Ferrari Mondial Structure

The Mondial's body was formed mostly from steel, with aluminum employed to lighten the front hood and rear deck of the 8 and qv. The Mondial 3.2 and t benefitted from corrosion-resistant galvanized steel. Lower valance panels were of thick fiberglass. The floor was made of the same rust resistant fiberglass-sandwiched steel found in the 308 and 328. The Mondial Cabriolet given rigidity and extra strength through heavier welding and bracing of the chassis, and thicker section steel tubing in the upright portions of the body frame.

The Mondial's main chassis was formed of square and rectangular section steel tubing, welded and cross braced to provide great strength and rigidity with a low weight penalty. The Mondial was the first road car to employ Ferrari's race-derived removable rear sub-frame attached to flanges extending rearward from the cabin. This tube-steel rear subframe carried the engine, transmission, differential and rear suspension. This made the running gear a virtually closed system that could be separated from the car, and had the added advantage of providing a second frame to the mid-rear section of the car. The design proved extremely successful on the Mondial and eventually became standard Ferrari practice on mid-engined road cars.