Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale Cabriolet #0227EL

rather sedate, kind of like a miniature Alfa 6c2500 except for the nose. I think it might look better in a lighter color. What was the original color?

 

The first owner was not David Niven, but a clothing manufacturer/tailor in Paris. He is shown with the car in Antoine Prunet's Road Cars book. David Niven is allegedly a later owner -- his ownership was suddenly discovered when the car was auctioned.

The car is not exactly original, but I'm pleased to see that it is still as I restored it when I owned it 25 years ago. It was originally black with black bumpers (and was known as the "black bumper car". I changed it to the present color after verifying that it was a color which was available and used by Vignale in 1952. It still had the original engine when I sold it, making me pretty certain that some information on Barchetta (showing that the engine is in 0225) is incorrect.

 

Wow, very cool. I happen to think that 1952 was a very good year. Don't ask me why!

Dale

 

The first owner was NOT Niven. It was John McFadden in Paris, France. I have the paperwork to confirm this.
Marcel Massini

 

I realize this post is 6 years old, so pardon my tardiness -- but I have to ask, since I was very nearly born in the "David Niven" Ferrari, in 1963. My Dad, Jim Kafalas, owned the car from around 1960 until 1966, when he sold it for the princely sum of $3500. (He got sick of working on it all winter, every winter, and with two small kids in the house, decided to unload it, a decision he regretted forever after, to his dying day last September!)

So what's the scoop -- the car was not actually owned by Niven? How did that story get started; was it a ploy to get more money for the car at auction? How did they make the story stick?

John "Urbie" Kafalas

Here's a picture of the car when we had it: that's my sister in the driver's seat, with my Mom as the passenger. I'm not pictured -- but I was only a month old at the time!
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Is that supposed to be a seat behind the passenger? A sort of 2+1 arrangement?

 

Yes it is.

Cheers Jim

 

Hi, great pix. thanks. where and when were they taken? just one man's opinion tongascrew

 

Not that it matters, at this point, but when I was going through my Dad's personal effects, I found this title certificate from the not-David-Niven Ferrari:
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About 4 block from where I grew up. I wonder if all those Blue Devils knew what it was when they heard it go by.

George

 

Hello,
Just for the latest update on this 212,
I owned this car in the mid 70's and I saw it in July of this year at the Ferrari factory,
Where it was being certified in the Classiche division.
It had the black bumpers when I owned it,
but they are now chrome.
Great car with wonderful memories.
By the way, it was built with synchromesh in 4 and 5 gears only!

 

The power of the Internet .
Interesting center dial, what does it indicate, going from 20 till 140? It's not a temp gauge or a rev counter, does anybody know?

 

Vel. Media = average speed indicator.

 

Now that's a seriously cool thing to have in your 'sedate' convertible . I like the 2+1 arrangement too. The design may be a little on the conservative side (not surprising for a 60 year old), these things more than make up for it.

 

Hi all,

Just and only sharing a few pics of this car from a photo shoot of the car, I did a few days back. Hopefully you enjoy them.
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Thought you might like to know the black bumper car appeared Goodwood Festival of Speed over the summer, I don't have time to reduce the pic I took of the blurb, but it reads and I quote selectively

"1952 Ferrari 212 Export Vignale Cabriolet"

"Entered by Fritz Kroymans"

"In the early 1950s Ferrari built around 90 212 models in two versions the Inter and the scarcer (c.12 examples) shorter wheel base Export, as seen here in cabriolet form,....."


"....., and suave British actor David Niven who once owned this very car."

Reminds me rather of the dreamer with the Jankowitz Special built in Croatia who is convinced he has a factory prototype Alfa Romeo. "lol".

 

And which VIN had the car you posted?

 

Marcel Massini
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Thank you.
@artitidesco: if the VIN is correct which is the problem, the ownership?
I don't think so.... the Massini's book is very clear about it.

 

So much knowledge being injected on this discussion, incredible. Not to hijack this thread but since there are so many pictures being posted, how about a straight on photograph of the oversized "F" emblem on the boot of this 212. Ii is surely a one off badge.

 

That big "F" is for France (Country) and has zero to do with Ferrari.
The first owner was John McFadden, an American resident in Paris, France.

Marcel Massini

 

Ahh.. Thank you for that Marcel