America has been in love and fascinated with Jerry Seinfeld for as long as anyone can remember. He's a successful actor, producer, and television host. Jerry is also a famous stand-up comedian. The producer also starred in his self-titled hit sitcom, Seinfeld, which won several awards, including Golden Globe Awards, Primetime Emmy Awards, and Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Updated September 2022: Jerry Seinfeld is one of the most celebrated comedians in the United States and globally, but in car circles, the comedian is particularly famous for his enormous car collection. We've updated this article to share a few little-known facts about Jerry Seinfeld and his car collection.
Besides the screen popularity, Jerry Seinfeld is among a few celebrities with incredible car collections. When the bank account is bulging with lots of money, all people think of, at least most, going on a shopping spree for the finest things available. While Jerry did relatively the same, his case differs from most people's; the celebrated comedian goes on a shopping spree for the finest cars. The guy owns an impressive car collection that only a few celebrities can rival.
And although the celebrity seems to be a public person, very few have the slightest details about Jerry Seinfeld's car collection. In this article, we highlight a few facts about his car collection.
16 How Many Cars Are In Jerry's Collection?
Many people buy cars for convenience purposes. All they want from an automobile is to move from point A to B quickly. For celebrities such as Jerry, the goal is different. The guy loves cars, and since he can afford them, he buys them. As of 2022, Jerry's collection has a total of 150 vehicles.
However, what remains unclear is when Seinfeld started buying so many cars. Meanwhile, he is among celebrities who own the world's most expensive cars. Seinfeld has always been fascinated with classic cars, so his collection has several impressive rare models. He also takes the time to restore and maintain every single car in his fleet.
15 The Massive 2016 Porsche Auction
Seinfeld may love his cars a great deal. However, that doesn't mean he's never willing to part with them, especially if it adds $22 million to his bank account. Seinfeld put some of his beloved vehicles up for auction in 2016.
Jerry's collections comprise some of the most awesome Porsches in the world. He sold 16 of these, plus two Volkswagens. Among the top cars sold during the auction was a 1973 Porsche 917/30 Can-Am Spyder that fetched $3 million and a 1975 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 IROC RSR, which sold for $2.3 million.
14 Jerry's Collections Comprises Several Awesome Porsches
If there is a carmaker that Seinfeld loves, it's the Porsche. At one point, the TV show host owned as many as 46 Porsche models. Although the exact models of all 46 remain unknown, the fleet is said to include several rare models, including the first 911 produced in 1963.
Seinfeld loves Porsche's ability to approach car design with minimalism. According to him, every line on a Porsche makes sense – it deserves to be there. Seinfeld has also praised Porsche for its efficiency, aerodynamics, and grace. As the comedian would put it, Porsche is "the essence of sports-car perfection."
13 He Keeps His Car In A Three-Story Building In Manhattan
For a car collection of such size, it makes sense that Seinfeld doesn't just park everything around his estate. Instead, he purchased a small building at 138 W. 834d St. in New York in 1999, a three-story building home to his beloved automobiles.
Seinfeld acquired the building for nearly $1 million and spent almost $500,000 on renovation. The building has enough parking space and four separate areas used as garages. With 150 cars, it is no surprise that he needs such massive space to house them.
12 There's A Dedicated Fleet Management Team For The Collection
Love is expensive. And it doesn't matter what someone loves. Jerry Seinfeld knows this, so he has hired a dedicated team to watch over his cars. The fleet management team is charged with looking after these cars. They maintain them and make sure they are in perfect order daily.
Although further details about Seinfeld's fleet management team are unknown, one thing is sure. They enjoy doing what he hired them to do. The Manhattan garage also boasts an 850-square-foot living quarter which features a kitchenette, a bathroom, and a club room with a pool table.
11 He Featured Several Cars From His Collection In His TV Show
Seinfeld's show, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, aired from July 2012 to July 2019, featured impressive classic cars. And as expected, Seinfeld couldn't pass up on the opportunity to show off some of the vintage cars from his collection.
One of the cars Seinfeld drove onscreen was the iconic 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS. The current value for this legend is between $563,899 and $975,000. The 911 Carrera RS is of the ultra-rare Porsches ever made. In the Comedian in Cars Getting Coffee, Jerry popularly picked up his guests in a unique ride, such as the VW Camper Van or a classic GMC Gremlin.
10 Seinfeld Came Up With His Latest Show While Picking Up A Volkswagen To Add To The Collection
Jerry Seinfeld's show, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, was, undoubtedly, a classic hit. Before the show concluded in 2019, it had already recorded 11 seasons. It featured several A-lister guests such as Jim Carrey, Tina Fey, Sarah Silverman, Steve Martin, and even President Barack Obama.
Many people aren't aware of this, but Seinfeld conceived the show's idea while picking up a car for his collection. According to an interview with Huffington Post, he was driving back with a friend from Albuquerque, New Mexico. They had just picked a Volkswagen Bug. During this drive, the men videotaped themselves, and boom, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee was born.
9 The Car Collection Included One Of The Priciest Volkswagen Camper Ever
Besides the exotic classic sports cars and a light military vehicle, Seinfeld owns exclusive cars in his collection. He had a classic camper van, a 1964 Volkswagenpowered by a 1,493 cc flat 4-Cylinder Air-Cooled engine. The Camper also featured a four-speed manual transaxle and four-wheel drum brakes.
The Volkswagen Camper was among the 18 cars Seinfeld auctioned in 2016. The van had only 19,000 miles on the odometer at the time of sale. Besides its uniqueness and exclusivity, Seinfeld's Camper van was also among the priciest of its kind. It sold for $99,000 in 2016.
8 He Owns A Police Car
It seems that it's not just Porsche cars that tend to catch Seinfeld's fancy. The comedian also has a classic police car in his collection. The vehicle in question is a 1966 Porsche 356 Dutch Police Car valued at $160,000.
Undoubtedly, Seinfeld loves driving around in this classic police car. He once filmed an episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee with Barry Marder as his guest. "Why the Dutch Police in the 1960s felt they needed Porsche convertibles to do their job, I don't know, but I love this thing," Seinfeld was quoted as saying on CNN Money.
7 The Car Collection Includes One Of The First City Cars in History
Besides Porsche, there's another carmaker that Jerry Seinfeld has a profound respect for. That would be none other than one of the oldest carmakers around, Fiat. In an article he wrote for Automobile magazine, Seinfeld confessed that he loved anything Italian. But perhaps, Seinfeld's love for Fiats is also due to its minimalist approach to design, just like Porsche's.
"Fiat is an unassuming kind of company making unassuming cars," Seinfeld explained. As far as Fiat cars in his fleet go, Seinfeld owns a model that's one for the history books, the 1957 Fiat 500. This is said to be one of the first city cars ever built. Even with a modest top speed of 53 mph, the 500 still became a successful racer back in the day.
6 There's a Very Expensive Unrestored Car In Jerry's Collection
When it comes to vintage Porsche cars, there are times when Seinfeld likes them just the way they are, unrestored. Take the 1958 Porsche 356A Speedster, for starters. Seinfeld happily showed the car off in its unrestored glory when he appeared as a guest in an episode of Jay Leno's Garage. The vehicle was marketed as a relatively inexpensive model delivering impressive performance.
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Meant to compete with the MGs and Triumphs at the time, this four-speed manual convertible had a top speed of 99 mph and a 0-60 mph acceleration time of about 15.3 seconds. While the 356A was meant to be an affordable car during its time, buying one today would cost a fortune, even in its unrestored state. Seinfeld's very own unrestored 356A Speedster is said to be worth six figures.
5 Jerry Hates Lexus
If there ever was a car that Seinfeld particularly hates, it's a Lexus. Hence, it's to conclude that he will never have one in his collection. As far as the comedian is concerned, Lexus has accomplished nothing in the automotive space. He calls it the "perfected the idea of a coffin on wheels."
He also admitted that Lexus makes him "very upset and angry," Moreover, Seinfeld also admitted that he never appreciated how the carmaker had done its logo. Meanwhile, there may also be another reason why Seinfeld may be unimpressed by the Lexus. He was once involved in an incident where a Lexus hit his Porsche 911 RSR. He was filming an episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee with Jay Leno as his guest.
4 Seinfeld Is A Proud Owner Of One Of Porsche's Last Air-Cooled 911s
As you can expect, Seinfeld owns yet another great piece of Porsche history. He has one of Porsche's LAST cars or the last air-cooled Porsche. The 993 is the final air-cooled Porsche 911 model. Because of this, it offers drivers that nostalgic old-school feel while giving them access to practical modern usability.
With an estimated value of over $40,000, the 993 is a handsome car that one can't stop staring at. Although it may not be the fastest car on the road, owning a piece of history is enough joy.
3 The Collection Also Includes The Beetle's Sportier Sibling
While the ever-reliable Volkswagen Beetle was famously known as "the people's car," the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia was perceived as the bug's sportier sister. This may have inspired Seinfeld to include a 1963 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia in his collection. He likes this car so much that he decided to feature it on Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee during an episode with guest Joel Hodgson.
According to Hagerty, the base model Ghia is estimated to be worth around $30,000. There's more; the Ghia is powered by a four-cylinder Porsche 912 engine. That means it's pretty impressive and fun to drive on the road.
2 It Took Five Years To Restore One Of The Cars In Jerry's Collection
Patience is a virtue, and it's one that Seinfeld has a lot of. Case in point— his determination and dedication to restoring the classic cars he likes to acquire. Take his acquisition of a 1964 Porsche 911, for example. Seinfeld bought the car in 1996. It was previously owned by Ferry Porsche, son of Porsche's founder.
No wonder he parted with $400,000 to buy a car that required a lot of money to restore. After the purchase, Seinfeld sent the 911 over to Germany for restoration works by Cavaglieri Restorations, a process that took five years and $250,000 to complete.
1 Seinfeld's Collection Includes A Porsche with A Fatal History
The 2000 Porsche Carrera GT prototype model is housed in Seinfeld's valuable car collection. Initially, Porsche intended to build a dedicated race car. However, before it came out, Porsche changed directions and made the GT a street-legal sports car.
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As it turned out, the car was still good enough for the track and not so good for the streets. And as expected, the car attracted many celebrity fans, including the late actor Paul Walker of the Fast and Furious Franchise. This was the car model Paul Walker was driving when he crashed and died. Only two prototypes of the Carrera GT were reportedly made, and Seinfeld has one. He tried to sell it in 2016, but nobody wanted it.