Ferrari · 1951–1952

Ferrari 212 Inter

See also the 212 Export sports racer The Ferrari 212 Inter replaced Ferrari's successful 166 and 195 Inter grand tourers in 1951. Unveiled at the Brussels Motor Show that year, the 212 was an evolution of the 166 — a sports car for the road that could also win international races. In 1951, two 212 Inters, both Vignale coupés, driven by Taruffi/Chinetti and Ascari/Villoresi, scored 1–2 victory at Carrera Panamericana in Mexico. The chassis was similar to the 125 with a suspension featuring double wishbones in front and live axle in back. Coachbuilders included Carrozzeria Touring, Ghia, Ghia-Aigle, Vignale, Stabilimenti Farina, and now Pinin Farina. The latter was an important move for the company, as Farina was already well-known and adding his styling skills would be a tremendous boost for Maranello. However, Pinin Farina was as prideful as Enzo Ferrari, and neither would go to the other to request business up to this point. A mutual meeting halfway between Maranello and Turin was the negotiated solution. The first Ferrari to be bodied by Pinin Farina was a 212 Inter Cabriolet, chassis no. 0177E. The Inter's 2,600 mm (102.4 in) wheelbase was 4" longer than the 2,500 mm (98.4 in) Export's. The cars shared a larger, bored-out (68 mm) 2.6 L (2563 cc/156 in³) version of Ferrari's Colombo V12 engine. Output was 150 PS (110 kW; 148 hp) for the single Weber 36DCF carburetor Inter, 165 PS (121 kW; 163 hp) for the triple Weber Export. Improved cylinder heads raised power 5 PS (4 kW) in 1952. The British magazine Autocar got hold of what they described as the first production model Ferrari 212 in 1950, which outperformed any car that they had previously tested. It recorded a top speed of over 116 mph (187 km/h) and acceleration times of 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) of 10.5 seconds and 100 mph (161 km/h) in 22.5 seconds; the magazine however noted they had limited the engine to 6,500 rpm out of respect for the newness and low mileage of the car they were using, which suggested that even better performance would be available from a fully "run in" model. The test appears also to have been the Autocar team's first encounter with a five speed gear box.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Ferrari 195 Inter · Successor: Ferrari 250

All Ferrari 212 Inter data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

Body styles

The 212 Inter was produced in a number of different body styles depending on the coachbuilder. This includes: Vignale - 37 produced of all variants Vignale Berlinetta - 5 produced Vignale Cabriolet - 5 produced Vignale Coupé - 26 produced Vignale Spyder - 1 produced Pinin Farina - 17 produced of all variants Pinin Farina Cabriolet - 2 Pinin Farina Coupé - 15 Ghia - 15 produced of all variants Ghia Cabriolet - 1 produced Ghia Coupé - 10 produced Ghia Coupé 2+2 - 4 produced Touring - 6 produced of all variants Touring Barchetta - 1 produced Touring Berlinetta - 5 produced Ghia-Aigle Coupé - 2 produced Stabilimenti Farina Berlinetta - 1 produced Abbott Cabriolet - 1 produced

212/225 Inter

A single 212 Inter, chassis no. 0223EU, was fitted with the available 225 S or 2.7 L Colombo V12 engine, combined with a long wheelbase Europa type chassis, creating a unique model that would be properly referred to as a 225 Inter or 225 Europa. This 1952 one-off model was given a Giovanni Michelotti-penned coupé body built by Vignale. Another 212 Inter, chassis number 0253EU, also received the 2.7 liter three-carburetor V12, and was bodied as the last Barchetta by Carrozzeria Touring in their Superleggera construction method. It was acquired by Ford Motor Company for Henry Ford II for study in the research leading to the development of Ford's competitor to the Corvette, the Thunderbird. The car is currently in the collection of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, CA.

Chassis numbers

== References == Bibliography. Acerbi, Leonardo (2012). Ferrari: All The Cars. Haynes Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84425-581-8.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Ferrari 212 Inter
aka: Ferrari 212 Europa
Manufacturer: Ferrari
Class: Sports car
Layout: FR layout
Production: 1951–1952, 79 produced
Predecessor: Ferrari 195 Inter
Successor: Ferrari 250 Europa
Engine: 2.6 L (2562.51 cc) Colombo V12
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Wheelbase: 2600 mm
Kerb weight: 1000 kg (coupé)
Designer: Vignale, Pinin Farina, Ghia, Touring

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q556469CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrari_212_InterCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1366046220 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ferrari_212_Inter_00.jpgCC BY 2.0 · Photo: pphw · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.