Bruce Springsteen drummer Max Weinberg claims a Florida garage promised him a “work of art” when restoring a 1957 Mercedes roadster — but instead left him with a rusty clunker, court papers show.
“Mighty Max” Weinberg, 72, said Investment Automotive Group Inc. of Boca Raton promised to give the 190SL gem a much-needed makeover and restore it to “pristine condition” — with owner Stuart Siegle vowing the finished car would be a “work of art,” according to the drummer’s famous Palm Beach County lawsuit, filed earlier this week .
So the longtime drummer for The Boss’s E Street Band signed a contract with the shop on April 9, 2021, and paid it a $125,000 deposit in two checks with the understanding that when the restoration was complete, Weinberg would raise another $100,000 for a total of $225,000 to buy the car, the lawsuit claims.
But the percussionist — who formerly led the band on Conan O’Brien’s “Late Night” and “The Tonight Show” shows — soon sensed something might not be right and told Siegle he wanted to bring in an independent inspector while the work was being done, the lawsuit claims. said.
Bruce Springsteen drummer Max Weinberg claims a Florida garage did such a poor job restoring his 1957 Mercedes-Benz 190SL that he sued the shop, according to a new lawsuit. Getty Images
Weinberg hired a Mercedes expert who inspected the car on May 13, 2021, took pictures of the “defects” that still exist and found the work to be “sloppy” and “improperly finished,” the filing alleges.
In fact, the inspector found numerous issues including that there was still “excessive rust and rust” on the car and that there was an “attempt to conceal” these problems, the suit alleges.
The chassis number had also been “scratched” on the engine block, and the inspector determined the remains were actually from the previous year, the lawsuit said.
Weinberg said he had an independent inspector find that there was still rust and corrosion on the jewel roadster, court papers show. Palm Beach County Court
There are additional mismatched parts including wheels from 1962 and 1964 versus 1957 and various other problems with the restoration, court papers allege, while including photos of the alleged issues.
The inspector “concluded that any attempt to repair or restore was shoddy, improper, and not to Mercedes specifications,” the suit said.
“I think they thought he was Max Weinberg, the million dollar drummer for Bruce Springsteen, Mighty Max. He can afford to lose $125,000,” Weinberg’s attorney, Valentin Rodriguez, told The Associated Press.
Siegle “thought he could impress someone famous and rich enough, but Max wasn’t just going to sit back and take it,” Rodriguez said.
Weinberg and his attorney notified Siegle on July 21, 2021, that they were canceling the deal and demanding the drummer return $125,000, the suit said. But to date, they still haven’t seen the money, court documents allege.
Inspector Weinberg allegedly found rust and corrosion. Palm Beach County Court Examiners found that the car was actually a 1956 model and that the serial number had been scratched off the engine block, court papers allege. Palm Beach County Court
A law enforcement investigation eventually found that Siegel did not use all the money for the restoration project but transferred at least some of the dough to a personal account and then to another family member — who used the money to buy a car, the suit claims.
No criminal charges have been filed against the defendants in the case. But a detective recommended that another family member, Arthur Siegle, be charged with grand theft in that situation, the lawsuit said.
The Broward State Attorney’s Office said the case is under review.
Weinberg canceled the restitution agreement in July, but to date, he has not been refunded his $125,000 deposit, the suit says. TNS
The vehicle was eventually sold to another person through an auction website on Dec. 22, 2022, according to court papers.
Weinberg is now suing the company, Siegle and members of Siegle’s family for a total of $375,000.
Rodriguez said Weinberg is not an expert in vintage cars but has always wanted to own one.
An attorney for the defendants did not immediately return the Post’s request for comment Friday.
With Postal wire
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
