At 73, Wayne Carini Breaks His Silence on the Legal Battles That Nearly DESTROYED His Reputation | HO!!

A gleaming garage. Walls lined with million-dollar automobiles. Wayne Carini—the trusted face of “Chasing Classic Cars”—stands proudly among them. To the world, he’s the unshakable gentleman of the collector car scene: polished, passionate, and precise. But behind the curtain of glossy TV edits and concours-level fenders, cracks began to show.

Whispers of lawsuits, accusations of botched deals, and a name once synonymous with integrity now dragged through courtroom battles and online forums. Was it bad luck, misplaced trust, or something deeper—more entangled in the high-stakes game of vintage car collecting?

Today, at 73, Wayne Carini is finally ready to break his silence. This is the story you didn’t see on television—the one where reputations hang by a thread, hard lessons are learned, and the empire behind one of America’s most beloved restorers is put to the test.

The Rise of a Collector Icon

For decades, Wayne Carini built his legacy on an uncanny ability to revive vintage vehicles. His passion, encyclopedic knowledge, and camera-friendly persona made him a trusted icon in the classic car restoration world. Through his series “Chasing Classic Cars,” Wayne gave viewers a rare, unfiltered look into the glamour and grit of resurrecting automotive history. In an industry where every car has a story and every deal is a leap of faith, Carini’s reputation for honesty was his most valuable currency.

But when trust is the foundation of your empire, what happens when that trust is suddenly tested?

The Pierce-Arrow Controversy: A Deal Gone Wrong

For Wayne Carini, the first cracks appeared in 2010 with a seemingly standard transaction involving a rare 1934 Pierce-Arrow coupe—a deal that would unravel into a tangled mess of fraud, confusion, and unintended consequences.

The origins of this controversy trace back to Australian collector Robert Richmond, who paid $98,000 upfront for the Pierce-Arrow. The deal was facilitated by an acquaintance, Gary Dixo, who—rather than completing the sale—listed the car under his own name, effectively cutting Richmond out. Years passed. Richmond never received his car.

In 2017, as Dixo faced mounting financial troubles, the Pierce-Arrow resurfaced. This time, Dixo decided to sell it—without ever informing Richmond. Enter Wayne Carini, brought in to appraise the car.

Unaware of its tainted backstory, Wayne valued it between $110,000 and $120,000 and eventually purchased it himself. At the time, Dixo had the paperwork—albeit fraudulently obtained—and Wayne, trusting the documents, moved forward. That trust would soon come back to haunt him.

In 2018, Richmond finally tracked down the vehicle and was stunned to discover it had changed hands. His long-simmering frustration exploded into a lawsuit that named Wayne Carini, F40 Motorsports, and several others as defendants. The court began to peel back the layers, investigating not just Dixo’s shady actions but the web of ownership that had surrounded the Pierce-Arrow for nearly a decade.

Caught in the Crossfire

As it turned out, Wayne Carini had acted in good faith, relying on seemingly legitimate paperwork. Court filings reviewed by the Hartford Courant later confirmed Wayne had committed no wrongdoing. Still, to help settle the matter, he was required to contribute to a refund of the original payment—an expensive lesson in how quickly trust can be exploited in the collector car market.

This episode sent a jolt through the restoration world. Here was a veteran—respected and admired—caught in the crossfire of a deal gone bad. Though the courts cleared his name, the damage lingered. Wayne’s reputation—his most valuable asset—had taken a hit. The case exposed a critical vulnerability in the industry: without airtight documentation and ethical transparency, even the most careful players can be ensnared in legal chaos.

In an industry where every car has a history and every buyer needs assurance, the smallest oversight can ripple into something much bigger. Wayne later spoke about the importance of documentation, noting that in many cases, dealers must trust the paperwork provided to them.

“You can’t always know the full history of a car,” he told the Hartford Courant, “but you rely on the documents as proof.” His words revealed the high-wire act of vintage car sales—one where professionals operate in good faith, yet remain exposed to deception.

The Luggage That Wasn’t There

The Pierce-Arrow wasn’t the only thorn in Wayne’s side. In 2011, another dispute emerged—this time over a 2007 Lamborghini Gallardo. The car was advertised with a rare, high-end luggage package supposedly valued at $88,000—a detail that became a key selling point. The buyer, enticed by the offer, completed the purchase expecting the exclusive add-on. But when the car arrived, the luggage was missing.

Attempts to rectify the issue were slow, plagued by inconsistent communication and vague updates. The buyer, growing frustrated, turned to Lamborghini Talk—a well-trafficked automotive forum—and aired his grievances. He detailed the communication breakdown and the missing luxury accessories, sparking a flurry of speculation and criticism from fellow car enthusiasts.

Eventually, F40 Motorsports made good, shipping the luggage and a spare key via FedEx. But the damage was done. Though this matter never reached a courtroom, it quietly chipped away at the company’s once-flawless reputation. Some online commentators began describing F40 Motorsports as trustworthy but overwhelmed—prone to oversights that can cost dearly when clients are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The Fallout: Reputation on the Line

For Wayne Carini, these events weren’t just professional headaches—they were existential threats. In the tight-knit classic car world, collectors talk. Doubt, once introduced, spreads like rust. The very pillars of Wayne’s career—his honesty, his reliability, his expertise—were suddenly under review.

The media coverage, while not as explosive as mainstream automotive scandals, was enough to underscore how precarious the collector car business truly is. Deals worth millions often rest on a handshake and a promise. And in that space, trust isn’t just important—it’s everything.

Realizing the dangers of a business built on paper trails and verbal assurances, Wayne and his team took action. F40 Motorsports adopted stricter documentation practices, streamlined client communication, and implemented procedures designed to ensure that mistakes—no matter how minor—wouldn’t slip through the cracks again.

These weren’t just cosmetic changes. They marked a turning point—a recalibration of how Wayne Karini approached his business. It was a necessary evolution, born from hard-earned lessons.

Wayne Carini Breaks His Silence

Now, at 73, Wayne Carini reflects on the legal battles that nearly destroyed his reputation. Speaking candidly for the first time, he admits the toll was personal as well as professional. “It’s a terrible feeling when your integrity is questioned,” he says. “I’ve always tried to do right by my clients and by the cars themselves. But sometimes, even with the best intentions, things can go wrong.”

Carini acknowledges that the collector car world is a minefield. “You can do everything right and still get burned,” he says. “That’s why documentation and transparency are so important. We’re not just selling cars—we’re selling trust.”

He also addresses the online criticism that followed the Lamborghini and Pierce-Arrow incidents. “The internet never forgets,” he says. “But I hope people see that we made things right. We learned. We changed. That’s all you can do.”

Lessons for an Industry

The story of Wayne Carini is a cautionary tale for anyone in the high-stakes world of collector cars. Even the most respected names can find themselves in the crosshairs of litigation, online scrutiny, and public doubt. The difference is how they respond.

For Carini, the answer was not to retreat, but to adapt. F40 Motorsports is still in business, still restoring and selling some of the world’s most coveted automobiles. The team is more vigilant than ever, knowing that in this industry, a single misstep can have lasting consequences.

As AutoWeek once noted, in the world of collector cars, trust is fragile. Wayne Carini knows that better than anyone. His reputation may have been tested, but his resolve remains unbroken.

Conclusion: The Man Behind the Myth

Wayne Carini’s journey through legal battles and public scrutiny is a reminder that even legends are human. The empire he built was nearly toppled by forces beyond his control—but through humility, adaptation, and a renewed commitment to transparency, he’s managed to weather the storm.

At 73, Wayne Carini stands not just as a restorer of classic cars, but as a restorer of trust. The lessons learned from his darkest days now guide his every deal. And for those who still believe in the magic of a handshake and the promise of a better tomorrow, Wayne Carini remains a name worth trusting—battle scars and all.