While it wasn't the most successful model in Ferrari's lineup, the Mondial managed to stay on the assembly lines for more than a decade, from 1980 until 1993, in various versions.
The most successful version of the Mondial was introduced in 1982 and sported the name Quattrovalvole (four-valves). In those times, the four-valves per cylinder system was so new that only high-performance and some sporty premium vehicles were fitted with it. But the benefits that came with the system were obvious.
Ferrari chose to work with Pininfarina for the car's design, and it provided a tubular, space-frame chassis to the Italian coachmaker. That led to some problems of design limitations, which were gracefully passed by the young Pierangelo Andreani. At the front, the Mondial Quattrovalvole featured an unusual grille on the hood (which was actually the trunk). The pop-up headlights were a new trend in those times and made the cars look sleeker. In addition, the designer installed a pair of parking lights and blinkers on the front bumper and added a second grille on the apron. From its sides, the mid-engined car looked more like a sedan with a raked-forward rear windscreen, which was tilted at a sharper angle than the windshield. The side air intakes served to feed the engine with air, while at the back, the grilles were needed to let the hot air go out.
Inside, the Mondial featured a four-seat layout, even though there was hardly room enough for grown-ups on the rear bench. But that didn't stop Ferrari from creating a luxurious cabin, with leather on everything from the front bucket seats to the door cards and the dash panel. A chromed quattrovalvole badge was mounted in front of the side passenger.
Under the hood, the 3.0-liter V8 featured a dual-overhead-camshaft system. As a result, the engine produced 237 hp (240 PS), which was a respectable specific power for those times. Power went to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox.