Suit claims vintage vehicle lacked advertised engine

GALVESTON - Claiming he bought a vintage vehicle that did not have the features that were represented, Ron Houck has filed a lawsuit.

Recent court documents filed Nov. 7 in Galveston County Court at Law No. 2 show Leo Lasher, doing business as Auto World, sold Houck a 1969 AMC AMX only for the plaintiff to discover the car apparently lacked features listed in a specification sheet.

Houck says the defendant informed him prior to the transaction in question the vehicle had a "real 390 CI V-8 engine", however, "it had a much smaller engine and these facts could not be known to anyone but [the respondent]."

The suit adds the complainant paid $13,500, which supposedly was not the real price as the car "was of a much lower value because of the much smaller engine and in fact was of no value to a collector."

"This automobile is one that collectors value the much larger engine at a much higher value and [the plaintiff] would not have bought this automobile had he known that the engine was so small," the original petition says.

A jury trial is requested.

Attorney Wilbur H. Dunten with the Dunten Law Firm in Dickinson is representing Houck, and Galveston County Court at Law No. 2 Judge Barbara Roberts is presiding over the case.

Cause No. 68,683