Craig Breedlove and his historic, land speed record busting Spirit Of America are back in the news again but for very different reasons than you may expect. Breedlove is suing the Museum of Science and Industry for nearly $400,000 due to alleged damage that was done to the car over the course of its near half century stay at the museum. This is a story that starts in 1965. Breedlove became a national hero after breaking the 500mph barrier and doing so as a good looking, young, California hot rodder. The car he had mostly built at his home became a symbol of the hot rodding spirit and the ingenuity of motivated kids around the country.
The guy was a knight in shining armor and his steed was the patriotically named Spirit of America. We can only imagine the number of museums and places that wanted to host this car but for his own reasons, Breedlove sent this car to the museum of Science and Industry where it stayed from 1965 until just last fall.
Breedlove claims that after getting the car back and inspecting it, there was significant damage to the vehicle after its stay in the museum and he wants the money to fix the machine. Among the claims in the lawsuit are that graffiti has been carved into aluminum surfaces, body panels no longer fit, the driver’s seat is gone, the frame had been altered and shoddily repaired in some way, among other things.
This is an interesting case. We know of people who have loaned cars to museums for periods of time but never 50 years. A judge recently ruled that the suit could continue. We’re going to follow this story to see what happens next.
Thanks to Bil Swanson for the tip!
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE STORY ON THE SUIT
After watching an interview with Breedlove a while back, I think he needs to make a doctors appointment and get his carotids checked. I can believe the graffiti and the missing seat, but frame repair and ill fitting panels ?
With a murder rate more than LA and NYC combined, would you expect the museum to be run any better run. With apology to Chicagans , to an outsider, the ” Windy City” seems unliveable.
After what the now deceased Steve Fossett did to his last Spirit of America (the one going after the speed of sound) after selling it to him, I can see why Breedlove wants his cars back. Fossett gave it to some shop for alterations before he vanished. The shop pretty much destroyed to the point that Breedlove said he couldn’t repair it enough to be a museum piece.
The last spirit of America is currnelty on display at the wings of the rockies museum here in Denver and it is not in good shape.
Chicago has some nice places, the museum was amazing, last we were there.
I think Breedlove is being a whiner. When you put something out in front of the public you need to be doing it for your own reasons and expect to take some risks and damage as well as enjoying the gain or whatever you\’re getting from the publicity. Storage for fifty years for that thing and having his name kept pertinent and known to new generations is worth quite a bit too…maybe 395K?
If he could build it in the first place he can do a few repairs now easy enough.
Leave your car someplace for 50 years then complain it isn’t right? He’s not right.
The museum must take care of the items they have accepted responsibility to secure and protect. They need to make this right.
Show me the carfax!!!
Missing seat?? Where were they displaying it? Parking lot?