In 1964, Ferrari developed the
Tipo 207 1.5- litre flat-twelve engine for its 1512 F1 car. This basic design by
Mauro Forghieri was modified by Stefano Jacoponi to create the
Tipo 232 2-litre engine used in the 212 E. Overall capacity of this engine was 1990.08 cc, bore and stroke was and the compression ratio was 11:1. Initially, the engine produced approximately 280-290 bhp at 11,500 rpm. Two units of the Tipo 232 motor were produced, with the first scrapped following initial development and dyno testing. The second Tipo 232 engine was installed in the 1967 Sport 2000, a testbed car based on a 206 S Dino chassis (number 020). This car was tested in late 1967 by
Chris Amon at
Modena and announced as a contender in the 1968 European Hill Climb Championship, but did not compete that season. Instead, this chassis was subsequently used (with a different Ferrari V12 drivetrain) in the
Pininfarina 250 P5 show car, displayed at the Geneva, Los Angeles and Turin
auto shows in 1968. Dino chassis 020 and the Tipo 232 motor were reunited in late 1968, when
Scuderia Ferrari decided to develop the Sport 2000 into the 212 E, under the supervision of Forghieri. The car was not considered reliable enough to compete in endurance events and was instead optimized to race the short, winding courses of the European Hill Climb Championship. Peter Schetty was chosen to test and race the 212 E. Schetty was an experienced
hill climb racer and test driver who would later become Scuderia Ferrari team manager. Following testing at Modena and
Vallelunga, the 212 E was modified from its Sport 2000 specification. Headlights were removed, fuel capacity was reduced and the car's plastic body was modified to optimize aerodynamics and weight for hillclimbs. Engine output and cooling systems were also improved. Power output at the start of the 1969 racing season varied from depending on tune. ==Racing history==