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A one-off Ferrari Mondial T built as a PPG CART pace car in 1987 has resurfaced as part of The Caretakers Collection. The collection’s video says Ferrari spent $1 million on the project, while a 2025 Forza magazine report says the car paced races from 1988 to 1991. Its current location in the collection is known, but details such as its condition and any plans for public display have not been reported.
A one-off Ferrari Mondial T pace car, commissioned for the PPG-sponsored CART Indy Car World Series in the 1980s, has resurfaced as part of The Caretakers Collection. A video from the collection says Ferrari spent $1 million in 1987 converting the production-based car, a figure the report equates to about $3 million today.
The car began as a Ferrari Mondial T but received extensive body and interior changes for pace-car duty. Its wheelbase was stretched, and redesigned front and rear sections were connected by corrugated trim. Safety lights were incorporated into the bodywork, including clear sections around the engine cover. The cabin was reworked in Kevlar and suede, with a new steering wheel and a dashboard that grouped more gauges and controls around the driver.
The design was created by I.DE.A., a Turin-based automotive design firm, rather than Pininfarina, which styled Ferrari’s production cars at the time. The Mondial T’s factory 3.4-liter V8 produced 300 horsepower. Ferrari estimated the standard model could reach 62 mph in 6.3 seconds and a top speed of 158 mph. The source report says chassis changes were likely made to support the sustained speeds required of a pace car, but does not give details of those modifications.
A 2025 article in Forza magazine reported that the car served from 1988 through 1991 and was not especially reliable. The collection’s video presents the vehicle as part of its holdings, but the available reporting does not provide a detailed account of its condition or the circumstances of its return to public attention.
A Rare CART-Era Ferrari Returns
The car is a surviving example of an unusual chapter in both Ferrari and American open-wheel racing history. It was built for CART, then a leading U.S. open-wheel series, at a time when PPG commissioned distinctive pace cars rather than relying only on production vehicles with special paint and graphics. The Ferrari’s extensive custom work makes it more than a standard Mondial carrying sponsor branding.
Its story is also unusual because Ferrari’s central motorsport association was with Formula 1, not CART. The source report notes that Ferrari had canceled a CART program about a year before the pace car’s unveiling. The car therefore stands apart from the company’s better-known racing projects, while its reported service and preservation add a physical record of the PPG pace-car program.
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The 1987 PPG Pace-Car Project
PPG commissioned a series of special pace cars for the CART Indy Car World Series during the 1980s and 1990s. Many were later lost or crushed, according to The Drive’s report, which describes the Ferrari as one of the more striking examples to reappear. The car was unveiled at Laguna Seca in October 1987.
The project took a car from Ferrari’s Mondial line, which debuted at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show, and reshaped it for a role requiring visibility and sustained high-speed running. The result differed from the company’s regular production styling: I.DE.A. designed the pace car, while the modifications extended from its proportions and lighting to its cockpit materials and controls.
“Ferrari spent $1 million in 1987 turning a production Mondial into a pace car.”
— The Caretakers Collection, in its video about the car
Condition and Display Plans Unreported
The available reports do not say when or how the Ferrari entered The Caretakers Collection, what restoration or conservation work it may have received, or whether it is currently operational. The car’s reported reliability problems concern its racing-era service; they do not establish its present mechanical condition.
The $1 million cost is attributed to the collection’s video, and the source material does not provide a separate financial record or itemized account of the build. It is also unclear whether the collection plans a public display, further restoration, or another appearance for the car.
Awaiting Collection Details
No future exhibition, sale, or restoration announcement is included in the reporting. The immediate next step for readers seeking more information is any further update from The Caretakers Collection, including details about the Ferrari’s condition and public access. Until then, the car’s resurfacing is confirmed as a new addition to the collection, while its next public appearance remains unknown.
Key Questions
What Ferrari has resurfaced?
It is a one-off Ferrari Mondial T modified to serve as a pace car for the PPG-sponsored CART Indy Car World Series.
How much did the pace car cost to build?
A video by The Caretakers Collection says Ferrari spent $1 million in 1987. The Drive’s report puts that at approximately $3 million in today’s money; the source material does not provide an itemized cost record.
Who designed the car?
The pace car was designed by I.DE.A., a Turin-based design firm, rather than Pininfarina, which styled Ferrari’s production cars at the time.
When did it pace CART races?
A 2025 Forza magazine article, cited by The Drive, reports that the Ferrari was on active duty from 1988 to 1991.
Where is the car now?
The Ferrari is part of The Caretakers Collection. The available reporting does not specify its current display location or whether visitors can see it.
Source: thedrive.com
