The Ferrari 212 Inter was produced from 1951 through 1953. About 80 cars were built during this time period. Typical of early cars, the factory designed and built a chassis with full engine and running gears and the buyer was able to commission a different company to build the body. This is why many early Ferrari cars carry the same model number but do not look alike. Typical for Ferrari the 212 designated the cubic centimeters of one cylinder of the engine. So the V12 engine for this automobile was 212cc x 12 or around 2,544 cc. The actual value was 2,562 cc as values for model numbers were rounded up or down at the factory’s discretion.
The basic engine was the same design as the earlier 166 Inter, however it had been bored out to increase the horsepower to 150 with two carburetors. Cars towards the end of the series received three carburetors and were rated at about 170bph. As in earlier cars the Inter models were not designed for racing, but raced they were. If you wanted one specifically for racing you chose the 212 Export model.
The designation of 250 GTE 2+2 as the model number was based on several factors. First the 250 represented in cubic centimeters the cylinder size of one of the V12 cylinders. The GT was for Grand Touring and the E was from the 508E, a new chassis design. The 2+2 meant that the front two passengers found a normal sized area up front, and the +2 meant that two could sit in the rear. For this car the two rear seat passengers had adequate but not spacious room. Many other brands have used the 2+2 designation, but in the majority of cases, the rear area had no leg room. It was more of a marketing ploy to satisfy some government regulations about the need for larger capacity cars.
The 250 GTE 2+2 was rated at 235bhp, slightly lower than the typical 250 series car. It had an unusual gear box with four speeds and an electric overdrive. Disc brakes were fitted all around. The top speed was listed as 136mph, again lower than other 250 series models. However, keep in mind that this particular car was designed as a road car and not a sports racing automobile. Other significant factors were a generous boot to hold luggage, and improved heating and ventilation for the passenger’s comfort.