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The first truly successful aircraft produced by Zlínská letecká společnost, as (ZLAS) was the light multipurpose aircraft Zlin Z.XII . The aerodynamic shape of the monoplane provided the aircraft with high speed of movement, as well as good maneuverability, which is one of the most important properties of sports aircraft. However, the design of this aircraft assumed a multi-purpose purpose, since the aircraft could also be used for private purposes, including for transporting people and small cargo over short distances.

The Z.XII cabin could accommodate up to two people - a pilot and one passenger, however, thanks to the design features of this monoplane, it can also carry small cargo on board with a total weight, taking into account the pilot’s own weight, not exceeding 230 kilograms. The aircraft cabin could be open or closed.

The aircraft was originally powered by an original American Continental engine. Soon, a licensed copy of this Zlin Persy II engine was installed on the aircraft, and its production was associated with the beginning of the activities of the engine building department of the ZLAS company.

In April 1935, the prototype aircraft made its first flight. The tests of the Z.XII were successful and fully met the hopes of the developers. A few more months later, the aircraft was put into mass production, where it remained until the annexation of Czechoslovakia by the Germans, but even after that, aircraft production was not stopped, and the Z.XIIs built were already used for military needs.
Over the entire period of production, the aircraft manufacturing company Zlin built 201 aircraft of this model (making it the most successful sports aircraft in pre-war Czechoslovakia), of which, today, only 15 copies are known to exist.
In 1938, the company began producing a modernized version, designated Z.212. It differed from its predecessor in slightly smaller dimensions and a Walter Mikron II engine (60 hp). In just two years of production, 51 copies of the aircraft were built.