Italian Flag Ferrari 212 Inter ~ 1951-52

The Ferrari 212 Inter was briefly sold alongside the 195 Inter in 1951, and was basically an evolution of the 166 and 195 Inter road-going car series.

The Colombo V12 engine was enlarged to almost 2.6 liter (156 cu in) and was fed by one Weber carburetor or three as an option. With these different setups the V12 produced 150 hp or 165 hp at 6500 rpm depending on the carburetor option chosen. The V12 was then mated to a five-speed gearbox linked to the rear axle. The V12 front engine was placed on a ladder type chassis as seen before and the suspensions were independent at the front with wishbones, leaf springs and hydraulic dampers. The rear live axle had semi-elliptical leaf springs and hydraulic dampers, which were also found on the previous models as well as the all-around drum brakes system.

It was then sent to different coachbuilders to get bodied depending on the customer’s desire. Again Ghia, but especially Vignale, who produced almost half of the 212 Inters, were the primary car clothing artisans.

It is important to mention that Pinin Farina made his debut with Ferrari for the first time with a 212 Inter Cabriolet, then with a 212 Inter Coupe, even if the first road-going Ferrari, the 166 Inter (Stabilimenti Farina) was based on Pinin Farina’s Cisitalia 202 design.

Like its predecessors the 212 was a Grand Tourer capable of reaching 124 mph (200 km/h) and 60 mph from a standstill in 10 seconds. This was due to a heavier body even if again every 212 Inter’s weight varied depending on the coachbuilder’s design.

The interiors remained “50’s” with body color coded metal dashboard accentuated by push/pull levers and big Jaeger dials surrounded by large chrome bezels like a Swiss chrono-watch.

“50’s” sports car design was still in its infancy back then. They all possessed a certain elegance with safe taste for most of the designers, except for some of Vignale’s extravagant chrome and winged panels. Most of them were practical with all-around visibilities and a large “Egg crate” front grill. Again a few convertibles were made from different Italian coach-houses to please and seduce owners and voyeurs.

In all 82 Ferrari 212 Inters were produced until 1953, tripling the number of 195 Inters and closing the first chapter of a long line of the most prestigious motor sports car name in the post-war world.

JJP.

Ferrari 212 Inter Specifications
Model/Year Ferrari 212 Inter / 1951-52
Designer Touring, Vignale, Ghia, Pinin Farina
Engine Type All alloy V12 @ 60˚, SOHC. 2V
Capacity 2562 cc / 156 cu in
Fuel Feed 1 or 3 Weber
Power 150 - 165 hp (3 carbs) @ 6500 rpm
Torque Varies with spec
Transmission 5 speed - RWD
Top Speed ~ 121 mph - 195 km/h
"0-60" mph - 0-100 km/h ~ 10 sec
Chassis Oval tubular, ladder type
Weelbase 2600 mm / 102.4 in
Front Suspension Wishbone, transverse leaves
Rear Suspension Lever arm damper, semi-elliptic leave springs (live axle)
Brakes Drums
Front Tires  
Rear Tires  
Steering Worm & sector
Weight 1720 lb / 780 kg (depending on coachwork)
Country of Origin Italy
Production Num. 82 (Inter)