Ferraris built in the 1950s and 1960s have developed into highly sought-after and expensive classics. As a result, most of them changed hands quite a few times beginning with the 1990s. Some examples are still with their original owners as of 2023. This 1951 212 Inter is no longer one of those cars, but it’s the longest-owned Ferrari by a single owner.
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.
According to his son, who inherited the car, his dad did all the maintenance work throughout the decades, following the instructions he received from Ferrari mechanics upon purchasing the 212. And needless to say, the coupe runs and drives as it should, and the engine bay is impressively clean.
The interior is the only section that shows significant signs of wear, but the fact that the tan leather is original turns it into a stunning survivor that would definitely win prizes at classic car shows. And here’s a bit of info that makes this car even more remarkable: apparently, Ferrari used it as a display car at the 1951 and 1952 Turin Auto Shows.
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.
All three iterations of the 212 shared the same Colombo-type, 2.6-liter V12 engine. In the Inter, the mill mated to a five-speed manual gearbox and generated 148 or 163 horsepower, depending on the carburetor setup.
Ferrari produced 82 examples until 1952, but this figure is split into four styling layouts by Vignale, Pininfarina, Ghia, and Carrozzeria Touring. This particular version is a Ghia, considered by many as the most understated version of the 212. But even though it’s far from flamboyant styling-wise, the Ghia is decidedly beautiful and underrated in my book.