1951 Ferrari Type 195 Inter

The Ferrari 195 Inter was built in 1950 and 1951 with 28 examples constructed. Introduced in 1950 at the Paris Motor Show, it rested on a 98.4-inch wheelbase and was powered by a 2,341cc (2.3-liter) version of the Colombo V12 engine. Fitted with a single Weber 36DCF carburetor, the engine produced 128 horsepower and was paired with a five-speed manual gearbox.

The Ferrari marque, up to this point, had a brief history but the individuals associated with the company and the craftsman it employed were some of the best and most experienced in the industry. It was upon this foundation that the company's pedigree was formed, and its accomplishments on the world's most grueling racing circuits forged its reputation as a builder of the most potent and competitive vehicles.

Although racing was the priority, the company began building a handful of grand tourers shortly after its inception. The first was the 166 Inter, introduced in 1948 and produced through 1950 with thirty-eight examples constructed. Much of their mechanical prowess and sophistication were borrowed from the 125 S and 166 S racing cars, including the Aurelio Lampredi-designed tube frame, double wishbone/live axle suspension, and 95.3-inch wheelbase platform (eventually growing to 98.4-inches). The 2.0-liter V12 engine from the 166 S was installed under the bonnet and developed approximately 90 horsepower and provided a top speed of around 150 km/h.

The 166 Inter was replaced by the 195 Inter and both shared many similarities, including the 98.4-inch wheelbase platform which was used for the last of the 166 Inters. It continued to use the Colombo V12 engine but its displacement had grown to 2.3-liters. It was a water-cooled, 60-degree unit that powered the first of the Ferrari vehicles in 1947 and would continue to be used, through numerous iterations, through 1988. Its early design had one camshaft on each cylinder bank, two valves per cylinder, a 7.5:1 compression ratio, and three 30DCF Weber carburetors. In 1949, to remain competitive with the eight-cylinder Alfa Romeo 158, it was given dual overhead camshafts - though it still used two valves per cylinder - and a two-stage supercharger. The team was rewarded with five Grand Prix victories that year. After numerous issues with the superchargers, Enzo Ferrari decided to use a larger displacement engine designed by Aurelio Lampredi. The all-aluminum, 60-degree V12, naturally aspirated engine would power many Ferrari vehicles between 1950 and 1959 and earned the company a string of world championships during the 1950s. Evolutions of the older Colombo V12 would make a return with one of the most common configurations being the 250 engine. Debuting in 1952 in the 250S, it remained in use through the 1963 330 America. It had a 73mm bore and a common Colombo stroke of 58.8 mm for a total of 2,953cc.

The Ferrari 195 Inter received the odd-numbered chassis numbers and although designed for road-going purposes, several examples did very well in international competition. Giannino Marzottow won the Mille Miglia in 1950 thanks in part to the 195 engine in his Ferrari 166 MM. That same car led at LeMans before it retired due to a failed generator mount. The 195 Inter had been introduced simultaneously with the 212 and its larger displacement engine offered a slight advantage of its 195 sibling.

Carrozzeria Vignale
Thirteen examples of the Ferrari 195 Inter were bodied by Vignale. Carrozzeria Alfredo Vignale was established in 1948 at Via Cigliano, Turin by Alfredo Vignale and before being displaced by Pinin Farina (later 'Pininfarina'), was the most popular carrozzeria among Maranello's customers.

The designer, Giovanni Michelotti, worked closely with Alfredo Vignale while the pair worked together at Stabilimenti Farina. Their method of coachbuilding was unique, with Michelotti drawing the design at 1:1 scale and then Vignale translating the drawing straight onto the aluminum sheets they used. The only tools used consisted of a tree stump, a flat mallet, a wooden hammer, a sack of sand, an anvil and a flat hammer. The first Michelotti design for Ferrari was called the Coupé Grand Sport and was applied to ten 166 Inters with short chassis.

Carrozzeria Ghia
Eleven examples of the Ferrari 195 Inter were bodied by Ghia. A total of 36 Ferraris ever wore Ghia coachwork.

Giacinto Ghia established Carrozzeria Ghia & Gariglio in 1915 in Turin and initially produced lightweight aluminum-bodied cars. Purposeful and elegant, their coachwork gained fame with the Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 which won the Mille Miglia in 1929. Their coachwork was applied to numerous automakers including Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Lanica with one of their most famous applications being the Fiat 508 'Balilla' Sport Coupé in 1933. During World War II, the company supported the war effort by building carts for the Italian Army and by manufacturing bicycles.

The factory was destroyed in 1943 during an Allied bombing raid and all of the tooling was destroyed. A lifetime's worth of designs was lost to history, and it was too much for Mr. Ghia, and on February 21st of 1944, he died from a heart attack while supervising the rebuilding of the Turin factory. After his demise, his wife, Santina Ghia offered what was left of her husband's company to two of his closest associates, Giorgio Alberti and Felice Mario Boano, the latter having been chosen as a successor by Ghia before his death.

Carrozzeria Touring
Three examples of the Ferrari 195 Inter were originally bodied by Touring. The famed Milanese carrozzeria applied their signature Superleggera construction techniques, and like the firm's designs of the late 1930s and 1940s, the coupes were given an aerodynamic fastback form highlighted by thin pillars and a split windshield. Two examples had protruding Marchal headlamps while the third example had Carello lights, similar to those found on the early Barchettas. The shape of the air intake was highlighted by a simple chrome 'moustache,' placed just above the eggcrate grille.

Carrozzeria Motto
A single example of the Ferrari 195 Inter wore coachwork by Rocco Motto, a Turin-based company that was established in 1932. It was chassis number 0117S and it was a fastback coupe finished in light yellow with a right-hand drive configuration. Around 1956, the car was rebodied by Scaglietti into a 121 LM Spyder and wore silver paintwork. IN 1966 it was given a 250 GTE 2+2 engine from serial number 4063GT. After residing in the same ownership for approximately four decades, the car was discovered in 2006 in Southern California.

The 212 Inter
In 1951, the 166 and 195 Inter grand tourers were replaced by the 212 Inter. A total of 82 examples were built in 1951 and 1952 with coachwork provided by Vignale, Ghia, Stabilimenti Farina, and Touring. Importantly, the first Ferrari to wear Pinin Farina coachwork was 212 Inter Cabriolet, chassis number 0177E.

The 212 Inter rested on a 102.4-inch wheelbase while the 212 Export had a shorter, 98-inch wheelbase platform. Both shared the bored-out, 68mm, 2,563cc version of the Colombo V12 engine. With a single Weber 36DVF carburetor, the 212 Inter produced 158 horsepower while the Export used three Webers and produced 163 horsepower.

by Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2022