Rare Porsche racing and sports cars from Jerry Seinfeld’s collection are amongst the highlights of the 2016 Gooding Amelia Island classic car auction. A 1973 Porsche 917/30 Can-Am Spyder (estimate $5,000,000 – $7,000,000) and a 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder (estimate $5,000,000 – $6,000,000) are likely to be the top results from this remarkable collection of very special Porsche cars.
Jerry Seinfeld Porsche Collection at Gooding Amelia Island 2016
Gooding traditionally has done well with Porsche cars at Amelia Island and 2016 will be no exception. Although the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider (estimate $15,000,000 – $17,000,000) is likely to take the headline highest price and set a new Amelia Island auction week record, a fine selection of 29 Porsches will be on offer of which half is likely to sell for more than a million.
Gooding will offer 14 Porsche’s from comedian Jerry Seinfeld’s automobile collection – the majority is expected to achieve results in excess of a million.
1973 Porsche 917/30 Can-Am Spyder
A 1973 Porsche 917/30 Can-Am Spyder (estimate $5,000,000 – $7,000,000) is the most-expensive car on offer from the Jerry Seinfeld collection and is likely to be after the Ferrari California Spider the top result at the Gooding 2016 Amelia Island sale.
The 1973 Porsche 917/30 Can-Am Spyders were with 5,374 cc air-cooled flat 12-cylinder engines producing 1200 BHP the most powerful road-racing Porsche ever built. Only six were produced in cooperation with the Roger Penske Racing team that won six races in a row in such car in 1973.
The 1973 Porsche 917/30 Can-Am Spyder on offer, however, was sold new to an Australian Porsche dealer who never seriously raced the car in period. Porsche re-acquired the car in 1991 and refinished it in the colorful Sunoco livery worn by the Penske racing cars before using it in historic races.
The Porsche was last exhibited in 2006 – at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance.
1955 Porsche 550 Spyder
Another Seinfeld Collection racing Porsche is expected to sell for similar money. The 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder (estimate $5,000,000 – $6,000,000) is in a very original condition and Jerry Seinfeld was only its third owner.
The early history of this 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder is unknown and it is thus unlikely that the Porsche actively raced in period. Only around 75 of these 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder with coachwork by Wendler were produced with the car ideally suited for regular road use as well as racing on track (which made a dent in the number surviving).
RM Sotheby’s sold a 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder for above estimate $3 million at the 2016 Paris sale.
1959 Porsche 718 RSK
The 1959 Porsche 718 RSK (estimate $3,800,000 – $4,200,000) is even more rare and comes with an impressive in-period racing history. It competed in 18 races in North America with results including the first race victory for Roger Penske.
The restored 1959 Porsche 718 RSK has been in Jerry Seinfeld’s collection since 2001. He frequently participated with it at historic racing events.
1958 Porsche 356 A 1500 GS/GT Carrera Speedster
The 1958 Porsche 356 A 1500 GS/GT Carrera Speedster (estimate $2,000,000 – $2,500,000) is in rare specification. Only 151 (around 3%) of the 356 Speedsters were in Carrera specification, of which only 90 were in GS/GT trim, of which only 56 had lightweight aluminum panels and only 14 were fitted with the Type 692/0 four-cam engine. It may also be the only example to have left the factory finished in auratium green.
2000 Porsche Carrera GT Prototype
Jerry Seinfeld bought the 2000 Porsche Carrera GT Prototype (estimate $1,500,000 – $2,250,000) directly from Porsche in 2007. Only two of these prototypes were built but this was the only one completed as a running model. Walter Röhrl famously drove it down the Champs Elysées en route to the Paris Auto Show in 2000. Unfortunately, Porsche removed the ECU from the engine-management system before selling it to Seinfeld. The car is thus undrivable and all subsequent buyers must agree to keep the car undrivable and at any future sale Porsche will have the right of first refusal.
How much is the undrivable Prototype worth compared to an immaculate, low-mileage production car? A 2005 Porsche Carrera GT will be offered in the same sale with an estimate of $775,000 – $925,000 (not from the Seinfeld Collection) with Bonhams and RM Sotheby’s each having one on offer too at Amelia Island.
Mecum sold a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT for just over $1 million at Monterey 2015. At least five 2005 Porsche Carrera GTs were offered for sale thus far in 2016 with $980,000 at Gooding Scottsdale 2016 the highest result.
1990 Porsche 962C
The 1990 Porsche 962C (estimate $1,500,000 – $2,000,000) was run by Joest Racing with Porsche factory support. In the 1990 FIA World Sports-Protoype championship it was driven by Bob Wollek and Frank Jelinski finishing mostly between fourth and seventh. In the 1991 Interserie Championship John Winter had more success including overall victory at Siegerland. Although Jerry Seinfelfd carefully maintained the 962C, it was only occasionally used during private outings at Willow Springs Raceway.
1974 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 IROC RSR
The 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 IROC RSR (estimate $1,200,000 – $1,500,000) is one of only 15 RSRs specially built for Roger Penske’s IROC series. It was raced in period and is presented in its original light-yellow color scheme. The car is road registered and Seinfeld claimed it was one of his favorite cars to use.
1997 Porsche 993 Cup 3.8 RSR
The 1997 Porsche 993 Cup 3.8 RSR (estimate $1,200,000 – $1,500,000) was the final evolution of the normally aspirated, air-cooled Porsche 911 racing engine. Only 45 examples were built with Jerry Seinfeld only the third owner. Neither of the car’s first Japanese owners ever raced the car leaving it in a magnificent original condition with less than 6,000 km on the clock.
1963 Porsche 356 B 2000 GS/GT Carrera 2 Coupe
Jerry Seinfeld’s 1963 Porsche 356 B 2000 GS/GT Carrera 2 Coupe (estimate $1,100,000 – $1,400,000) is one of 300 made but also one of a select few originally built with lightweight aluminum panels and other high-performance components including Plexiglas windows and special gear ratios. The car has its original blue leatherette (vinyl) interior with the correct silver metallic paintwork.
1994 Porsche 964 Turbo 3,6 S Flachbau
The 1994 Porsche 964 Turbo 3,6 S Flachbau (estimate $1,000,000 – $1,300,000) is one of 76 examples built, of which only 39 were in US specification. The three owners of this car – including currently Jerry Seinfeld – have driven only 12,500 miles in the Porsche.