Singer Adam Levine sues dealer for selling a fake Maserati worth over $1 million
Maroon 5 band singer Adam Levine has filed a lawsuit against a car dealer in the US for selling him a fake Maserati, in a deal gone awry. As per a report by LA Times, the singer alleged that classic car dealer Rick Cole and his agents sold the 1971 Maserati Ghibli 4.9 Litre Spyder SS with fake documentation. Levine acquired the car by trading in his two classic Ferraris and an extra $100,000 in a deal valued at $950,000 (approx. ₹7.87 crore)
The Adam Levine Living Trust filed the lawsuit in the US District Court for the Central District of California. The lawsuit states that the car dealer represented the 1971 Maserati Ghibli as one of only 25 ever manufactured. The car sold to Levine allegedly had incorrect stamping with the wrong font for its time, which made the singer’s team question its authenticity.
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The chassis and engine authentication marks were altered to make it seem authentic, the lawsuit states. It further says that the actual car with the VIN number AM115.492.1241 belongs to British luxury car collector Clive Joy and is in Switzerland. The super-exclusive Ghibli was valued at over $1 million, according to the lawsuit.
The Adam Levine Trust in the lawsuit further stated that they are not in the classic car business at all and decided to trust Rick Cole. The trust also found out later that the same car was pulled from an auction in 2015 after questions arose about its origin. The lawsuit alleges that Cole and his agents added a new chassis plate to make the vehicle appear as authentic. Levine is now asking to undo the $950,000 deal or get paid by the dealer in damages.
The deal took place in December 2020 and saw Levine’s team trade in a 1972 Ferrari 365 GTC/4 and a 1968 Ferrari 365 GTC for the 1971 Maserati Ghibli 4.9 Litre Spyder SS. They also paid an additional $100,000, as suggested by Cole, according to the lawsuit. It further says that Cole repeatedly discouraged the trust to sell the car fearing the truth of the car’s authenticity will be out.
Vintage and classic cars are great investments and appraise in value the rarer they get. The lawsuit states that while it may be an original 1971 Maserati Ghibli Spyder, it may not be the one it claims the identity of. "The Vehicle is not authentic, has no identity and/or has a very questionable identity, which seriously undermines its value."
Source: LA Times
