Succeeding over the Ferrari 212 Inter, Ferrari unveiled the Ferrari 250 Europa at the 1953 highly exclusive Paris Motor Show. It was the first car that Enzo and his company built without racing in mind, so unlike the 212 and its predecessors, there was no racing version of the Ferrari 250 Europa. This was part of Enzo's plan to fund a world-class racing team since his reputation would help the company sell more cars and thus more funds to make more race cars and fund a racing team. The release and production of the Ferrari 250 Europa marked a pivotal moment in Ferrari's future. It helped set a standard for innovation and a design that would influence most of Ferrari's road cars, including most of the automaker's GT cars in production today, such as the Ferrari 812. Additionally, in an exciting turn of events, the Ferrari 250 Europa indirectly helped shape the future for Lamborghini when Ferruccio Lamborghini decided to make his own cars after being dissatisfied with certain aspects of the 250 Europa. More of that another time. Ferrari designed the 250 Europa to be a road-going car, and since it succeeded over the 212 Inter, it was an even better GT car. It has a much larger body and thus a much roomier cabin, with two seas like the 212 Inter and other predecessors. A new and bigger 200 horsepower 3.0-liter V12 sat under the beautifully crafted hood, making the Ferrari 250 quicker than even some of Ferrari's older race cars. Today, a Ferrari 250 Europa is worth over $2,000,000, putting it on the list of some of the most expensive Ferrari classics. Its rarity makes it covetable by collectors and enthusiasts, so prices will likely always be above the two-million-dollar mark.
The Ferrari 212 Inter was the first car that Ferrari exclusively made for the road. However, since they also made a racing version of the 212, Ferrari 212 Export, the Ferrari 250 Europa became the first model Ferrari made exclusively for the road. Again, Ferrari tasked different coachbuilders to make bodywork for the Ferrari 250 Europa. But this time, only a few got the opportunity to do so since the car was in production for 18 months before being replaced by the Ferrari 250 Europa GT, later known as the Ferrari 250 GT. 22 Ferrari 250 Europas were made between 1953 and 1954 at Ferrari's plant at Maranello, Italy, with 16 of them being coupes and one cabriolet made by Pininfarina, kickstarting a long-term relationship between Ferrari and Pininfarina. The rest were made by Vignale, who made four Ferrari 250 Europa coupes designed by Giovanni Michelotti and one Ferrari 250 cabriolet. Under the hood, Ferrari used a new and larger Lamperdi-derived 3.0-liter V12 that marked a transformative moment for the company, revolutionizing performance since it had more power than the 2.6-liter Colombo V12 in the Ferrari 212. Lamperdi was Ferrari's racing engine designer who started at Ferrari when Enzo was forming his racing team and initially made a 4.5-liter, 4.1-liter, and 3.3-liter V12 engine that the 3.0-liter took after.
In 1953, 200 horsepower was more than enough for a road car, in this case, the Ferrari 250 Europa, considering some race cars made similar or less power. The increase in power output from the 147 horsepower in the Ferrari 212 Inter was due to Ferrari using a new all-alloy Lamperdi-derived 3.0-liter V12 with three Weber 36 DCF carburetors. The Ferrari 250 Europa has a 4-speed manual for the transmission, which seems like a downgrade from the 212 Inter's 5-speed manual. However, the 4-speed in the 250 Europa has a twin plate clutch favored in high-performance vehicles, making it a more suitable transmission for the 250's Europa 200 horsepower engine. All Ferrari 250 Europas benefitted from Ferrari's tubular chassis design, which, together with the lightweight steel bodies that the coachbuilders used, enabled coupes to weigh around 2,535 pounds. In comparison, the cabriolets weighed slightly less at about 2,315 pounds. Its lightweight body and chassis enabled the engine to propel the Ferrari 250 Europa to 60mph in around 9 seconds, which was only tested recently, meaning in 1953, it was quicker than that. Considering that there are cars that do 0-60 in more than 10 seconds today, you can only imagine the amount of fun Italy's wealthiest had during the weekend in their Ferrari 250 Europas. Well, those who could get their hands on one anyway. Top speed is limited to 135 miles per hour, which we doubt the needle on the speedo gauge on most 250 Europas has ever touched.
Inside the Ferrari 250 Europa, considerable attention was paid to every inch. The seats were made from hand-stitched leather, providing comfort similar to what buyers would experience in the Settebello train, which provided high-speed luxury train services between Milan and Rome from 1953 to 1984. Unlike the Ferrari 212 Inter, all the gauges in the 250 Europa are beautifully placed behind the steering wheel, with the larger RPM and speed gauges at the sides and smaller oil, water, and amperes gauges between them. Some Ferrari 250 Europas have slightly different instrument cluster designs, but all have similar gauges. A cushion-like leather divider sits between the driver and passenger seat, and it connects to the center console, which is more of a bulge in the floor acting as a transmission tunnel with the transmission shifter sitting on top covered in a leather boot. On the floor, luxurious mats were used in the Ferrari 250 Europa, depicting its luxurious status and reducing vibrations coming through the floor as you push the 3.0-liter V12 to 8000 RPM!
With fewer coachbuilders involved, the Ferrari 250 Europa showcases a unified design language, resulting in a more consistent and cohesive aesthetic in all 22 cars, unlike the Ferrari 212 Inter, which relied on numerous coachbuilders. 20 of the 22 Ferrari 250 Europas were coupes; Pininfarina built 16, and Vignale built 4. Each coachbuilder also built a cabriolet version of the Ferrari 250 Europa with a fabric roof. The Ferrari 250 Europa by Pininfarina features a rounder grill compared to the one on the 250 Europa Vignale. However, both look stunning from the front, and their contrasting design showcases the attention to detail each coachbuilder had. The most distinguishing features between the Ferrari 250 Europa by Pininfarina and the 250Europa by Vignale is that the 250 Europa by Vignale has two hood vents towards the windscreen and has protrusions besides the headlights. Also, the Vignale has sharper body lines compared to the Pininfarina's smoother lines. Chrome was used heavily in classic cars, and the Ferrari 250 Europa is no exception. It dazzles with a profusion of chrome accents despite the coachbuilder. From its front grille and bumper to its door handles, side skirts, and roof, every piece of chrome accentuates a display of luxury and style, a design increasingly becoming less and less common.
To reach the maximum attainable power output and ensure smooth power delivery, Ferrari, through Lamperdi, designed the 3.0-liter V12 in the Ferrari 250 Europa with a long block design. The long block design resulted in a larger engine with increased displacement, more than the Colombo 2.6-liter V12 used in the Ferrari 212 Inter but still less than Lamperdi's racing engines. The long block design also enhanced torque since it allows for longer crankshafts and longer cylinders which in the Ferrari 250 Europa's 3.0-liter V12, are screwed into the cylinder heads and have greater bore spacing. As with its predecessor, Ferrari used a tubular chassis on the Ferrari 250 Europa, reducing the overall weight increment over the Ferrari 212 Inter despite being longer and wider. The 250 Europa only has a 330-pound weight increase, but it's faster and quicker than the 212 Inter.
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With production limited to 22 units, the Ferrari 250 Europa is a rare gem in Automotive History and is one of the most sought-after Ferrari Classics. However, prices are more reasonably lower than several one-offs, such as the Ferrari 250 GTO, which has broken world records for the highest-selling cars. The Ferrari 250 Europa has a value of at least $2,000,000, as most units in recent years have sold around that figure. If you're in the market for a Ferrari 250 Europa, you might find one listed on Exotic Car Trader, so ensure you watch out for our Ferrari listings. Also, we list all sorts of classic cars, so give us a call if any of Exotic Car Trader's classic car listings entice you.
The Ferrari 250 Europa marked a temporary shift in Ferrari's design from a racing-focused approach to creating a road-exclusive model. Its engineering characteristics led to even better cars in the Ferrari 250 lineup, such as the Ferrari 250 GT, Ferrari 250S, and the highly admired Ferrari 250 GTO. As a rare gem in automotive history, the Ferrari 250 Europa continues to captivate collectors and enthusiasts alike, even though its unattainability remains high.
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