1952 Ferrari 212 Inter Coupe

Ferrari built a total of 110 examples of the 212. This car is the 12th example of the 17 212 Europas 'EU' built. The Ferrari 212 was produced in multiple variations between 1951 and 1952. They were clothed in an array of styles from lightweight spyders, coupes and berlinettas, to luxurious cabriolets. Most of the coachwork for the 212 were from Carrozzeria Alfredo Vignale, but it also provided the basis for the first Ferrari by Pinin Farina along with important designs by both Touring and Ghia.

The engine in the 212 was a V12 unit designed by Gioacchino Colombo. It began as a 1.5-liter with just 125cc per cylinder. Its displacement was later expanded to 1995cc in the Ferrari 166, then to 2341cc in the 195. A further increase to cylinder bore from 66mm to 68mm brought the individual cylinders to 212cc and the engine's displacement to 2562cc. The engines were tailored to clients' needs and to the specified coachwork with different tunes and carburetion. During the production lifespan of the 212, the engine was steadily refined including the introduction of cylinder heads with individual intake ports, helping to bring the rated power when fitted with three 36mm downdraft Weber carburetors to 170 horsepower. The chassis for the 212 was a double oval tube frame with double wishbones at the front and a transverse leaf spring setup and live axle in the rear. Braking power was provided by hydraulically actuated drums. The transmission was mounted directly behind the engine and had five forward speeds.

The Export model were intended for racing and had a wheelbase size of only 2250mm. The Inter version was built on a longer 2600mm wheelbase chassis in both racing and Gran Turismo guise. During the 212's production, the model designation changed, without notice or comment, to 'EU', foreshadowing the 250 Europa that was to follow it.

The Ferrari 212 did well in competition, finishing first and second in the 1951 Carrera Panamericana by Piero Taruffi / Luigi Chinetti and Alberto Ascari / Luigi Villoresi.

Just 17 examples of the 110 212 models produced wore the 'EU' designation for the Europa model. They were produced at the very end of the 212's production run. This example, chassis number 0277EU, was produced in Maranello on December 17th of 1952. The chassis was sent to Pinin Farina's factory in Torino, Italy. By July of 1953, the Grand Tourer had been completed, and furnished to its first owner, Ducros di Ales of France. At the time, it was finished in Blue Francese with Blu leather interior.

By the 1970s, the car was in the care of Charles Pozzi, the official Ferrari importer living in Levallois-Perret (Paris), France. It remained with Mr. Pozzi for three decades. It was displayed occasionally at exclusive events like the Cartier exhibition 'Hommage a Ferrari' in Paris in May of 1987. In 1988, 0277EU was entered in the Mille Miglia. Driven by Daniel Marin and co-driver Moncet under the banner of car number 153, the Ferrari performed admirably.

The next owner was Belgian collector Philippe Lancksweert who purchased it at the turn of the 21st century. In April 2006, it was entered in the Tour Auto where it was driven by Mr. Lancksweert and co-driven by Francois Granet. It wore the number four on its doors.

In 2013, it was treated to a thorough re-commissioning and finished in its original Blu Francese paint scheme and given a beige leather interior.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2014