Translated Article from Oldtimers Klassic
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Translated article from Oldtimers Klassic The roadster legend Big Healey, known as the pig. This widened example is the original prototype X230, so thinks its owner. Experts of the marque think different: this thing is a forgery, reason enough to start the research with a white sheet of paper – to create finally a story by itself. At first there was only an e-mail contact. When I got the man on the wire he was reluctant: at that moment he does not think an article about his car makes sense. First negative rumors about the suspect should die down – and then he himself would like to find out, what he has in his garage. I made a point out of the fact that I would be in Illinois soon and would like to see the car at least and that did persuade him. Okay he consented, look inside and outside, test-ride and make pictures but I should not expect any info from his side. As an independent journalist I had to find out by myself about this mystery car. And I could write it is a complete fake, if this would be the result of my visit. A lunatic, this man Peter Fino? What was the reason behind this tactics? And what did really happen? So what, I took on the Challenge. Only ten days to go for the visit between Chicago and Milwaukee. I start reading into bringatrailer.com, (short name BaT) . This original Internet-portal presents old timer rarities for sale and the adjoining comments. For example the prototype Austin Healey X230, recently discovered there. Ahh, that is the theme, One forum poster- Healeyman, is his pseudonym, claims that this car is a big forgery. Possibly welded together in the seventies from the remains of some test cars. As for example the frontal treatment with the 4-headlamp configuration of the study X230, already built back to 2 lamps in 1959, as everybody knows. Healeyman who claims that he has clearly disproved the authenticity of the offered 4-lamp Healey by thorough research, gets positive reaction from other BaT readers and posters. The more so as the one off is offered for the princely sum of 225.000 $ US. Innocent Enthusiast outing the fraudster-dealer – this story readily consumable as the good boy bad boy story is so seducing that nobody tries to look for the truth. Especially as Peter Fino, the vendor being in the virtual dock, shoots back some bullets below the waistline like Clint Eastwood in the DJango movie. This behavior is not convincing, the condemnation only accelerated. Fine the forger, PrototypX230 the forgery. Bearing this in mind I nevertheless travel to Lake Michigan, horridoo – curiosity defies doubts. A man in his mid sixties receives me in the workshop which services his classic cars, mainly prewar sports cars. He is friendly but distant. Where is the Thing??? Without words he points to the farthest corner. I crawl around the funny vehicle. Condition so so. PaintJob careless, bumpers not straight and even worse mounted front and rear damaged. The seat covers are strangely colored and the tunnel cover oddly styled, the latter in typical Italian knitted diamond pattern. But all this is not important against the details which are not so easy to fake. The thing is much wider than a normal Healey, more muscles but without proper proportions- because the rear wheel arch is 4 inches behind the curvature of the fender. Therefore the side view looks like a crooked hyena. And the dashboard resembles that of an early MGB. The strongest impression comes from the frontal aspect with the double headlamps, as irritating on the Healey front as a Heino [=David Letterman] without glasses. Are these parts really from an X230? So far the only thing that is established for sure is that the light blue car in front of me is not the experimental with this works number. Very clearly, here Fino is in error. We then begin the test ride – impressions further on. Then we execute the action pictures while driving, then I take all possible measurements, all the differences compared to a normal car. The last task is to photograph the car’s underside and the inspection of the chassis and components. Peter Fino stands at a safe distance and observes what I am inspecting – no comments. A strange scene, ending only when I say goodbye. There the Italo-American has only one question: If this is not X230, what is it then??? We will see, until later on the phone, thanks, bye bye Mr Fino. Months later I get busy, starting with contacts at the Healey Club Germany. They point to the controversies the car has created on BaT. I mail them some pictures requesting a Judgment, they answer the same night: “The thing is a nightmare, nothing is correct, the chassis comes from a different maker, wherever from. A total fake, never a x-prototype, never mentioned in any book.” Strong words from one who should know. Next I emailed Healeyman, real name David Matthews who worked for Healey in 1964. I ask him for a clarification phone conversation. He answers, that all has been said, cleared, researched, completely, finally, enough for Mr Fino and all potential buyers, myself including, nothing to write about a thing well known to the whole world. The deeper I dive the more all seems not so logical compared to what I saw. I mail all over the world and after a while some mails get strange, I become the new owner of the car, a forger myself, a broker for Fino, the car is in Germany……. Suddenly Mr. Matthews calls my employer and asks about me. Now it gets sporty I think and the next mail drops in my inbox from the German Club: Your research creates turmoil in the international Healey community. I repeat the car is a fake, scrap, not a Healey, the vendor tries for years to find a stupid buyer, I expect a clarification in the next issue of your magazine, stop, over, he did not say goodbye…… To this gentleman I can only say, the last guy who tried to manipulate the press is meanwhile Ex-President of Germany. And I will not be pressured by anyone about a car who warns me about not being pressured by someone else about that car. Back to daily business – checking other sources. Geoff Healey, who died in 1994 put some pictures of the car in his book The story of the big Healeys. He writes that this car has the front of X230 but a chassis X250T with a De Dion back axle. Trials took place in 1960 “we never liked it”. Basta, but an essential word which is not to be believed in the view of the German Healey Club man and completely missing in Matthews documentation. Renowned author Bill Emerson says on the phone, that he thinks that Fino’s car is an original works experimental, probably no.X300. For his theory speaks the fact that the car has the chassis number 012X300 stamped in and never doubted (www.historichealeys.com). Sounds genuine enough to use X300 as working title to this article. And the works build, which refutes the saga of the forgery? Typical making of the Roger Menadue, former chief of experimental department and practically Healey’s chief designer. A viewpoint shared by Craig Hillinger, owner of Healey works in Iowa foremost restorer oh the marque in the US, he identifies the “fingerprints of Roger Menadues old school workmanship.” [Meaning his modus operandi not actual fingerprints]. Three more experts, preferring to stay away from the internet fighting, confirm the originality- thesis. Only about the number X are they not conclusively certain. Maybe one of the many unnumbered trial-chassis, says Hillinger, Others think it might be study X224, coming from a stripped Grand Prix Ferrari, donating organs, showing very similar rear axle and steering. It is not possible to prove that. In addition must be said that most people have not seen Fino’s car live. Hillinger and Emerson know it very well and I now do too. What is my favored point of view? I believe this is a typical guinea pig modified constantly with a unique rear axle treatment but no chassis as the normal cars. One day this thing got a provisional body without proper styling to make road test possible, exactly described by Geoff as 1960. And that’s the way it looks I suppose. A question to the conspirators: who would actually go to the trouble of creating such an complex layout to create a fake? And that at a time when real Healeys were cheap second hand cars. Where is the logic? Ah yes, the double head lamps are from the Austin 3 litre, 1967 – the front has been modified later on apparently, to fake X230 so says Matthews. That does not make much sense, because the car was not sold before as X230. Thanks to Alan Riley about whom Matthews think, that he made up the car from Healey scrap. Riley bought the car in 1971 for 2000 pound Sterling as a funny undefined Austin Healey. Same as today. And he bought it from storekeeper Fred Wheeler, who owned the car for some years. 1977 he sold to Umberto Pizzagalli for same money, son of Innocenti importer for England. You do not buy this statement from the 81 year old guy – take this Riley does not drive his Bugatti 51 very often, he prefers his 1961 Triumph Tiger.