LOS ANGELES : Court Orders Car Builder to Yield Control of Firm

The maverick sports car designer who in March locked a coup-minded board of directors out of his Vector Aeromotive Corp. was ordered to give up control of the company.

Gerald A. Wiegert, creator of the $450,000 cars, had maintained in court for five months that the directors had no right to fire him from the company he founded.

But Superior Court Judge John Zebrowski ruled that the directors can oust Wiegert, though he has the right to sue them on grounds they breached his contract. He ordered lawyers for Wiegert and the board to confer on the transfer of power.

Wiegert said he would continue his legal fight.