1988 Ferrari Mondial

Cabriolet Convertible

8 - Cyl.

Manual

zffxc26a0j0075379

Clear

Gasoline

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE The Pope’s Ferrari? In the spring of 1988, Pope John Paul II visited Emilia Romagna, the region of Italy where Ferrari is based, as part of the pontiff’s official engagements that year. Enzo Ferrari and his son Piero arranged, through the Archbishop of Modena, to make the Fiorano test track available so that the Pope could celebrate a mass there with the employees of Ferrari as well as the many thousands of people from Maranello, Modena and other towns nearby. At Fiorano, there was a display of Ferraris (both road and racing cars) outside of Enzo’s office. When the Pope arrived at Fiorano by helicopter, he was greeted by Enzo and Piero Ferrari, along with Gerard Berger and Michele Alboreto (two of Ferrari’s F1 drivers at the time). The Pope saw the display of Ferraris, and rather than take the traditonal “Pope-mobile” to greet the thousands of people waiting, asked if one of the Ferraris was available. Piero Ferrari had a 1988 Ferrari Mondial Spider brought over, and proceeded to drive the Pope around Fiorano in it, as the Pope waved and blessed the crowd. The photos below show Pope John Paul II climbing into a Mondial as well as him standing in the passenger seat waving as Piero drives him slowly around Fiorano. It is speculated that the Pope bestowed a special blessing on the beautiful Rosso Corsa Mondial Spider that carried him around the Fiorano test track. I have no idea if this beautiful 1988 Mondial Spider is in fact the same Mondial in which the Pope stood on that beautiful spring day in 1988, but it may very well be. Recent inquiries of the Ferrari factory in Modena, Italy are inconclusive. In response to my requests for information in 2005, the factory responded with the following emails: Dear Mr. XXXX, Thank you for contacting us. We would like to inform you that Pope John Paul II visited on the 4th of June 1988, and was welcomed by Enzo Ferrari, Gerard Berger and Michele Alboreto. Should you have further queries, please do not hesitate to contact us. Kind regards, Ferrari Customer Care When responding to this email, please perform a reply with history so that the following conversational identifier "[THREAD_ID:12389]" is included in your response. Dear Mr XXXXX. Thank you for contacting us. We regret to inform you that unfortunately there is no way to confirm that the vehicle you own is the one that carried Pope John Paul when he visited Ferrari in 1988. For any further information or request, please do not hesitate to contact us. Kind regards, Ferrari Customer Care When responding to this email, please perform a reply with history so that the following conversational identifier "[THREAD_ID:12320]" is included in your response. As you can see, Ferrari has confirmed that Pope John Paul II did in fact visit Fiorano in 1988 and was driven around in a beautiful open top Mondial. The photos show the Pope in a Rosso Corsa over tan Mondial Spider which appears identical to the car for sale here. Between 1986 – 1988, Ferrari produced approximately 800 Mondial Spiders and this is one of them. The factory, however, has no records to indicate the serial number of the actual Mondial that the Pope was carried in, and has said that there is no way to confirm the Mondial for sale here is the car that carried the Pope when he visited in 1988. As such, one can speculate that this was the Ferrari used by the Pope, but there is no way to be certain. Since the factory does not have a record of the serial number of the car the Pope was driven in, I can not guarantee or represent in any way that this specific car was in fact used by the Pope. In all likelihood, this car is not the car ridden in by Pope John Paul II. But, when you drive to church on Sunday in it, imagine how impressed your congregation will be when you show them the photos! Pope John Paul II was beatified on May 1, 2011 and is expected to be canonized soon. How many cars can be said to have any association with a true Saint? I believe I am the third owner of this papal prancing horse, which is in excellent condition. The car has 100% original paint, interior and carpet. The car has never been hit or damaged in any way, with excellent panel fit and gaps throughout. All items function as they should. This car is in excellent condition and can be driven anywhere. The only thing missing is the cigarette lighter, and the car appears to have never been smoked in. The top was replaced by the prior owner, but I have put it up only twice, and it is in excellent condition. The transmission grinds somewhat when downshifting into first gear at speed, but otherwise all synchros are good and the transmission shifts smoothly up and down in all gears. The engine pulls strong and sounds like a V8 Ferrari should! I have numerous service records for the car going back to the original delivery invoice by the original purchaser, as well as the original owner’s manual with leather pouch, the complete tool kit and jack and several related documents and a custom fitted car cover. The car received a complete service less than 1000 miles ago by a highly regarded Southern California Ferrari specialist. I have owned this car since 2005, but find that I am driving it less and less (I have several other cars in my collection, and my interests have taken me to vintage Porsches which I now collect). Copies of all documentation, as well as the emails from Ferrari and an original article recounting the Pope’s visit to Ferrari will be included for the buyer. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity – don’t miss it! I have clear North Carolina title in my name. The car is currently in my personal collector car garage in Van Nuys, California, where it spends most of the time in indoor storage and under a cover. I am happy to help with transport or a PPI as long as the buyer makes and pays for all the arrangements. Please arrange all inspections prior to auction closing. All prospective purchasers agree that this description is solely for convenience, and is not part of any contract of sale for the vehicle. My description is my opinion only, and should not be considered a complete description of any or all faults, and may not be relied upon, taken as fact or otherwise considered a representation or warranty or any sort. The car is sold as-is, where-is with all faults known or unknown. These should only be considered the ramblings of a guy who likes cars. Please see the car in person or send a representative for inspection. A pre-purchase inspection is strongly encouraged and I can happily take the car to one of the well-known nearby shops if you organize and pay for a PPI. Remember, this is a 23 year old car that has been used; it is not showroom new. If you have ever had an old car, or you are considering owning one, you should understand that there is an almost endless list of repairs, improvements, corrections and details that can be attended to. Like the car, I am old too, so I may have forgotten things that are important to you. That’s why you should send someone to inspect this or any car you are considering purchasing. I apologize for this lawyerly disclaimer, but we live in strange times. On Jul-26-11 at 19:40:43 PDT, seller added the following information: over 70 photos are posted on my picasa site Check out my other auctions too!On Jul-28-11 at 18:34:30 PDT, seller added the following information: Reserve price has been lowered! This Mondial is in excellent condition throughout. If you are looking for a well-maintained high quality Mondial, this is it. I wouldn't hesitate to drive this car anywhere tomorrow. Hop in and drive it to Monterey and show the car on the lawn at Concorso Italiano in a couple of weeks! This car offers a true Ferrari experience in every way - the sounds, the style, the handling and power is all Ferrari - but you can carry (little) people in the back seats. The only other four seat open top Ferrari available is the new Ferrari California, which can be yours for at least 5x the price of a Mondial.