Was Adam Levine the victim of a scam?

Scam or not? It will be a judge who decides. Adam Levine, the lead singer of Maroon 5, is convinced that he is the victim of a hoax. However, it is not all that easy to understand what went wrong.

The story begins with a very typical multi-millionaire hobby. The Maroon 5 singer is in love with classic cars and has an enviable collection.

At the end of 2020, Adam Levine had the opportunity to expand his collection with an exclusive model: a 1971 Maserati Ghibli 4.9 Spyder.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the singer was assured that only 25 units of this model had been manufactured. Its exclusivity made it an even more coveted piece.

To get hold of the 1971 Maserati Ghibli 4.9 Spyder, valued at $850,000, the singer decided to deliver two Italian jewels.

He handed over a 1972 Ferrari 365 GTC/4 and a 1968 Ferrari 365 GTC which, being valued at $950,000 together, meant that Adam Levine would receive his Maserati and they would have to give him $100,000 back.

Yet, as the LA Times reports, everything went wrong when Adam Levine began to suspect that the 1971 Maserati Ghibli 4.9 Spyder was not the model that Rick Cole, a well-known classic car salesman, had promised him.

The 'Adam Levine Living Trust', the society that manages the singer's activity, decided, at the request of the artist himself, to sue Rick Cole for misrepresentation, breach of contract, and fraudulent concealment.

Photo: Instagram - @adamlevine

The LA Times read the court order in which the claim was made. It demands rescinding the sale of the 1971 Maserati Ghibli 4.9 Spyder or compensation for damages of at least $ 850,000.

What led Adam Levine to suspect that something might be wrong with his 1971 Maserati Ghibli 4.9 Spyder? The chassis number.

Photo: Instagram - @adamlevine

The Los Angeles Times cites the lawsuit in stating that the numbers on the chassis and engine appear to have been added by someone other than Maserati.

Photo: Instagram - @adamlevine

Basically, Adam Levine argues that both the typography and print styles are not what Maserati used in the early 70s on these models.

In addition, the lawsuit points out that the real 1971 Maserati Ghibli 4.9 Spyder, known as 'The 1241', has been in the hands of Clive Joy, a well-known British luxury vehicle collector, for years.

Photo: Instagram - @adamlevine

The legal representation of Adam Levine points out that the original model is in Switzerland and is part of the Clive Joy collection. It adds that the car is "currently under the care of the legendary race car driver Christian Traber."

For this reason, Adam Levine's lawyers request compensation. They consider that Levine's Maserati has lost value due to these uncertainties generated by the numbering.

Photo: Instagram - @adamlevine

The LA Times reports that Adam Levine got even more suspicious after he had a talk with Rick Cole and told him he might resell the 1971 Maserati Ghibli 4.9 Spyder. Cole tried to dissuade him from doing so, which Levine found strange.

Photo: Instagram - @adamlevine

The singer's lawyers confirm that Adam Levine is not a specialist in classic cars. He depends on the advice of Rick Cole, whose website claims that similar deals were made by people as famous as Robin Williams, Frank Sinatra, and Jay Leno.

Photo: Web - Rick Cole