Jerry Seinfeld is being sued for allegedly selling an “inauthentic” Porsche for $1.5 million, in which he failed to reimburse the buyer after the discovery, according to a suit filed in Manhattan Federal Court. New York Daily News reports that the car in question is a 1958 Porsche 356 A 1500 GS/GT Carrera Speedster. The vehicle was present at the Gooding & Co. March 2016 Amelia Island auction, dedicated to the “Jerry Seinfeld Collection” of cars.
The green Porsche coupe was marketed as “one of 56” that were factory-built with “lightweight aluminum panels,” the suit said. “This exceptionally rare 1500 GS/GT Carrera Speedster is surely among the finest restored examples of a highly sought-after four-cam Porsche,” the marketing material read.
Seinfeld was present at the auction, witnessing the vehicle being sold to a Brazilian company called Fica Frio. During the auction Spike Feresten, host of a show dedicated to classic cars and the former writer/producer on “Seinfeld,” even stated that “Jerry has been generous enough to let me drive an awful lot of his collection,” according to the suit. “And I can tell you: They’re real and they’re spectacular.”
After Fica Frio purchased the car, they had a “Porsche expert” examine the car in March of 2017 to prepare for a sale, in which they ultimately discovered it’s “not authentic,” per the suit. Robb Report notes the suit also cited a lack of photos during the restoration, adding that Seinfeld left a voicemail this past June, apologizing for the “nuisance.”
“[I] assure you that you will be completely indemnified in full and not have to keep the car and get all your money back,” Seinfeld reportedly said. “I did want to apologize to you personally for that happening. [I] would also love to know how your guys figured it out because…my guys did not, I guess, see anything amiss with the car when I bought it.”
However, he never followed through with this alleged statement, resulting in the company filing a suit. Seinfeld’s lawyer released a statement regarding this issue, claiming the “Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee” host has been working “in good faith” to resolve this “frivolous” lawsuit, adding, “Nevertheless, Jerry is willing to do what’s right and fair and we are confident the court will support the need for an outside evaluator to examine the provenance of the car.”