1951 Ferrari 212 Export Barchetta

The pressure of competition on the track caused Ferrari to enlarge the original Columbo V-12 engine twice in 1950. Designed by Gioacchino Colombo, the engine was upsized from 2.3-liters to 2.6-liters in the quest for more power. In typical Ferrari practice, the cars powered by these larger motors were designated Tipo 195 and 212. As before, the Inter was the road-going model and the Sport and Export were aimed at competition duty. The 212 Inter made its debut at the 1951 Paris Motor Show. Many coachbuilders fashioned bodies for the 212, the most significant of which was Pinin Farina, beginning a long and fruitful relationship between the two firms.

The sales success of the 212, especially in the United States market, was assured by the prestigious victory of Piero Taruffi and Luigi Chinetti in the 1951 Carrera Pan Americana driving a Vignale 212 Coupe. Production continued from 1951 to 1953.

This example is the 7th of only 25 212 spiders produced, and the only one to wear coachwork by Fontana.

The V12 engine used in the 212 was bored out to 68mm and achieved a 2562cc displacement. Only one Weber carburetor was used but was good enough to produce about 130 horsepower and a top speed of 120 mph. The Export version received three Weber carburetors and produced about 150 hp and saw a top speed of about 140 mph.
In 1952 modified cylinder heads were incorporated with produced another 5 hp.

A little over 12 Export versions were produced while production numbers for the Inter (road) version was around 80.

0086E

The rolling chassis 0086E complete with engine number 10E was completed in 1961 and sold to the Marzotto brothers in Italy. It is believed that the chassis had been constructed and completed prior to 1951 because of the very early engine number. Carrozzeria Fontana was tasked with creating a body for the vehicle.

Chassis 0086E was raced in Italy during the early part of the 1950s. Its inaugural race was at the Giro di Sicilia, meaning Tour of Sicily, where it came in first. It was driven by Count Vittorio Marzotto and Paolo Fontana. At Targa Florio it failed to finish. In 1952 it raced again at the Giro di Sicilia where it finished in seventh place. One of its biggest races of its career occurred in 1952 when it competed in the Mille Miglia, unfortunately, it did not finish. It continued to be raced at many races, hill climbs, and endurance runs through the early 1950's.

In 1951 Vignale was tasked with removing the 'Sicilian cart' body and constructing an export spider body for the car. It was later rebodied, again, by Fontana as a spider at the close of 1951.

By the close of the 1950's it was sent to the United States where it was raced by Jim Flynn, even seeing track time at Watkins Glen. In 1965 it was sold to Stan Hallinan residing in Concord, HM. He kept it covered and mostly unused for almost forty years. Since then, 212 Export s/n 0086E has not been seen by the public.

The current owner is Peter Markowski of RPM Restorations in Vermont. Markowski had learned about 0086E around the time it was sold to Hallinan. He offered to buy 0086E but Hallinan did not want to sell it. Markowski asked for the First Right of Refusal, if the vehicle should ever be offered for sale. Around 38 years later, Hallinan was ready to part with the vehicle.

During its lifetime 0086E has been bodied three times. In the mid-2000s, it was un-restored and unpainted, but still a priceless work of art. Tedious historical research and old world technologies are responsible for the Fontana body that it wears today.

By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2012