by Singer Adam Levine says his 1971 Maserati is not the 1971 Maserati he thought he was getting when he traded two classic Ferraris for it in late 2020.
The lawsuit, filed Friday in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California by the Adam Levine Living Trust, alleges that classic car dealer Rick Cole or his agents forged documents and chassis and engine authentication plates on one of just 25 would have or so 1971 Maserati Ghibli 4.9 liter Spyder ever made.
“Cole claimed to have found an authentic Maserati Ghibli 4.9 liter Spyder, which he described as ‘as good’ as an authentic Maserati Ghibli 4.9 liter Spyder with a clear and undeniable identity, owned by a representative of the Trusts had seen and driven in Monterey a year or so earlier and was valued at over $1 million,” the lawsuit reads.
Cole describes himself on his website as an “internationally recognized sales agent, auctioneer and appraiser of investment grade automobiles” with 50 years of industry experience. The lawsuit alleges negligent misrepresentation, willful misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment and breach of contract, among other things.
Cole did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
The Maroon 5 frontman’s trust agreed in December 2020 to trade a 1972 Ferrari 365 GTC/4 and a 1968 Ferrari 365 GTC for the 1971 Maserati plus $100,000, which Cole had proposed, the lawsuit says .
The Maserati, referred to as “the 1241,” was represented by Cole with vehicle identification number AM115.492.1241, the lawsuit states. Also mentioned is “the Real 1241,” the actual car with that VIN number, which the lawsuit says was actually sold to British luxury car collector Clive Joy a few years ago and “has since been in Switzerland as part of Clive Joy’s collection, under custody.” by the legendary racing driver Christian Trabe.”
Levine, also known as “The Trust,” is “not in the classic car business at all,” the document said, and confided in Cole when he said the car was authentic, only to later find out that the 1241 was 2015 from the auction was taken There were questions about the origin.
In addition, the lawsuit alleges that the numbers stamped on the chassis and engine showed evidence they were after-the-fact additions to the car. Fonts and styles of the lettering were not what was used by Maserati at the time these vehicles were manufactured, the document said.
“[S]Someone attempted to make the vehicle appear authentic by reproducing or stamping a new chassis plate to make the font appear more like that of Maserati at the time, in an apparent attempt to convince a potential buyer that the vehicle was the Number 1241 was document says. “To the best of my knowledge, it was Cole and/or his agents who made these changes.”
The lawsuit also alleges that Cole provided documentation on the car’s authenticity, signed by Maserati expert Fabio Collina. However, this paperwork was apparently for the Real 1241, not the car being traded.
Cole allegedly repeatedly discouraged the Levine Trust from selling the car, the lawsuit says, because he “apparently feared that if the Trust marketed the vehicle, they would eventually reveal the truth about its lack of authenticity and the corresponding decline in ownership.” would experience market value”.
“The identity of the vehicle is at least seriously in doubt,” the lawsuit states. “It’s not the real thing #1241. It may be an original Ghibli Spyder that…someone got their hands on the engine and then stamped the vehicle to try and match it with the engine to match. Or it could simply be a converted Ghibli coupe with the original chassis plate removed and replaced with number plate AM11549S*1241* to make the vehicle more attractive.
“But either way, the vehicle is not authentic, has no identity, and/or has a very questionable identity, which seriously undermines its value.”
Lawyers for former The Voice coach Levine did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
