Unveiled at the Brussels Motor Show in 1951, the 212 directly descended from the very first Ferrari that appeared just four years earlier. With a design virtually unchanged from the 166 and 195 models it replaced, the 212 gained a larger version of Ferrari’s Colombo V-12 engine, displacing 2.6 liters.

Following its launch in 1951, only about 100 examples were manufactured before production ended in 1953. The series consisted of the competition-oriented 212 Export, with even-numbered chassis, and the road-going 212 Inter, with odd-numbered chassis. The cars were bodied by Ghia, Touring, Vignale and others, and became the basis for Pinin Farina’s first creation on a Ferrari chassis. Toward the very end of the series, some of the 212 Inters carried the chassis number suffix “EU,” a designation that stood for “Europa. “

With 150 to 170 horsepower under the hood and a top speed in light coachwork nearing 125 miles per hour, racing success for the Ferrari 212 was immediate. Perhaps the most important victory was the 1-2 finish at the 1951 Carrera Panamericana, a tremendous marketing coup for the profitable North American market.

CHASSIS NO. 0259 EU

This particular Ferrari 212, chassis number 0259 EU, began its life at Ferrari’s factory on 25 November 1952 and entered the Pinin Farina plant on 30 December where it received an Inter coupe body. It was sold new in early 1953 to Ferrari dealer Renato Nocentini’s Garage La Rotunda in Florence, Italy. Within the next 10 years or so, the car would be shipped across the Atlantic after having its original engine removed and fitted into a different 212 chassis. Once in the United States, it was repainted in silver blue metallic in 1967.

In 1994, the car was sold by Newport Imports of Newport Beach, California to a local plastic surgeon and is believed by this point to have been fitted with an engine from a 250 GT; the present engine is, however, un-stamped. Chassis number 0259 EU was sold again in June of 1998 at a dealership in Costa Mesa, California before changing hands and crossing the Atlantic once more, having been acquired first by DK Engineering in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom and subsequently by Brian Classic in Cheshire.

In 2001, Brian Classic commissioned bodywork specialist D. Moroney of Cheshire to recreate an aluminum body for 0259 EU in the style of the Superleggera Mille Miglia Barchetta by Touring. Completed in March 2003, the extensive and expertly executed work included fabricating a tubular space frame, fashioning aluminum body panels for the interior and exterior, and fabricating numerous fitments and parts. Upon completion, the alloy bodywork was painted Rosso Corsa and the interior was upholstered in pumpkin-colored leather.

In 2006, chassis number 0259 EU was sold at auction in the United States. Its new owner commissioned noted Ferrari engine builder Bill Pollard of SportAuto in Gaylordsville, Connecticut to refurbish the engine in March 2007. SportAuto was commissioned again in 2009, this time to remove the engine from the vehicle and perform a comprehensive rebuild ahead of the car being sold at auction to its current owner that same year. In 2019, marque specialists Red Car Restorations, Inc. in Rockwall, Texas recommissioned the fuel system, including rebuilding both fuel pumps and the triple carburetors.

With so few Ferrari 212 models ever produced, and fewer still in the competition-oriented Barchetta body style, this well documented example presents a rare opportunity to own one of the most coveted early Ferraris in existence. Now offered from the Gene Ponder Collection, this thrilling rendition of one of Maranello’s all-time greats is accompanied by a selection of service records and a detailed report by marque expert Marcel Massini.