Beschreibung:

Introduced in 1951, the 212 Inter was directly descended from the very first Ferrari that had appeared just four years previously. Enzo Ferrari had begun planning his new car during the war and in 1946 commissioned Gioacchino Colombo to design a small-capacity V12 engine for it. The 1.5-litre Tipo 125 unit took its designation from the capacity of an individual cylinder (125cc), thus instigating a system of nomenclature that would characterise Ferraris for many years to come. Ferrari's Tipo 125 sports-racer made its competition debut in 1947 and by mid season had been re-designated Tipo 159, its engine having been enlarged to 1.9 litres. Later in the year the first Tipo 166 (2-litre) unit appeared. In race tune up to 150bhp was available - the Inter road car with its single twin-choke Weber carburettor produced 100bhp - which was transmitted via a five-speed gearbox, an unusual feature in those days, even on a competition car. The twin-tube chassis employed transverse leaf and double wishbone front suspension and a semi-elliptically sprung live rear axle located by torsional stabilising bars. Houdaille hydraulic shock absorbers were fitted all round. The 166 Inter chassis was produced in two different wheelbase lengths - 2,420mm and 2,500mm - this latter dimension being the one adopted for the succeeding Tipo 195 Inter. As its type numbering reveals, the 195 Inter's V12 engine displaced 2,341cc, but in most other respects the car remained the same as the 166. For the final car of the series, the Tipo 212 Inter, built during 1951/52, Colombo's versatile V12 was enlarged yet again, this time to 2,562cc, by means of another increase in bore size. There was a commensurate increase in maximum power, which now stood at 150bhp in road trim. Three different suffixes were employed after the 212 Inter's chassis numbers - E, EL and EU - the majority of cars being erected on a lengthened 2,600mm frame. The 212 Europa differed only in detail. The 212 series was superb in competition and the direct ancestor of the 250GT. With between 150 and 170bhp on tap, a top speed of 120mph and race bred handling, the Tipo 212 was among the quickest road cars of its day in real driving conditions. One of only 80 Ferrari 212s made, chassis number '0183EL' was originally bodied by Carrozzeria Ghia as a 2+2 coupé and completed in the autumn of 1952. It was delivered later that same year to Portuguese Ferrari importer Joao A Gaspar and sold to first owner Nicolas Franco, brother of the Spanish dictator Generalissimo Franco. Subsequently re-bodied in Touring coupé style by Carrozzeria Serra of Barcelona, Spain, it was next owned by Nicolas Franco's chauffeur. In the 1960s '0183EL' belonged to José Maria Bascones in Spain, re-emerging body-less in the 1970s when it was owned by David Shute in Somerset, England. In 1985 the car was sold by famous racing driver David Piper to Prince Zourab Tchkotoua, then resident in Marbella, Spain. Commissioned by Piper, Carrozzeria Allegretti of Modena, Italy re-bodied '0183EL' in Touring barchetta style. The restored car was then registered 'M226505' on Spanish plates and driven by Prince Hohenlohe/ Piper in the Mille Miglia in 1987, '88 and '89. Further appearances included the 1950s race at the French Grand Prix at Magny Cours in 1993 driven by David Piper, and the Giro di Sicilia retrospective in 1994 when the drivers were Bernard Duc and Sir Ralph Robins. In 1999 the car was sold to Switzerland. Finished in red with excellent blue leather interior, '0183EL' is presented in good condition throughout and offered with copy build sheets, old Spanish registration document, FIA papers and Swiss Permis de Circulation. A rare opportunity to acquire a most stylish early Ferrari eligible for a wide range of prestigious historic motor sport events.