they show a Mondial...
http://alexachua.com/ferrari_29.pdf

Auto car 1991 (Mondial t vs Porsche vs BMW vs Jag)
http://alexachua.com/autocar_1981.pdf

Autoweek (Introduction of Mondial 8)
http://alexachua.com/autoweek_mondial_1980.pdf
"Priced at over 60,000, it marks the firms *MOST EXPENSIVE" model"

Explains a lot my friends...

Motorsport (Mondial 8 review)
http://alexachua.com/motorsport_aug_1981.pdf

"...And it's quick, with 60 m.p.h. coming up in fractionally more than seven seconds and just over 20 seconds to 100 m.p.h., figures which may mean the Mondail is lagging in marginally n the split-second contest to be the quickest super-car, but BY NO MEANS MAKING IT A SLUGGARD."


As always - over 50 articles now here:

Resources | Ferrari Mondial t

Cheers
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Wow where do you find these? I now have my week reading planed.

 

Looks like some more great reading about our cars.............

 

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+1 paulchua

 

Thanks Paul!

 

Thanks for all the kind words and support by brothers! I have more articles on the way.... Really the more I read, the more I understand where a lot of the negative angle came. You had a car that performed on par to other supercars of the era* but at a significantly higher cost.

I've given this analogy in the past, but I think bears repeating. I see many parallels to today's modern California/FF to the Mondial. You see the same criticisms directed at the California/FF as the Mondial 35 years ago.

A Ferrari with four seats?

Design that has to be more unconventional to accommodate said four seats (Cali's big butt/a 350K+ hatchback?) - I hear some of the most nasty things said about the FF and California (Edmunds said the California is 16th ugliest car of all time) All of which I disagree with btw.

Source
100 Ugliest Cars of All Time on Edmunds.com

Other criticisms are:

Too 'insulated' and geared toward creature comforts/utility versus performance?

Sound familiar boys?

Now Imagine the California T costing more than the 488 by 20%. Or the Ferrari FF having the same cost, but the same V8 as the California? (Instead of the V12 from the F12)

You'll see the gnashing of teeth amplified much fold in my opinion.

So there you have it. A car that was priced much more ambitious then I think the market could bear at the time, that placed too much emphasis on the Ferrari nameplate instead of more tangible offerings.

Was the criticism fair at the time? Some of it was (the cost), but many articles now have shown that one cannot criticize its performance or reliability.

In today's world, the cost is no longer a factor, in fact, it's an advantage as the Mondial 8 is practically free. Reliability would be only an issue if it were neglected (as with all 35-year-old cars). Maintenance will be high (as with any 35-year-old exotic) and finally as far as looks, all I can say is sometimes it takes the masses a little bit more time to come to appreciate what we already do.

See the Bertone designed Ferrari 308 GT4 and what has happened in the last 2-3 years...

I've argued all cars reach a point where they reach 'classic' status - where the sheer uniqueness of it forever enshrines it as a work of art. Where time itself becomes the ultimate judge, and the populous finally awakens to what I already know. Take the 2013 Coucourse De Elegance winner....this is something that I can say I appreciate and understand, but would also understand if somebody once said it looked 'ugly.'

If I had the garage space, I would be snapping the 8 up.


*Digression
1980 Porsche 911 - that car spanked everybody, and I mean everybody!! It was by far the fastest car you can get with great ergonomics, reliability, and at a reasonable cost - really cements the 911 as 'legendary' IMHO....As much as I respect Porsche, it never instilled the visceral passion as the prancing horse in me...and I doubt it will ever will (barring the $1MM+ 918/GT)
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Thank you.