Reported stolen in 1994, a Dutch fire brigade stumbled across the wedge-shaped Italian car while performing training exercises.
The year 2020 has been wild in more ways than one. To add to the madness, it seems like every other post is about the destruction of a Ferrari. In a short time span, we posted three different tragic stories regarding the rare Ferrari F40. Recently, an F40 was wrecked in Australia, another went up in flames in Monaco, and another one with a connection to Sadam Hussein was neglected and covered with sand including inside the engine (which has since been restored). While the F40 is considered a rare and desired with car with only a few produced, the Ferrari Mondial didn't exactly share that same appeal. Although the Mondial isn't exactly a LeFerrari, the car still wears Ferrari's prancing horse logo. Tragically, this one has lived a tragic life mostly sitting at the bottom of a river.
A grand tourer produced from 1980 through 1993, the Mondial replaced the Ferrari 308/208 GT4 coupe with styling and bodywork by Pininfarina and Carrozzeria Scaglietti. In fact, the Mondial is the last V8, rear mid-engine 2+2 Ferrari.
Due to the less-than-stellar performance from its mid-engine V8, the Mondial never really took off. Although still a Ferrari, it deserved a better life than what it received. Back in 1994, the case grew cold on a 1987 Mondial that was reported stolen, and Dutch police threw in the towel on trying to locate the Ferrari. The owner received a full insurance payout.
A long time has passed since then, and the Mondial was finally found in June 2020. A Dutch fire brigade came across a wedge-shaped object sitting at the bottom of a river while performing training exercises. That object turned out to be a Ferrari Mondial, and the same one that went missing 26 years prior.
On July 8th, the Ferrari was retrieved with help from the police, fire department and Dutch military. After running the vehicle's VIN number through the stolen car database, the car matched the '87 Ferrari Mondial that was reported missing back in 1994. Due to how long it has been underwater, all evidence was destroyed so no criminal investigation was launched. The Ferrari was then handed over to the legal owner, the insurer, and then was transported to the scrap yard. A man named Lowie van DE Ooyevaar told Top Gear The Netherlands that some parts may be usable for works of art, and he has been contacted about people interested in making tables and other things with the engine block and wheels, for example. Although its not exactly an F40, this Mondial still deserved to live a much better life than what it was given. What a shame.
Source: CarBuzz
