Saturday, March 5, 2016

These 5 Jerry Seinfeld Porsches Could Sell for Over $17 Million

BOLD RIDE

Copyright © 2016 Bold Ride LLC.
 
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The vintage Porsche market is about to get much, much hotter. On March 11th, comedian, celebrity and Porsche fanatic Jerry Seinfeld will sell off a portion of his famed automobile collection at Gooding & Company’s Amelia Island Auction. 
 
18 rare cars in total will cross the block, and based on their estimated sale prices, the entire lot is expected to fetch well over $25 million, perhaps even closer to $32 million with competitive bidding. Some highlights include a “Brumos” edition Porsche 911 GT3 4.0, a 1964 Volkswagen Camper, a 1958 Porsche military vehicle, and a rare 1974 Porsche 911 IROC RSR race car.

However, five cars in particular are expected to lead this auction’s top-dollar charge into the history books, and here they are—estimated to bring over $17 million on their own when the gavel drops.


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1973 Porsche 917/30 Can-Am Spyder
 
 Estimate: $5,000,000 – $7,000,000
Performance figures don’t get much crazier than this. Following Porsche and Roger Penske Racing’s 1972 Can-Am championship, the German powerhouse overhauled its Can-Am car, creating what driving legend Mark Donohue would call “the perfect race car.”

Its turbocharged flat-12 engine pumped out 1,200 horsepower, rocketed the 1,765 pound car from zero to 60 mph in 2.1 seconds, and could achieve speeds in excess of 240 mph. It’s simply the most powerful road-racing Porsche ever built, and it’s one of only six ever built.



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1955 Porsche 550 Spyder

 Estimate: $5,000,000 – $6,000,000


Few cars come steeped in quite as much history as Porsche’s monumental 550 Spyder, a car truly deserving of its “Giant Killer” nickname. And Seinfeld’s bright blue Spyder is likely one of the finest in the world. Early in its life it belonged to a wealthy New England gold heir, and over the past five decades it has enjoyed just three owners… and covered only 10,500 miles.
“You can’t drive a sonnet by Shakespeare or a symphony by Beethoven,” says Seinfeld. “But this would be the automotive equivalent.” Agreed.


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1959 Porsche 718 RSK

 Estimate: $3,800,000 – $4,200,000


Didn’t think Porsche could improve on perfection? It could, and it was the sleek 718 RSK that replaced the Porsche 550 in racing. Streamlined, faster, and more powerful—the 718s took scads of sports car wins and podium finishes in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, this car in particular. Roger Penske raced this 718 RSK (the 19th built) to multiple class and overall wins.

Jerry Seinfeld acquired the car in 2001, and it’s said to have seen regular racing exercise over the years. It even featured on an episode of Seinfeld’s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.


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1958 Porsche 356 A 1500 GS/GT Carrera Speedster

 Estimate: $2,000,000 – $2,500,000


This 356’s clean lines hide a pedigreed personality. The Speedster houses Porsche’s racing-derived Carrera four-cam engine, and its GS/GT moniker signifies a few choice competition add-ons, such as an 80-liter fuel tank, 60mm racing brakes, and for 1958—alloy body panels.

According to the auction house, this gorgeous car is one of only 56 built with the lightweight body panels and it’s believed to be the only one painted in this gorgeous Auratium Green hue. It has indeed been restored, and the process is said to have taken three years.



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2000 Porsche Carrera GT Prototype

 Estimate: $1,500,000 – $2,250,000


One of only two Carrera GT prototypes built by Porsche, this car ironically is said to share no components with its road-going Carrera GT descendants. Instead of a 5.7-liter V10, the prototype houses a 3.5-liter unit nicked from Porsche’s LMP 2000 racing project. It was even driven by rally legend Walter Röhrl down France’s Champs-Élysées, before it debuted at the 2000 Paris Auto Show.

Jerry Seinfeld purchased the car directly from Porsche in 2007, and given that its ECU was removed at that time (remember, it’s a prototype), that triumphant V10 hasn’t fired up since.

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All images copyright and courtesy of Gooding & Company.

Lead image and GS/GT Speedster photo by Brian Henniker.


Can-Am Spyder, 550 Spyder, 718 RSK and Carrera GT photos by Mathieu Heurtault.





 

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