Ferrari Mondial T ‘Cabriolet’ (1989)
It was the last and the best of its kind. Never again would Ferrari build a four-seater convertible with a mid-mounted engine and that alone makes the Mondial T a special car. This beautiful original American car has only driven 35,000 miles, is in exceptionally good condition and comes with extensive documentation.
The ‘T’
Although it carries the name of its predecessors, the Mondial T is a completely different car in terms of technology, performance and driving experience. The T in its name stands for the new way the engine and gearbox were mounted, inspired by the Ferrari Formula 1 car of its time. Instead of transversely, the V8 was fitted longitudinal with the gearbox transversely to it, forming the letter T. Together with a dry sump system, this allowed the engine to be installed much lower, which improved road holding considerably. For many years, this would to be the design of Ferrari’s mid-engined models.
The V8 was upgraded to 3.4-litre and fitted with the Bosch Motronic electronic injection system, which also controlled the electronic ignition. The result was 300bhp and 323Nm, which allowed the car to reach 100km/h in just 5.6 seconds, almost a second faster than its predecessor. In addition, the ‘T’ was the first Ferrari to feature power steering and ABS as standard. Introduced in 1989 at the Geneva Motor Show, the Mondial T would only remain in production for four years. In total, just over a thousand convertibles were built, of which only 375 were US-spec.
A famous owner
The first owner of this car was president and COO of Microsoft, Jon Shirley, also a famous Ferrari collector. In 1989, he ordered this Mondial T Cabriolet in Nero with a Crema interior through Grand Prix Motors in Seatle Washington. After six years and only 8,000 miles, he sold the car to a second American, who would keep the Ferrari for over 19 years. The extensive documentation shows that he maintained it extremely well. Via a third collector, the car came into the hands of its current owner in 2020.
Since 2020, various works have been carried out on the car. The upholstery has been completely renewed, as has the convertible roof. The standard exhaust system has been replaced by a full Tubi system with original Ferrari cat replacements for an impressive sound. The car has been very well maintained, with the timing belts replaced last year. It also comes with the original leather Ferrari tool case.
If you are in the market for a Ferrari Mondial T Cabriolet, there’s no overlooking this one. Its exceptionally good condition, complete documentation, well-maintained technology and low mileage make it one of the best ‘T’ Cabriolets for sale at this moment.
Specifications:
Year: 1989
Engine: 3.4-litre
300 hp
5-speed manual transmission
35.000 miles
Matching numbers
Chassis nr. ZFFFC33A9K0082550