A STORY UNDER SCRUTINY

STARTING POINT

This particular example has been linked to a couple of events by several authoritative sources. The first, and perhaps the most significant, is its participation in the Vingt-troisième Salon international Automobile Genève, in March 1953. The second is its participation, around the same time, in the Rallye Soleil Cannes, with driver Franco Fassio. From the name "Fassio," it has been hypothesized that the car belonged to the Fassio family, notable shipowners from Genoa and known Ferrari clients.

RESEARCH

The research has led to questioning the attribution of the aforementioned events to the car: indeed, from document analysis, no confirmation or evidence of its presence at either event was found. Regarding the Salon de Genève, given the numerous sources that report its participation, the following hypothesis seems plausible: that the car may have participated as a test car, or may have been exhibited, but outside of the Ferrari and Pininfarina stands, where no photographs show its presence. The lack of documentation therefore shifts the state of the research from "concluded" to "ongoing." The same applies to the Rally Soleil and Franco Fassio. The hypothesis regarding the ownership by the Fassio shipowners is even more tenuous, barring future discoveries: the Fassio family includes a Franca Fassio, not a Franco Fassio, and there is no record linking the car to her in any way. On the other hand, the American history is validated, as is the participation in the Wilmot Hills Race Course Concours, for which photographic evidence exists: in fact, the photo, mistakenly attributed to the Rallye Soleil event, was found to have been taken during the American event.