24/11/2025
Remember our Ferrari body kit car race car project?
Time to explain what it is.
Caution, long text
The Ferrari 500 Mondial (first picture) was a two-seater sports racer built by Ferrari in the mid-1950s, primarily for privateer teams to compete in events like the Mille Miglia.
The "500" refers to the approximate cubic capacity of each of its four cylinders, and "Mondial" (French/Italian for 'World') commemorates Alberto Ascari's back-to-back Formula Two World Championships in '52 and '53, which used a similar Lampredi-designed four-cylinder engine.
Unlike most contemporary Ferraris which used V12s, the Mondial was powered by a potent 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine (Tipo 111 in Series II) producing around 170 hp. This engine choice was favored for its better torque delivery and suitability for twisty circuits.
Rarity and Value: Only about 32 of the 500 Mondials were built in total across Series I and II, with bodies mainly by Pinin Farina and Scaglietti. Today, they are multi-million dollar collector items.
Ockelbo Ferrari
The Ockelbo is a classic Swedish fiberglass kit car with a direct and audacious link to the Mondial.
In the late 1950s, Swedish racing driver Erik "Ockelbo" Lundgren borrowed a friend's Ferrari 500 Mondial (specifically chassis 0580MD, bodied by Scaglietti). Without permission, he allegedly made a mold of the body. And some say he damaged the body of the original car when taking off the mold!!!
He then produced about 50 lightweight fiberglass bodies, sold as DIY kits under the Ockelbo name (named after his hometown). These kits allowed enthusiasts to bolt the attractive bodywork onto various donor car chassis and mechanics—like Volvo, Alfa Romeo, or Austin-Healey—creating a highly affordable "Ferrari look-alike."
Known as the "Swedish Ferrari," the Ockelbo was a popular choice for Scandinavian sports racing in its day, marrying the sleek lines of a Maranello masterpiece with readily available, robust mechanicals.