Photo: RM Sotheby's
Pininfarina is the coachbuilder we customarily associate with Ferrari, yet the Prancing Horse has worked with other outfits throughout its illustrious and fascinating existence. Carrozzeria Alfredo Vignale is one of those exclusive companies.
The Ford Motor Company owns Vignale these days and, as fate would have it, the nameplate now designates the most lavish products produced by the Blue Oval. However, a Ferrari designed by Vignale stirs the soul more than a Mondeo Vignale does. A Ferrari model such as this flabbergasting 212 Inter Cabriolet.
RM Sotheby’s will auction this jaw-dropping machine in May at a posh event in Monaco. Heaven knows how much money the highest bidder will be willing to pay for the opportunity of owning a 1952 Ferrari 212 Inter Cabriolet by Vignale, but do bear in mind that a coupe model of the 212 fetched almost $1.8 million in 2014 at an event organized by Gooding & Company.
The question is, what makes this black-painted 212 an irresistible proposition to well-to-do collectors? First of all, only four examples were ever produced and the bodywork for all of them has been made by hand. As such, each Ferrari 212 Inter Cabriolet by Vignale is unique in its own right. Chassis number 0227 EL here comes with a numbers matching engine, a documented history by Ferrari historian Marcel Massini, and a Ferrari Classiche certification. Funnily enough, the engine was completed in February 1952, while the steering box was finished in October. Happily, however, everything is original, including the patina of time.
The current owner acquired the car in 1987 and repainted it in 2009 to its original color. Like all proper Ferraris, the 212 Inter is motivated by a V12. It’s a 2,562 cc mill that produces 170 horsepower thanks to the hard work of triple Weber 36 DCF3 carbs. For aficionados of bespoke automobiles from days gone by, the Vignale-bodied Ferrari 212 Inter Cabriolet is a fascinating unicorn, make no mistake about it.
RM Sotheby’s will auction this jaw-dropping machine in May at a posh event in Monaco. Heaven knows how much money the highest bidder will be willing to pay for the opportunity of owning a 1952 Ferrari 212 Inter Cabriolet by Vignale, but do bear in mind that a coupe model of the 212 fetched almost $1.8 million in 2014 at an event organized by Gooding & Company.
The question is, what makes this black-painted 212 an irresistible proposition to well-to-do collectors? First of all, only four examples were ever produced and the bodywork for all of them has been made by hand. As such, each Ferrari 212 Inter Cabriolet by Vignale is unique in its own right. Chassis number 0227 EL here comes with a numbers matching engine, a documented history by Ferrari historian Marcel Massini, and a Ferrari Classiche certification. Funnily enough, the engine was completed in February 1952, while the steering box was finished in October. Happily, however, everything is original, including the patina of time.
The current owner acquired the car in 1987 and repainted it in 2009 to its original color. Like all proper Ferraris, the 212 Inter is motivated by a V12. It’s a 2,562 cc mill that produces 170 horsepower thanks to the hard work of triple Weber 36 DCF3 carbs. For aficionados of bespoke automobiles from days gone by, the Vignale-bodied Ferrari 212 Inter Cabriolet is a fascinating unicorn, make no mistake about it.
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