"J.G. Murphy" (j-gmurphy)
11/12/2015 at 18:44 • Filed to: None
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"J.G. Murphy" (j-gmurphy)
11/12/2015 at 18:44 • Filed to: None | 0
| 0 |
Scene: A sunny, crisp autumn day in quaint South Royalton, Vermont. Asphalt-wrapped, tree-covered mountains explode in every shade from yellow to crimson against an azure sky.
!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and my heart in my throat from piloting a needs-sorting Austin Healy 100 in a line of 12 much, much , faster cars, across some broken-ass pavement. Windshield up to my nose, no seatbelts, and a single mom in the passenger seat. Only good brake is the front-passenger side, apparently; the brake with the ability to drag us off the road into dense forests and make an orphan of her sweet little angel currently collecting acorns at daycare. Adding to that pressure is the fact that none of these cars are mine. I’d say stuffing an $80,000 vintage roadster is a terrible way to win friends and influence people. Eyes on the road and hands on the wheel, Murph!
After lunch, I managed to score the keys to an ‘88 Ferarri Mondial 3.2 cabriolet from a friend who helped organize this event. A bit of history:
The Mondial took a lot of heat throughout its production. Conceived as the “everyday driver” in Ferrari’s stable; a car with 4 seats and a trunk that can haul families and groceries and still turn some heads.
Great start.
It came in 4 variations throughout its 13-year existence: the Mondial 8 (’80-’82), which had the engine from the Dino 308, which made an anemic-feeling 214hp. The QV (’83-’87) was an upgrade, doubling the valves per cylinder ( q uattro v alvole! ), and adding 26hp. The 3.2 (’86-‘88), cranked out 266hp, and the later Mondial T had an entirely different engine/transmission layout, which brought a cool 300hp to the party.
Our 1988 model is the 3.2 liter V8 from the 328—a marked improvement over the first generation, which received harsh criticism from automotive journalists and really tainted this car’s legacy. It’s essentially a 328GTS with a longer wheelbase and an extra set of seats. It has been scientifically proven to be recognized as a Ferrari from up to 8 miles away, and wouldn’t you know it, values are on the rise.
The interior is classic Ferrari, but slathered in plastic. Traditionally, most controls are on the center console. You know how to work a Ferrari’s climate control system? Well, that makes one of us! No matter—it’s a drop top. The handbrake is of ingenious design, provided someone tells you about it before you jump in. It’s between the seat and the door sill, and drops down once engaged in order for you to get out and back in comfortably.
Winding up the engine is key to enjoying the Mondial 3.2. The motor just doesn’t grow balls until about 6 grand. Redline is at 8, so you’ve got room to go before bringing it back down. Don’t do it too soon, though; there is no sensation like hitting peak power band in a vintage Ferrari. The induction sound is what is really special about these cars. That high-pitched aural component envelops you in drama and pushes you to dig the spurs in just a little bit harder .
Prices on these cars are escalating quickly. A couple of years ago, a Mondial 3.2 went for around $25k. Now you’re looking at around $40k for a prime specimen. However, fewer than 1,000 were produced, and they ain’t makin’ any more.
Our drive back to the shop brought us through some incredible notches, hollows, and mountainsides. There is truly no place like Vermont in the autumn. In our case, we had a curated route mapped out by some of the most knowledgeable enthusiasts in the area, which kept us on mostly clean pavement and off the beaten track from the leaf peepers. I’d encourage you to take a look at Google maps and reach out to some of your New England buddies to plan a trip of your own.