Rick Cole duped the “memories” hitmaker after giving him a “fake” 1971 Maserati Ghibli 4.9-liter Spyder in a trade-in deal in 2021.
Adam Levine, Maroon 5’s frontman, is a successful musician in the United States and globally. His “famous” status was insufficient to prevent a high-end classic car dealer, Rick Cole, from duping him in a car deal in 2021. After learning the 1971 Maserati Ghibli 4.9-liter Spyder that he received in a trade-in deal from Rick Cole Auctions is a fake, the famous car-loving pop star feels regret.
Two years after the deal, the “This Love” crooner is suing the dealer, who reportedly was “well aware” of the inauthenticity of the vehicle and proceeded with the deal to make a supernormal profit.
What Led To Levine Suing Classic Car Dealer Rick Cole?
According to the New York Times, the 43-year-old singer traded his 1968 Ferrari 365 GTC and 1972 Ferrari 365 GTC/4 worth $950,000 on January 11, 2021. In exchange, Levine received what he believed was a 1971 4.9-Liter Maserati Ghibli Spyder worth $850 000 and an additional $100,000.
The 4.9-liter Ghibli Spyder is one of the most valuable and desirable classic cars from the 70s for collectors and enthusiasts, with just 25, which Maserati manufactured. Classic and vintage cars are great investments and increase in value with the rarer they get.
The “Lost” singer learned of the inauthenticity of the vehicle when his Adam Levine Living Trust marketed the limited-edition automobile to Autosport Designs in New York. Thorough investigation and inspection revealed authorities pulled out “the 1241” Maserati from an auction in 2015 when questions of its provenance arose.
The Court’s filing indicates that the inauthenticity of Maserati reduced its value to far less than the trust paid for it at the time of purchase. However, Cole has declined to pay Levine the purchase price of $850,000 or reverse the deal, which is why the famous pop star’s trust has resorted to recouping the amount with the lawsuit.
Details Of Adam Levine’s Ghibli Lawsuit
Adam Levine Living Trust filed a lawsuit on Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. It alleged that Rick Cole Auctions faked documentation on a vehicle they presented to him as one of twenty-five 1971 Maserati Ghibli 4.9-liter Spyders ever manufactured.
Cole presented the Maserati to Adam Levine as having the identification number AM115.492.1241. According to the Lawsuit, British luxury car collector Clive Joy bought the vehicle with the stated VIN several years ago. Currently, it is in Switzerland “under the care of the legendary race car driver Christian Traber.”
The Court document indicates the trust is not in the classic car industry, and it was the mandate of the dealer to provide actual and real information vehicle before selling it. Hence, Levine trusted Cole’s word on the vehicle’s authenticity at purchase.
Nevertheless, the suit claims that the prolific classic car dealer knew about the questionable identity of the vehicle but tried to cover it up. “Cole took active steps to fraudulently falsify the vehicle,” the lawsuit alleges. Furthermore, it was apparent that Cole had sold a vehicle with a similar VIN number before the trade-in deal with Levine.
The lawsuit alleges that Cole made several attempts to discourage Levine from selling the automobile for fear he would learn the truth about the vehicle’s authenticity and its subsequent decrease in value. Moreover, the lawsuit alleges that according to a signed document by Maserati expert Fabio Collina, although the paperwork is for the real 1241, the car’s authenticity is in question.
According to the lawsuit, Cole claimed he came across an authentic and clean Maserati Ghibli 4.9 Liter Spyder with a verifiable identity. One Trust representative had seen and driven it approximately a year earlier in Monterey. The dealership valued it at $1 million.
Real Identity Of Adam Levine’s “1971 Maserati Ghibli 4.9-Liter Spyder”
How was the famous Maroon 5 singer duped? “Numbers stamped on the chassis and engine showed evidence that they were after-market additions to the car,” the lawsuit claimed. According to LA Times, the imprints’ styles and fonts differed from those used by Maserati at the time of the car’s production.
If the vehicle Cole sold to Adam Levine is not a 1971 Maserati Ghibli 4.9-liter Spyder, which car could it be? Although the lawsuit does not indicate which car Cole sold to the trust, Levine’s lawyers presented several possibilities for the car’s identity in the lawsuit.
One of their thoughts was that the car could be an original Ghibli Spyder fitted with Maserati’s 4.9-liter engine and its stamping altered to disguise the automobile.
Secondly, it may be a converted Ghibli coupe with a replaced chassis plate. However, it is up to California’s District Court to decide whether it is a “real” 1971 Maserati Ghibli 4.9- Liter Spyder or not.
Sources: New York Times, LA Times
