Ferraris produced in the 1950s and 1960s have become incredibly rare and costly classics. As a result, starting in the 1990s, the majority of them went through a lot of ownership changes. As of 2023, some examples are still with their original owners. Although this 1951 212 Inter is no longer one of those vehicles, it is the Ferrari with the longest continuous ownership.
Showcased by Jay Leno in the latest episode of its already iconic YouTube series, the early 1950s Ferrari was purchased new by a Mexican gentleman. And he held onto it until he passed away in October 2022, aged 98. That’s a whopping 71 years with the same owner, an impressive feat not only for a Ferrari but for any car, regardless of the nameplate.
And even though the Italian grand tourer is more than seven decades old as of 2023, it looks almost as good as the day it left Enzo Ferrari’s shop. Yup, it’s one of those cars that was babied since day one, and it’s all-original and unmolested save for a repaint and a carpet change that occurred in the early 1970s. The engine is numbers matching, and it hasn’t been opened.
The car’s son claims that his father performed all the maintenance work over the years, adhering to the instructions he received from Ferrari mechanics when he first bought the 212. Naturally, the coupe drives and operates as it should, and the engine compartment is remarkably tidy.
The only area of the car with noticeable deterioration is the interior, but since the tan leather is original, it makes it a gorgeous survivor that would undoubtedly win awards at classic car exhibitions. Additionally, the following information adds to the car’s remarkableness: It appears that Ferrari displayed it at the Turin Auto Shows in 1951 and 1952.
Introduced in 1951, the 212 Inter was one of Ferrari’s very first road cars. It replaced the 195 Inter (1950-1951), which in turn succeeded the 166 Inter (1948-1950). And just like its predecessors, it was based on a race car.
Ferrari introduced three different vehicles sporting the “212” badge in 1951. The Italians built the 212 F1 for Formula 1 and Formula 2 racing and the 212 MM, later renamed the 212 Export, for road racing competitions. About four of the 27 Export units made were used as road cars.
The 2.6-liter, Colombo-type V12 engine was the same in all three variants of the 212. Depending on the carburetor configuration, the mill in the Inter produced 148 or 163 horsepower when coupled to a five-speed manual gearbox.
Up to 1952, Ferrari produced 82 units, although these were distributed among four different style approaches by Vignale, Pininfarina, Ghia, and Carrozzeria Touring. This specific model is a Ghia, which is widely regarded as the most modest form of the 212. However, despite its lack of showy style, I think the Ghia is unquestionably stunning and underestimated.
Check it out in the extensive video below, which also includes ten minutes of footage of Leno driving the car through Los Angeles.