TL;DR
Get business pricing on garage and car supplies
- Business-only prices and quantity discounts
- Tax-exempt purchasing
- Multiple users, one account, clear invoices
A one-off Ferrari Mondial T-based pace car commissioned for the CART series has resurfaced as part of The Caretakers Collection. The collection’s video says Ferrari spent $1 million on the 1987 build, equivalent to about $3 million today; the car reportedly paced races from 1988 to 1991.
A one-off Ferrari Mondial T-based pace car built for the CART Indy Car World Series has resurfaced as part of The Caretakers Collection, a collection of unusual vehicles. A video from the collection says Ferrari spent $1 million in 1987 to create the car, a project that stands apart from the company’s usual focus on Formula 1 and production-car styling.
The car began as a production Mondial T, but its pace-car conversion went well beyond a new paint scheme. The Drive’s report describes a stretched wheelbase, redesigned front and rear bodywork, and corrugated trim connecting the revised sections. Safety lights were integrated into the body, including clear plastic structures around the engine cover.
The interior was also reworked with Kevlar and suede, along with a new steering wheel and a dashboard that grouped more gauges and controls near the driver. The Caretakers Collection’s video explains the car’s history and its place in a collection that also includes a Tucker sedan and a GM Futureliner.
The production Mondial T used a 3.4-liter V8 rated at 300 horsepower. Ferrari estimated a 0-to-62-mph time of 6.3 seconds and a top speed of 158 mph for the production model. The source material says chassis changes were likely made for the sustained high-speed work of pacing a race, but does not specify exactly what those changes were.
A Rare CART-Era Ferrari Project
The car is a rare example of Ferrari building for a racing series outside its familiar Formula 1 orbit. The company had reportedly canceled a CART program about a year before the pace car’s unveiling, making its involvement in a high-profile CART project an unusual footnote in Ferrari history.
Its design also departs from the company’s established approach at the time. Rather than Pininfarina, which styled Ferrari production cars during that period, the project was designed by I.DE.A., a Turin-based firm with previous work for Fiat. The one-off therefore records a brief intersection of Ferrari, CART and a less familiar design partner.
The car’s return to public attention matters to collectors and racing-history readers because many PPG-commissioned pace cars were reportedly lost or became obscure. Its survival gives enthusiasts a chance to see a distinctive piece of the series’ promotional and trackside history, rather than relying only on period accounts.
Products Worth Considering
Chemical Guys HOL123 Car Cleaning Kit – 14-Item Interior & Exterior Detailing Set
Autel MaxiCOM MK808S Bidirectional Automotive Diagnostic Scanner
Autel MaxiScope MP608 4-Channel Automotive Oscilloscope
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
The PPG Pace-Car Program
During the 1980s and 1990s, PPG, then the sponsor of CART, commissioned unusual one-off vehicles to serve as pace cars. These were not simply production cars wearing special liveries. The Ferrari was unveiled at Laguna Seca in October 1987, according to The Drive’s report.
A 2025 article in Forza magazine, cited by The Drive, says the Mondial pace car was on active duty from 1988 through 1991. The report also says it was not very reliable during that period, though it does not provide details about breakdowns or repairs. Ferrari’s choice of a Mondial T as the base is notable because the model was less celebrated than many other Ferraris of its era.
“Ferrari spent $1 million in 1987 turning a production Mondial into a pace car.”
— The Caretakers Collection, in its video about the car
What the Car’s Record Leaves Open
The available accounts do not provide a complete ownership and restoration history, nor do they state when or how the car entered The Caretakers Collection. The reported $1 million cost comes from the collection’s video, and the source material does not describe the original invoices or what the figure covered.
The precise mechanical and chassis modifications are also not documented in the supplied reporting. While the car was reportedly unreliable during its CART service, the specific faults, repair history and number of races it paced remain unclear. The collection’s current plans for the car, including whether it will appear at public events, have not been stated.
The Collection’s Next Public Update
The Caretakers Collection’s video is the latest public account of the car’s return to view. Further details about its provenance, condition and future displays would help clarify how the pace car survived after its reported 1988–91 CART service. No new exhibition, sale or restoration announcement is included in the available source material.
Key Questions
What is the resurfaced Ferrari?
It is a one-off Ferrari Mondial T-based pace car built for the CART Indy Car World Series and now part of The Caretakers Collection.
How much did Ferrari reportedly spend on it?
The Caretakers Collection’s video says the 1987 project cost $1 million, roughly $3 million in today’s money according to the source report. The available account does not provide independent cost documentation.
When did the car serve as a CART pace car?
A 2025 Forza magazine article cited by The Drive says it was on active duty from 1988 to 1991.
What makes its design unusual?
The car had a stretched wheelbase, redesigned bodywork and integrated safety lights. It was designed by I.DE.A., rather than Pininfarina, which styled Ferrari’s production cars at the time.
Will the car be displayed publicly?
The available reports do not say whether The Caretakers Collection plans a public display or other event. Its future schedule has not been announced in the source material.
Source: thedrive.com
