Springsteen drummer Max Weinberg says vintage car restorer stole $125,000 from him

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Bruce Springsteen's drummer, Max Weinberg, is suing the owners of a Florida car restoration company, saying they stole $125,000 by falsely promising him a like-new 1957 Mercedes-Benz and then using his money for personal expenses.

Weinberg is seeking $375,000 from Arthur Siegle, members of his family and their Investment Automotive Group Inc. in a lawsuit filed Sunday in Palm Beach County. The Mercedes-Benz 190SL roadster they claimed they could deliver had significant damage and rust, and they knew it could not be restored to like-new condition when they took Weinberg's $125,000 deposit almost three years ago, according to the lawsuit.

A subsequent law enforcement investigation concluded that the Siegles used little or no money from Weinberg's deposit on restoring the car, but instead paid off credit cards and made deposits to personal accounts. No criminal charges have been filed.

“I guess they figured he's Max Weinberg, million-dollar drummer for Bruce Springsteen, Mighty Max. He can afford to lose $125,000,” Weinberg's attorney, Valentin Rodriguez, said Tuesday.

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," Rodriguez said. He said Weinberg is not an expert on vintage cars but has just always wanted to own one.

Peter Weintraub, the Siegles' attorney, did not respond to an email seeking comment.

Weinberg, 72, is the longtime drummer in Springsteen’s E Street Band and led Conan O’Brien’s band when he hosted “Late Night” and “The Tonight Show.” The musician currently tours with his own show, Max Weinberg’s Jukebox. He is suing under a Florida law that allows triple damages for intentional theft.

According to the lawsuit, Weinberg says that in April 2021, he contacted Siegle and his son, Stuart Siegle, about a 1957 Mercedes-Benz 190SL he understood they were restoring. The 190SL is a convertible manufactured from 1955 to 1963.

Weinberg says he told the Siegles he wanted a Mercedes he could enter at Concours-level shows, which feature cars that have been restored to like-new or better condition using almost entirely original parts. The