Racing
The first outing and also the first success came at the 1951 Giro di Sicilia race. Three 212 Exports were entered, and one of them won. Vittorio Marzotto and Paolo Fontana won the race in a Fontana Spyder s/n 0086E, entered by Scuderia Marzotto.[12][30] The second victory was achieved by the 212 MM entered in the Coppa Inter-Europa, in the +1.5 class.[31] Luigi Villoresi won the race and set a fastest lap.[24] His average speed was 153,870 km/h.[32] For the Mille Miglia race of the same year four 212 Exports were entered. Only two managed to finish the race. Giannino Marzotto and Marco Crosara led the first half of the race with their 166/212 Export Fontana Berlinetta before retiring with a flat tyre.[33] The 212 MM was 17th overall, driven by Franco Cornacchia and Guido Mariani of Scuderia Guastella. Motto-bodied spyder, s/n 0094E, was third overall and second in the +2.0 class.[11] Drivers were Piero Scotti and A. Ruspaggiari.[34] III. Coppa della Toscana, held in 1951, was won by the 212 Export, s/n 024MB that was converted from the destroyed 166 MM and re-bodied by Carrozzeria Fontana. Giannino Marzotto and Marco Crosara drove their berlinetta with Scuderia Marzotto.[14] Piero Scotti finished the race in third place in his Motto Spyder. Franco Cornacchia and Del Carlo also finished the race in the 212 MM.[35] Cornacchia later entered the Coppa d'Oro delle Dolomiti, but he did not finish the race.[36] Scuderia Marzotto fielded a single 212 Export Vignale Spyder[12] for the Circuito do Porto and managed to finish second overall, behind much more powerful 340 America, with Vittorio Marzotto behind the wheel.[37] For the 1951 24 Hours of Le Mans three 212 Exports were fielded, all privately entered. The best result was by a Vignale Berlinetta s/n 096E, driven by Norbert Jean Mahé and Jacques Péron.[38] They finished ninth overall and fourth in S+3.0 class. Charles Moran Jr. with Franco Cornacchia scored 16th place in their Touring Barchetta s/n 0100E, renumbered to 0067S.[39] The race was not devoid of tragic moments when Touring Barchetta s/n 0078E of Jean Larivière and André Guelfi spun out of Tertre Rouge and instantly killed Larivière on his fifth lap of the race.[40] Next victory came at the Vila Real circuit in Portugal.[12] Giovanni Bracco won the race setting the fastest lap time in his Vignale Spyder.[41] Later the same year at the Giro delle Calabria, Pietro Palmieri and Vallecchi scored a second place and won their S+1.1 class.[42] It was the first race of the Touring Barchetta destined to be a film star.[7] Umberto Marzotto also won the XII. Trieste-Opicina hillclimb[43] In 1951, four Exports were entered in the Targa Florio race. Scuderia Marzotto fielded two cars, and one of them, s/n 0086E, still bodied as a Vignale Spyder, driven by Franco Cornacchia, came second overall, also setting the fastest lap time.[12] None of the remaining three cars finished the race.[44] The most important victory for the 212 Export came at the 1951 Tour de France automobile race. It was the first instalment of this French marathon. Three Exports were fielded, and all three finished the gruelling twelve-day race. Not only that, they scored 1-2-3 victory.[45] The overall winners were Pierre "Pagnibon" Boncompagni and Alfred Barraquet with their Touring Barchetta s/n 0078E, covered with a soft-top.[46] Second place went to Jacques Péron and R. Bertramnier in Vignale Berlinetts s/n 0096E.[38] Finally Elio Checcacci with Harry Schell scored the third place, driving a one-off Motto Berlinetta s/n 0074E.[10]
The first major race of the 1952 season for the 212 Export was the Mille Miglia. Four Exports were ented, but only one managed to finish the race. Franco Cornacchia, aided by Tinarelli and driving the 212 MM, ended up in 20th place.[47] At the Coppa della Toscana, later the same year, the 212 MM did not win the race but won its GT class with Cornacchia and Del Carlo.[48] For the 1952 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 212 MM was privately entered by an American Charles Moran Jr., who teamed up with Cornacchia for the race.[24] Their car retired after 12 hours with electrical problems.[49] For the Targa Florio two Exports were entered. The Touring Barchetta of Luigi Bordonaro was the only one to finish the race, in 10th place and third in class.[50] His car drove with an upgraded rear axle from 340 America.[23] For the 1952 12 Hours of Pescara
Another endurance race in the 1952 season was the 10 Hours of Messina. Cornacchia again paired with Biondetti in the 212 MM,[24] whilst Carlo Gazzabini and Ferraguti drove the Motto Berlinetta.[10] Cornachia and Biondetti won the race and the other Export was second overall.[53] The 1952 Gran Premio di Pergusa was won by Luigi Bordonaro who also achieved a fastest lap time in the Touring Barchetta.[54][55] He contested many minor races throughout 1952–1955, with multiple victories, before passing the car to Edouard Margairaz.[23] The 212 MM again contested the Coppa Inter-Europa, this time driven by Franco Cornacchia.[24] He scored a second place and a fastest lap.
