Leather/materials Recomendation - HVL Exclusive

I don’t typically come on here and write about vendors, suppliers or sponsors. But I’m nearing completion of a small project on my car, and met someone very fascinating during this project, had a very positive experience and figured I’d share my view.

I’m particular about my cars and like work done in a certain way where I feel it is “as done” by the factory, or better. My 355 came with a non-appropriate speaker box on the rear shelf. Thankfully, to mount it whoever installed it used the existing nut receivers that the glove box/cubby screws into. So it was pulled from the car and discarded. The sound system that came with my car cost someone a significant investment, but to my eyes and ears it just wasn’t what the car is about. I do however like some music. So I pulled the JL Audio amps and boxes, the head unit and CD changer, and tossed all of it in the “sell” pile. Combined it all weighed nearly 80 pounds. I planned to reuse the JL Audio speakers and crossovers that were in the car, so I then set out to remake more appropriate speaker boxes for the rear shelf and find matching leather to cover the boxes with. After searching for a few years and obtaining a couple dozen leather samples, nothing was a match in terms of color or texture and I was about to give up on this project.

Then last February I found Henk van Lith, who owns HVL Exclusive. And over about a year’s time I got to know him and understand his approach to auto restoration in general and Ferrari restoration in particular. At first, I didn’t realize who Henk was. My introduction was via an email I sent him when I accidentally found his website. We then spoke a couple times on the telephone where he agreed to make me some matching leather if I sent him a good sample. Through further conversations I came to realize that he wasn’t going to just take a stock color formula and dye me a piece of leather. But rather, he was going to make me period correct Classic Connolly style leather, the color and texture of which would be an exact match to my 20 year old Charcoal Gray interior.

It was then that I thought about my spider top cover, which was a bit tattered in some of the corners and snap areas. So I figured why not send it to him to use as a color match and ask him to also make the repairs to it. In May of last year I shipped Henk my spider top boot cover. He first set out to make the hide, explaining to me each step. The hide tanning was a multi week process where he told me that for my needs, he would use a South German hide instead of an Irish hide since it would be a more perfect match (who knew?), and that he would use vegetable tanning rather than chemical tanning. Following each conversation with him I found myself studying the information he provided me to understand what it was that he was talking about. And I also learned that no matter what the project is, he invests a lot of time studying and researching the project to assure eh chooses the right materials and approach. Henk then proceed to coloring/dyeing the hide. Multiple samples and pictures were going back and forth between NYC and the Netherlands. And as we talked on the telephone Henk would explain to me what big projects he was also working on. Such as the interior restoration of the Daytona prototype which is now in the Ferrari factory museum in Maranello. Along with various other Daytonas, 250 Lussos, and other classic Ferraris he was working on. He’d let me know when he was leaving for a few weeks to address some business he had in Italy (and when he returned he would send me pictures), or when he was off to judge at various high profile concours events or doing presentations at Ferrari meetings.

In further talks with him I found that HVL is the primary producer of classic Connolly style, Arbo Tan and Franzi style leather. Having acquired all the samples, colors, formulas, documentation and tanning processes and stamps after their bankruptcy, HVL is more Connolly then the recently restarted Connolly company.

Henk turned out to be just as much, if not more, of a perfectionist and I am. He spent multiple weeks slowly dyeing the hide to get an exact match. When he wasn’t happy with the way he thought the repairs on my boot cover would come out, he used it as a pattern and made me a new one; but only after shipping me 5 or so samples of the backing material so we could decide which would be best. The project ended in December with everything being shipped back to me – my original boot cover, the new one, about half a hide extra of leather, covers for the speaker boxes, all an exact match to my car’s interior.

Henk is a very knowledgeable and extremely skilled craftsman, old world style. He’s also a very genuine and a tremendously nice person. He must have taken a liking to me because I feel he went out of his way for me, taking the time to explain project details, send me photos and samples and taking on my small project while he was working on some very serious cars. If you are in vicinity of Henk’s shop and need an interior, I highly recommend him. If like me you’re a continent and ocean away, a lot can be done by mail, so if you want or need hides that exactly match your car – where a local upholsterer could then do the fitting work, you should consider Henk and HVL. If nothing more, discuss your project with him, you will learn a lot and understand he is someone that is passionate about his craft and appreciates our cars.

You can Google him, for convenience here are his links:
HVL Class Leather® - Home
HVL - Exclusive Italian Interiors

I attached a couple of photos, it’s the middle of winter here, the pictures are dark and it’s hard to really appreciate Henk’s work. When the weather breaks open and I can get the car outside I will take a few better photos.

Good luck with your projects.
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