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"<p>The first man in history to drive a car 600 miles per hour\nis trying to put the brakes on his relationship with Chicago\u2019s Museum of\nScience and Industry, alleging in a lawsuit that a car he used in his attempts\nto break the land speed record and loaned to the museum suffered significant\ndamage while in the museum\u2019s care.&nbsp;</p>\n\n<p>Norman Craig Breedlove, a five-time holder of world land\nspeed records, filed a complaint against MSI June 3 in federal court in\nChicago, alleging the institution failed to adequately protect a car he loaned\nit in the 1960s. Currently a California resident, Breedlove said the Spirit of\nAmerica automobile MSI displayed for years now is severely damaged, requiring nearly\n$400,000 in repairs and restoration.&nbsp;</p>\n\n<p>Breedlove\u2019s complaint details his involvement in pursuing\nand establishing land speed records, including being motivated by John F.\nKennedy\u2019s speeches, partnerships with Shell Oil and Goodyear and how he\ninspired the Beach Boys to record the song \u201CSpirit of America\u201D on their\ncar-themed 1963 album \u201CLittle Deuce Coupe.\u201D&nbsp;</p>\n\n<p>In 1964, Breedlove was driving 539.89 mph when he crashed;\nan event the complaint notes \u201Cwas highly publicized internationally.\u201D The Spirit\nof America car from that crash was shipped to \u201Cto the legendary Quinn Epperly\u2019s\nprofessional race car fabrication facility in Gardena, Calif., \u2026 for repairs\nand modifications.\u201D&nbsp;</p>\n\n<p>Breedlove planned to attempt exceeding 600 mph in 1965, but\ninstead Shell and Goodyear told him MSI was interested in having the car on\nloan for a Spirit of America exhibit. So the car was cleaned and repaired, but\nnot restored to driving condition. Breedlove and MSI reached an oral agreement\nin August 1965 stipulating Breedlove\u2019s written consent would be required for\ndisplaying the car anywhere aside from MSI, the car would remain available for\nmotion picture filming requests and if the car were to go off display, it would\nbe returned to Breedlove.&nbsp;</p>\n\n<p>The car stayed on display until October 2015. In a letter\nannouncing plans end the exhibit, MSI wrote it had \u201Cendeavored to be good\nstewards of the Spirit \u2014 and (it) continues to be in mint condition even after\n50 years of public display!\u201D MSI offered to either return the Spirit of America,\nact as his agent in selling the car or accept permanent possession as a\ndonation. Breedlove elected to have the car sent to him in Rio Vista, Calif.,\nand it arrived Oct. 30.&nbsp;</p>\n\n<p>Earlier that month, Breedlove visited the car at MSI, at\nwhich time \u201Che observed a significant amount of damage in the nature of\nexterior panels that were not fitting properly, stretched intake duct mountings\nfor the jet engine, which appeared to have come from people putting their feet\non or into the jet engine intake ducts and standing on them, and other cosmetic\ndamage.\u201D&nbsp;</p>\n\n<p>Breedlove alleges the museum allowed children to have\n\u201Cunimpeded physical access\u201D to the car, and \u201Cmany carved their names and\nmiscellaneous graffiti on the vehicle\u2019s historic hand-formed, aluminum skin\npanels and custom historic paint surfaces.\u201D He further said MSI had the skin\npanels \u201Crepaired and repainted by incompetent and unqualified personnel,\nthereby resulting in further damage.\u201D He also said at some point the \u201Cframe had\nbeen unprofessionally cut and re-welded\u201D and that several parts and accessories\nwere missing. A restoration shop pegged the cost to repair and recreate the\nmissing parts at more than $395,000.&nbsp;</p>\n\n<p>Breedlove seeks at least $395,000, as well as punitive and\nexemplary damages and legal fees. His complaint alleges gross negligence, breach\nof fiduciary duty, breach of contract and breach of implied covenant of good\nfaith. &nbsp;</p>\n\n<p>Attorneys for Breedlove are Freeman, Freeman &amp; Smiley, of\nLos Angeles; and Horwood Marcus &amp; Berk Chartered, of Chicago.</p>"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://cookcountyrecord.com/stories/510785566-legendary-driver-breedlove-says-museum-of-science-industry-allowed-historic-jet-car-to-be-damaged>