Good morning! It’s Friday, and I’m going to chuck the price cap right out the window today and look at a rather cheap Ferrari, and a rather expensive Buick. What’s the connection between the two? If you’ve already guessed, you get a gold star. If not, I’ll tell you in a minute.
I’ve often been curious what it would take to get 100% of you to vote for one car or the other. That wasn’t my goal yesterday, but I think it’s the closest we’ve ever come. The Cimarron’s high price and poor presentation had you running in the opposite direction, and the Catera won in what might be our most lopsided result yet.
Between these two specific cars, it’s a no-brainer win for the Catera. It’s newer, nicer, in better shape, and has much lower mileage. But I have to be honest: I’d much rather have a really nice Cimarron than a really nice Catera. But that is not a really nice Cimarron.
Now then: Any guesses on the musical connection between these two cars?
It’s Thomas Dolby. More specifically, his 1988 album Aliens Ate My Buick, the lead track of which is “The Key To Her Ferrari.” It’s a weird album, even by Dolby’s standards, and the first and last tracks (the last is titled “Budapest By Blimp“) are by far the best. It’s one of those albums that I just have to listen to once in a while, and I think I might be due to give it another spin. So in honor of it, I chose the cheapest viable Ferrari I could find, and just for fun, a Buick that costs more. Let’s check them out.
1985 Ferrari Mondial QV Cabriolet – $39,500
Engine/drivetrain: 2.9-liter dual overhead cam V8, five-speed manual, RWD
Location: Astoria, NY
Odometer reading: 65,000 miles
Operational status: “It runs and drives, but should not be considered truly roadworthy without mechanical servicing”
I don’t think there’s a gearhead my age who didn’t dream of owning a Ferrari when they were young. I know I did. Between Magnum P.I., Miami Vice, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and all the countless magazine articles, posters, toys, model kits, and more, we were inundated with the mythos of the prancing horse. On some level, we all knew they were troublesome, a feeling that has since been confirmed by the lucky few who managed to live the dream. But that doesn’t stop the wanting, especially when you see a Mondial like this for less than forty grand.
At the heart of the Mondial is a tiny V8, mounted transversely behind the rear seats. This one is a Quattrovalvole, “four valves” if you couldn’t guess, displacing 2.9 liters. The transmission is a five-speed manual, of course, with a gated shifter and a “dogleg” gear pattern. That shifter alone was the stuff of dreams; I have yet to drive a Ferrari with one, but someday I will guide that slender lever through its gates. Maybe if I go back to England someday, Adrian will let me drive his. This one runs and drives, but the seller says it is due for “service,” probably meaning a timing belt. Expect to drop a few grand more before you get to enjoy it.
There’s a reason that this Ferrari is the price it is: it definitely has some flaws. Scuffs in the leather, missing carpet in the footwell, and lots of other little signs of wear and tear tell the tale of its 65,000 miles. Personally, I think that’s a good thing; this is a car meant to be driven, not stashed away in some climate-controlled bubble.
It has a few flaws outside too, most notably a missing side-marker light lens on the left front, and some scuffs in the bumper. But again, who cares? It’s an almost-affordable Ferrari, and not one highly sought-after by collectors. Fix up the mechanics, keep it clean and tidy, and enjoy it. It’s what Mr. Ferrari would have wanted.
1987 Buick Grand National – $49,995
Engine/drivetrain: Turbocharged 3.8-liter overhead valve V6, four-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Pompano Beach, FL
Odometer reading: 78,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives great
Speaking of cars that shouldn’t be babied or left to languish in storage, here we have a final-year General Motors G-body coupe. Eighty percent of it is the same as the beat-up Cutlass Supreme that my college friend Bill drove. But paint it black, slap a turbocharger on the 3.8-liter V6, and give it a mean stance, and it becomes a legend.
You could actually order the turbocharged V6 in any ’87 Regal, even the grandma-spec landau roof version. And of course, 1987 was also the year of the ultimate G-body coupe, the astonishing GNX. But you won’t touch one of those for less than Super Bowl Halftime Show money. For the rest of us, Buick built plenty of “ordinary” Grand Nationals. This one has just had an engine overhaul, a new turbo, and a bunch of other mechanical work. The seller says they wouldn’t hesitate to drive it across the country, and personally, I think that would be a fun road trip.
One look at the Grand National’s interior will tell you this is a car of the people. It has a few special bits, like bucket seats, a center console, and a cool three-spoke steering wheel, but the dash is standard-issue Regal, complete with a wide speedometer that only goes to 85. It’s almost as if Buick wanted people to bury that needle on the far side, just to be able to say they did. It’s in nice condition, but not so nice that you can’t (carefully) hit a McDonald’s drive-thru with it. The seller notes that there is a small tear in the rear seat, and the tachometer doesn’t work. You don’t need it with an automatic, anyway.
If you wanted any color other than black, you had to order a Regal T-Type instead of a Grand National. But why would you do that? This car looks so good, so purposeful, that it would look silly in any other color. This one has been repainted, and it looks great. It sounds like the seller isn’t afraid to drive this car, and doesn’t expect anyone else to be, either. It’s a refreshing change from the “keep it perfect forever” mentality that too often goes along with cars like this.
Obviously these are out of reach for most of us, but just imagine you hit it big on a lottery ticket, or inherited some money with the stipulation that you spend it on something just for you. Which one are you going for?
The Buick is no doubt faster to 60 than the Ferrari. And probably in the quarter mile too. Plus, the Mondial needs work, whatever that mean$$$$$.
Buick is the obvious choice for me.
I have a bitchin’ GN shirt from Blipshift, so I might as well get the car to go with it.
The GN is one of my automotive hero’s. As a developing motorhead of 8 years old when it was new, I thought they looked mean before I even understood what they were.
I’ve always thought the Mondial was ugly. Only way I’d want it would be to give it the “Roadkill” treatment.
Grand National…didn’t bother reading the article.
Logic says Buick, but my heart says Ferrari. I might go broke keeping the Mondial on the road but I’ll have fun doing it unlike driving the autotragic Buick.
Sorry Adrian, I had to go with the Buick since I can actually fix it when it inevitably breaks, being a GM product. Plus looking at the footwell in that Modial, how does anyone who drives one of those regularly not walk with a distintive lean to one side?
the Ferrari says “lets take a nice blast up the canyon with the top down to my mountain home where we will have wine and cheese and watch the sunset”
the GNX says “i burnt ALL my retirement on this, lets go to steak n shake, then back to my trailer”
Until the repair bill on the Mondail comes in.
Who would’ve guessed when these were built the Buick would wind up worth more?
The wheels, the taillights, the vents, the gated shifter, the lines, I can’t say no to the Ferrari no matter how stupid that purchase is…
For my Internet money, today is a Both day.
Ferraris is the wrong color, and overall not all the desirable or attractive.
I still kind of think the G body is a little over priced, but I would take that all day, every day over just about any 80’s Ferrari.
I’ve wanted a Grand National since I was a little kid. But there’s just something about that Mondial that’s calling me. I can’t fight it.
You’ll have to tie me to the mast to stop me from picking the Italian Stallion today.
Left brain says GN. Right brain says Mondial. Time for a Xanax.
I cannot resist the prancing horse.
The best Buick is a better option than the worst Ferrari. The Buick would likely hold its value better and would be a fraction of the cost to own over any given time frame.
Counterpoint, I wanna beat on that Ferrari so badly. Whereas the GN I’d actually feel compelled to be a responsible owner.
Valid point.
Never really been enamored with the GN. Then again, I’ve never really been enamored with the Mondial, either (sorry, Adrian). But I like a challenge, so I’ll have the Ferrari. Or am I a glutton for punishment?
My connection to these two cars. It’s the late ’80s and my parents have just bought a ’87 Chrysler Conquest TSi and our neighbors have just bought a ’87 Grand National with factory T-tops. Lots of discussions of which car is faster but after riding in and driving both that race would be settled after the first curve.
Also that same year reading through C&D’s list of 1/4 times and noticing where the Conquest/Starion ranked in that list, down in the bottom half…but above the Ferrari Mondial!
Honestly I’d take both but since the Mondial isn’t painted Rosso Of course-O I voted GN.
I always wanted a Conquest with the fender flares and big Turbo motor. they were very attractive cars for the time. I probably would have misjudged the GN back then and went with the swoopier Conquest. But I certainly do recall my mom borrowing a 1987 Buick T-Type, which was basically a Grand National Dressed down and it did surprise us both when she lit it up by accident. she was at that time used to driving a Celica Hatch back, which was ok, but definitely not fast.
Back in the middle 80s my buddy and I would street race. He had an 80 audi 5000 automatic and I had a 69 ford galaxie 390 2bl. He would head to anything with bends and turns and would lose me. I could take him in the strait sections. I did only scared myself a few times with emergency stops in my old boat of a car.
Audi 5000 brings back memories. I have no connection to the car itself, but when I was a kid in the 80’s we would say “I’m Audi 5000” when leaving, which was a play on “I’m outie” = (I’m outa here).
Was that a thing or were we just wierd?
90s kid here but that is still going around. I don’t think I ever heard it until it went around the office when some coworkers head home for the day. Being the known car nerd, I said to one of them “that is actually a car yknow!” – she actually hadn’t heard of the car, just found it a fun quip I think. But most 90s-on kids wouldn’t have passively learned of many pre-A_ alphanumeric Audis, older models from before the scandal tanked sales had mostly picked off by that point.
He use to “power shift” it. Rev it super high and slam it into drive. he eventually left the transmission on a highway in FL. His grandmother got him a new nissan 200sx se automatic.
I’ve long lusted after the now unobtainable goal of tracking down a somewhat affordable Ferrari, and I really do hope I get to drive a Ferrari eventually because it is a bucket list item of mine. But after reading Uncle Adrian’s article I want nothing to do with this tired Mondial. Give me the Grand National, which in my humble opinion is one of the coolest cars ever made.
“On some level, we all knew they were troublesome, a feeling that has since been confirmed by the lucky few who managed to live the dream”
My stepdad had an ’83 308QV. It was not cheap to keep but that was mostly because my stepdad let his mechanic fire the parts cannon at it. Things got replaced on his schedule whether they needed to be or not. So yeah it was expensive it was no less troublesome* than many 1980s cars including its baby brother the Fiat X-1/9 which I had.
*Well yeah, OK there WAS that engine fire. But it only happened once when the battery overtaxed the alternator.
The Grand National is the choice for me, at that price point if I was the seller, I was going to send it to a car detailer that has social media to create content if I want to move it faster and dont get bad offers.
This one is easy. Expensive old Italian finicky expensive to repair vs standard American box with lots of parts around and cheap to work on with a refreshed heart.
I know, right? Who the hell wants a sorted car. Ferrari, baby!
None of the above.
Not an option. That’s not how the game is played. As restitution, you have to buy the Cimarron.
The rules ought to be more punitive than that – the penalty should be having to daily the Cimarron!
Cruel and unusual.
I really wanted to click on that Mondial, but in silver? Red or yellow and I might have been more inclined.
And can the 39 people who voted for that Cimmaron yesterday be punished by seeing nothing BUT autoplay videos and ads for “adult” products and such for, say, a week? Gotta teach those people a lesson.
I’m not a Grand National expert however isn’t that a T-Type Steering Wheel vs the GN wheel. I also don’t know if that blue interior with black/white seats were ever an option because something just looks off. I don’t think it’s a clone but I do think that dash and door cards could have been replaced with different colors. I could also be completely wrong.
The color does look off, but that’s as likely to be age-related fading plus the blue tint on the backlight and the opera windows.
Isn’t this the exact state the Mondial has existed in for the past 40 years?
two words: gated shifter