1953 Ferrari 212 Inter Coupe

The Ferrari 212 series was produced between 1950 and 1953 and was powered by a modified Colombo V-12 engine that was bored out to 2.5 liters. Around 100 examples of the 212 were produced, with production consisting of the competition-ready Export models (which had even-numbered chassis) and road-going Inter models (which received odd-numbered chassis). Towards the end of the production run, some of these 212 models were given the 'EU' suffix, which stood for Europa.

This particular example is a 212 Europa Coupe with coachwork by Vignale. It was sent to the United States, where it was sold by Luigi Chinetti Motors. The first owner was Thomas Neelands of New York City. By the 1960s, the car had traveled west to San Francisco, where it was sold to Sid Colberg. In 1977, it was purchased by Robert Raylor, of Burlingame, and three years later, it was reported to be with Robert Lloyd, of Justin, Texas, who started to restore the car. John Ridings Lee, of Dallas became the next owner two years later, who had the car repainted maroon and removed its side chrome trim.

The car returned to California in 1983 and into the custody of Russell Head, off Hillsborough. Mr. Head displayed the car at the Ferrari Owners Club Concours at the Rancho Canada Gold Club in Carmel Valley in August of 1984. It was later owned by an individual in Salt Lake City, Utah, and then it was imported to Switzerland after being purchased by Albrecht G. Guggisberg's Oldtimer-Garge in Berne. After it was imported into Switzerland in June of 1986, it was resold that same month to Paolo Gecchelin, of Castelgomberto, Italy. Mr. Gecchelin used the car frequently and showed it in the Ferrari Club Italia meeting at Imola in October 1987. Two years later, he drove it in the Mille Miglia, wearing #151. In June 1989, the car returned to Imola, where it was shown once again by Geechelin during the Ferrari Club Italia meeting.

In May of 1990, the car participated for the second time in the Mille Miglia. It was then sold to Mrs. Graziella Palato, of Vicenza, Italy. Mr. Gecchelin re-purchased the Europa from Palato in January 1992. It was then shown in the Tutte le Ferrari in Pista meeting at Mugello in October of 1993. In 1995, Mr. Gecchelin sold his Ferrari for the last time, selling it to Ralph Bruggmann, of Gstaad, Switzerland. Mr. Bruggman displayed the car at Ferrari's 50th anniversary celebrations in Rome and Maranello in May 1997.

A year later, the car was sold back to Albrecht Guggisberg's Oldtimer-Garage, who commissioned the engine to be overhauled. Shortly after the work was completed, it was sold to collector Edgar Schemerhorn, of Delft, Holland, in December 1999. While in Mr. Delft's care, the car saw little use; it was shown at the MECC Show in Masstricht, Holland, in 2002 and again at the Uwe Meissner Modena Motorports Track Days and Concours at the Nürburgring in Germany in 2005.

Mr. Schmerhorn sold his car at RM's Ferrari – Leggenda e Passione auction at the Ferrari factory in Maranello, Italy, on Sunday, May 17, 2009. The car returned to Texas in 2009, where it was cosmetically restored. The Vignale coachwork was refinished in red, with a black top, and the interior was reupholstered in matching black leather. The car's knee-action shocks were converted to tube-top shocks. The mechanical fuel pump was replaced with an electric fuel pump. After the restoration, the car was purchased by its current caretaker in 2011. While in this new owner's care, the car was driven twice on the Copperstate 1000, in 2012 and 2013. It was also shown at the Santa Fe Concourso in Sante Fe, New Mexico, in September 2013.

Sold at auction in 2015, the new owner embarked on a restoration that began in 2016 and continued through 2018. All of the mechanical and electrical work was carried out by Sport Auto Modena and upholstery by Interni Auto. It is currently finished in dark red with black accents with dark red leather upholstery.

By Daniel Vaughan | May 2015