1951 Ferrari 212 Inter

The idea that competition improves the breed is perhaps no truer than at Ferrari, and the pure, jewel-like 166, 195, and 212 especially lived up to the mantra. The dual-purpose nature of Ferrari's early models meant that many owners could be cruising the streets of Milano one day, and carving the twisting, grueling lanes of the Mille Miglia the next, and with any luck, be back to the Autostrada by Monday. Italy's most celebrated coachbuilders clothed customer 212s in a variety of body styles ranging from light and sinuous barchettas to luxurious coupes and cabriolets.Chassis number 0147E is a 1951 212 Inter, one of just 36 chassis originally bodied by Vignale, and boasting a fascinating, unique history. First delivered to Siro Sbraci of Firenze, Italy, it was originally fitted with coupe coachwork by Carrozzeria Vignale. Sbraci was a gentleman racer active in Italy for about a decade starting in the late 1940s, beginning at the helm of a little Ermini 1100 Sport, which he ran at the Mille Miglia and other Italian national events through 1950. In 1952, he upped his game with the purchase of 0147E the 2.6-liter V12 Ferrari undoubtedly being quite the upgrade from the Fiat 1100-based Ermini!At the wheel of his new Ferrari, Sbraci placed 3rd overall at the Fiesole hillclimb in Firenze in April, followed very shortly after by entry into the Mille Miglia in early May. Sharing duties with Sante Guidici and running car number 559, s/n 0147E unfortunately logged a DNF. Looking for more power, Sbraci later had the engine upgraded with three carburetors by Garage La Rotonda in Firenze. The upgrade paid dividends, with a class win coming at the 1953 Coppa della Toscana, and 2nd at the Vermicino hillclimb. In March of 1954, Sbraci sold his 212, later moving to more specialized machinery including a Maserati A6GCS and Ferrari 500 TRC.Gino Casarotto of Venezia was the next owner of 0147E. He continued to campaign the car at local events, including the Coppa della Toscana, Coppa d'Oro delle Dolomiti, and the crown jewel of Italian motorsport the Mille Miglia, which again ended prematurely in a DNF. The Ferrari traded hands again in 1955, and twice in 1956, ending up with Piero Cattelan.From here, the history of 0147E takes an intriguing turn. It is not known if the car was Cattelan's at the time, but sometime around late 1961, it was turned over to Piero Drogo's Carrozzeria Sports Cars in Modena for a new lease on life. By this time, the rigors of motorsport would have undoubtedly shown on the original Vignale body, and perhaps the new owner was after a more contemporary look. This is certainly not a unique occurrence, as many Ferrari owners over the years particularly during this renaissance period of Italian coachbuilding commissioned new coachwork to modernize or personalize their cars.Drogo was tasked with building a completely new alloy body in the style of Scaglietti's 250 California Spider, which was first seen just a few years before in 1957. Drogo re-skinned 0147E, deftly proportioning the design to accommodate the 212 Inter's chassis dimensions. Piero Drogo's Carrozzeria Sports Cars was subcontractor that played an integral role in Ferrari lore. Based near the Ferrari factory, the firm served both customer teams and Scuderia Ferrari. Drogo was known for their work with aerodynamics and were tasked with re-shaping many competition Ferraris for high-speed duty. Cars like the wild 250 SWB Breadvan, the Garage Francorchamps 250 SWB, and long-nose variant of the works 1965 250 LM are among Drogo's many famous creations. The great Giotto Bizzarrini was a fan of their work, calling upon Drogo to build the bodies for the first run of Iso Grifo A3C models. Most famously however, Carrozzeria Drogo served as the official coachbuilder of Scuderia Ferrari for a glorious period between 1966 and 1967, crafting the bodies for the stunning 206SP, 330 P3, and 412P arguably among the most beautiful sports racing cars of the 60s, if not of all time.Hi