Bruce Springsteen's drummer battles Florida car restoration company over 1957 Mercedes-Benz roadster
E Street Band drummer Max Weinberg claims his $125,000 down payment was used for personal expenses and is suing for $375,000
Bruce Springsteen's drummer Max Weinberg is suing the owners of a Florida car restoration company, claiming they promised to restore a vintage car for him and instead used the money for personal expenses.
Earlier this week, Weinberg filed a lawsuit against Investment Automotive Group, stating that the Florida-based company stole $125,000 from him.
According to the musician, the automotive restoration company falsely promised that a 1957 Mercedes-Benz roadster would be brought back to like-new condition, but it failed to deliver.
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Bruce Springsteen's drummer Max Weinberg is suing a Florida automotive repair company. (Getty Images / Getty Images)
In the lawsuit, Weinberg states that in April 2021, he contacted Arthur Siegle and his son, Stuart Siegle, about a 1957 Mercedes-Benz 190SL they were restoring.
This specific Mercedes-Benz model is a convertible manufactured from 1955 to 1963.
The E Street Band drummer made a $125,000 down payment on the final price of $225,000. Once Weinberg learned that the company would not be able to restore the vintage car to the condition he was promised, he canceled the order and demanded a refund.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, featuring Max Weinberg on drums, perform in Philadelphia on Sept. 7, 2016. (Elizabeth Robertson/Philadelphia Inquirer / AP Images)
According to Weinberg, the restoration company refused to refund his down payment, and instead kept the money and spent it on personal expenses.
Weinberg is seeking $375,000 from Arthur Siegle, members of his family and their Investment Automotive Group Inc.
Reps for Weinberg and Siegle did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.
Weinberg says Investment Automotive Group stole $125,000 from him. (Sergione Infuso/Corbis / Getty Images)
Weinberg hired an expert, Pierre Hedary, who found significant rust and evidence that the car had been in an accident and several other major problems.
According to the lawsuit, the company knew of these significant issues with the vehicle prior to taking Weinberg's down payment.
A separate law enforcement investigation in 2022, conducted by Detective Scott Schaefer, found that Siegle used little to no funds from Weinberg's down payment to work on restoring his vehicle, but instead paid off credit card debts and made deposits to personal accounts.
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"I did not find any transactions that could have been attributed to the work being done on (Weinberg's) vehicle," Schaefer wrote in a report that accompanied the lawsuit.
No criminal charges have been filed against Siegle or his automotive company at this time.
According to Weinberg's attorney, Weinberg has never considered himself an expert on vintage cars, but has always wanted to own one. (Jason Kempin/WireImage / Getty Images)
Valentin Rodriguez, Weinberg's attorney, said in a statement on Tuesday: "I guess they figured he's Max Weinberg, million-dollar drummer for Bruce Springsteen, Mighty Max. He can afford to lose $125,000."
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Rodriguez said Siegle "thought he could pull the wool over the eyes of someone who is pretty well-known and wealthy, but Max wasn't just going to sit down and take it."
Per Rodriguez, Weinberg has never considered himself an expert on vintage cars, but has always wanted to own one.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.