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A unique Ferrari Mondial T-based pace car commissioned for the PPG-sponsored CART series has resurfaced in The Caretakers Collection. Ferrari reportedly spent $1 million on the 1987 conversion, and the car served as a pace car from 1988 through 1991, according to a 2025 Forza magazine article.
A one-off Ferrari Mondial T-based pace car, commissioned for the PPG-sponsored CART Indy Car World Series in the 1980s, has resurfaced as part of The Caretakers Collection. Ferrari reportedly spent $1 million in 1987 converting the production car for the role, according to a video from the collection; the amount would be about $3 million in today’s money, the report says.
The car was created for a series of unusual pace cars that PPG commissioned for CART during the 1980s and 1990s. The Ferrari appeared publicly at Laguna Seca in October 1987. A 2025 article in Forza magazine says it then served as a pace car from 1988 to 1991, although the vehicle was reportedly not very reliable during its active duty.
The build began with a Mondial T, whose factory 3.4-liter V8 produced 300 horsepower. Ferrari’s published performance estimates for the standard model were 0 to 62 mph in 6.3 seconds and a top speed of 158 mph. The pace car received a stretched wheelbase and reshaped front and rear bodywork, joined by corrugated trim. Safety lights were integrated into the body, including clear sections around the engine cover.
The interior was also reworked with Kevlar and suede, a redesigned steering wheel and a dashboard that brought more gauges and controls near the driver. The car’s styling was credited to Turin-based I.DE.A., rather than Pininfarina, the firm responsible for Ferrari production-car styling at the time. The collection’s video describes the car and its restoration to public view; specific technical details of any chassis changes have not been confirmed in the supplied reporting.
A Rare CART-Era Ferrari Survivor
The car stands out because it combines Ferrari’s name with a racing series outside the company’s usual focus. Ferrari’s open-wheel program was centered on Formula 1, while the Mondial-based machine was built for CART, then a leading American open-wheel championship. Its appearance is especially unusual because Ferrari had canceled a CART program about a year before the pace car’s October 1987 unveiling, according to The Drive.
It also offers a surviving example of PPG’s custom pace-car program, which produced vehicles far removed from ordinary production models. Many of those cars were reportedly lost or crushed. The Ferrari’s presence in a collection that also includes a Tucker sedan and a GM Futureliner gives it a preserved place among uncommon automotive projects, rather than leaving it as a period photograph or a little-known racing footnote.
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How Ferrari Joined PPG’s Pace-Car Project
PPG commissioned distinctive vehicles to pace CART races during the 1980s and 1990s. The series was then known as the CART Indy Car World Series, and PPG was its sponsor. Rather than relying only on production cars with special paint schemes, the program included purpose-built or heavily modified one-offs.
The Ferrari was based on the Mondial T, a four-seat model introduced after the original Mondial debuted at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show. The pace-car conversion was an unusual undertaking for Ferrari: it used a design studio that had worked with parent company Fiat, and its purpose was to support CART rather than Ferrari’s own Formula 1 activity. The car’s reported service period ended in 1991; the supplied material does not provide a detailed ownership history between then and its recent appearance in the collection.
“Ferrari spent $1 million in 1987 turning a production Mondial into a pace car.”
— The Caretakers Collection, in a video about the car
What Is Known About Its Condition
The supplied reports do not give a full account of the car’s ownership history after its CART service, its exact acquisition date by The Caretakers Collection, or the work required to preserve or restore it. The reported $1 million build cost is attributed to the collection’s video, and the conversion’s present-day value has not been stated.
The Drive says chassis modifications were likely made to support sustained high-speed pacing, but does not confirm what was changed. The extent of the car’s reliability problems is also not detailed. The reports establish that it has resurfaced in the collection, but do not specify whether it is currently operational or available for public viewing.
The Collection’s Next Public Details
No upcoming auction, exhibition date or further technical inspection is identified in the supplied reporting. The immediate source for additional information is The Caretakers Collection’s video, which discusses the car and its place in the collection. Further details about its condition, ownership timeline and any planned public appearances have not been announced in the material provided.
Key Questions
What is the Ferrari pace car?
It is a one-off pace car based on a Ferrari Mondial T, commissioned for the PPG-sponsored CART Indy Car World Series in the 1980s.
How much did the conversion reportedly cost?
The Caretakers Collection’s video says Ferrari spent $1 million in 1987 on the conversion. The report estimates that as roughly $3 million in today’s money; the supplied material does not cite an independent cost record.
When did it pace CART races?
A 2025 Forza magazine article, cited by The Drive, says the car was on active duty from 1988 through 1991.
What changes were made to the Mondial?
The reported changes include a stretched wheelbase, redesigned front and rear bodywork, integrated safety lights and a revised Kevlar-and-suede interior. Chassis changes to support high-speed pacing are described as likely, not confirmed.
Where is the car now?
The Ferrari is now part of The Caretakers Collection. The supplied reporting does not say whether it is currently on public display or operational.
Source: thedrive.com
