Ferrari 212 Inter

At a glance: Ferrari 212 Inter

The 212 Inter continued the early line of Ferrari road cars that began with models such as the Ferrari 166 Inter. The full range is in the Ferrari catalogue.

History of the Ferrari 212 Inter

Like other early Ferraris, the 212 took its name from the capacity of one cylinder in cubic centimetres. The 212, with a single-cylinder capacity of about 212 cc and a total of 2,563 cc, succeeded the 195 Inter. Two versions were offered: the 212 Inter and the more powerful 212 Export, which had a shorter wheelbase.

The Inter was produced in 1951 and 1952, and about 82 cars were built in total. It was replaced by the first models of the Ferrari 250 family.

The 195 Inter before it

The 212 Inter replaced the Ferrari 195 Inter, built in 1950 and 1951. The 195 Inter was a grand touring version of the 195 S sports racer, and only 27 were made, all with odd chassis numbers. Its bodies came mainly from Vignale (12 cars) and Ghia (11), with three by Touring and one by Motto.

The 195 Inter used a 2,341 cc version of the Colombo V12, with the bore enlarged from 60 to 65 mm, and produced 96 kW (130 PS) with a single Weber 36DCF carburettor. Its wheelbase was 2,500 mm. The 212 Inter, introduced at the Paris motor show in 1951, took the next step: a larger 2,563 cc engine with 110 kW (150 PS) and, in the Inter, a wheelbase of 2,600 mm.

Coachbuilders and bodies

The bodies were made by outside coachbuilders; Wikipedia lists Vignale, Pinin Farina, Ghia, Touring, Ghia-Aigle and Stabilimenti Farina. The cars range from closed coupés to open cabriolets.

One car stands out in Ferrari's history: the 212 Inter cabriolet with chassis number 0177E was the first Ferrari bodied by Pinin Farina.

Other notable cars include chassis 0223EU, a one-off with a 2.7-litre engine on the longer Europa chassis and a Vignale coupé body drawn by Giovanni Michelotti, sometimes called the 225 Inter or 225 Europa. Chassis 0253EU, a 2.7-litre three-carburettor car with a Touring Superleggera barchetta body, was later bought by Ford for study and is now at the Petersen Automotive Museum.

Engine and chassis

The engine is the Colombo V12, named after its designer Gioacchino Colombo, here with 2,563 cc and a bore of 68 mm. In the Inter it breathes through a single Weber 36DCF carburettor and produces 110 kW (150 PS). The Export version has three Weber carburettors and 121 kW (165 PS). Improved cylinder heads added a further 4 kW (5 PS) in 1952.

Power goes to the rear wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox. The chassis is similar to that of the 125 S: double wishbones at the front and a live axle at the rear. The Inter's wheelbase of 2,600 mm is about 100 mm longer than the Export's, and a coupé weighs about 1,000 kg.

Performance

The British magazine Autocar tested what it described as a first production model, with the engine limited to 6,500 rpm because it was still new. It recorded a top speed of more than 187 km/h and 0–161 km/h in 22.5 seconds, and it noted that a fully run-in car would probably be faster.

Racing

The 212 was also raced. In the 1951 Carrera Panamericana in Mexico, two 212 coupés with Vignale bodies finished first and second, driven by Piero Taruffi and Luigi Chinetti and by Alberto Ascari and Luigi Villoresi.

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