The pad appears, from the photo, to be squashed from sitting upright for many years. That tells me that the wood is either original or it was restocked a long, long time ago. Lighting may be contributing to the "flashy" appearance, too.
This next comment is ONLY a personal opinion, but that type of grain pattern seen on the left side is not appealing to me at all. It reminds me of the laminated stocks built today for rifles. I call it plywood grain. That said, I would be very pleased to own such a nice Fox, it is, all things considered, indeed a beauty.
Stan
