Not only is Jerry Seinfeld one of the best-known comedians of the modern era, he has of the biggest car collections of our time as well. He’s particularly fond of Volkswagens and Porsches of the early '50s and '60s. One of those Porsche's has been in the headlines quite often in the past few years, not only for its $1.54 million selling price but because it was quite possibly a fake.
Naturally, lawsuits followed, but the authenticity of the car is still in question. The Carrera Speedster had been restored by a highly-credible company, won several concours events, and even came with a Porsche Certificate of Authenticity.
What convinced the plaintiff that their car was a fake? But more importantly, what is a GS/GT? Here's a detailed look back at Jerry Seinfeld's 1958 Porsche 356 A 1500 GS/GT Carrera Speedster.
The '58 Porsche 356 Carrera Speedster.
Porsche introduced their first Speedster in 1954. The next year, they added a race-inspired four-cam Carrera engine. By ‘57, Porsche had added a GT variant to the 1500 GS. Initially, the GTs referred to the engine’s tune, but by 1958 the 1500 GS/GT Carrera had become a track-dominating cabriolet.
The 1958 Porsche 356 A 1500 GS/GT Carrera Speedster was more than just a long name. It made the Speedster perfectly equipped to drive from the dealership straight to the racetrack. Weight had been reduced by using lightweight alloy panels, alloy wheels, lightened bumper brackets, and no undercoating was applied to the undercarriage. The interior also skips out on a heater to help save weight, along with aluminum seat brackets to hold small bucket seats. The front rotors were upgraded 10mm thicker, and a ventilated scoop was added for cooling. Thanks to the addition of the 80-liter fuel tanks, racers could crush more laps around the track.
Seinfeld’s Porsche was fitted with engine No. 91015, the German manufacturer’s Type 692/0 engine. Non-GT models came with plain bearing cams, while this rare 1.5-liter had four roller bearing camshafts, making the transmission far stronger than other models. The flat 4-cylinder was a 4-speed manual and made 110 bhp. Porsche also equipped the GT/GS with a factory sport exhaust, larger steering box, stronger front spindles, and torsion bars to provide more negative camber.
The Carrera Speedsters were produced from 1955-1959 until the Speedster was replaced with the more luxurious Convertible D. Only 151 Speedster Carreras were made at the time, which accounts for just 3% of the total Speedsters ever made. According to Goodings & Company, only 90 of the Carrera Speedsters were manufactured in the GT/GS spec, and only 56 had the lightweight aluminum panels.
Porsche enthusiasts regard the Carrera Speedster GT/GS as the ultimate expression of the wonderful little 356.
Jerry Seinfeld’s Speedster GT/GS
This particular 356 A Carrera Speedster GT/GS, No. 84908, was acquired by European Collectables from a long-term owner in 2009 or 2010. The California-based restoration company purchased the car with the engine pulled out and in pieces, but the body was in fairly decent condition.
European Collectables began a full ground-up restoration, sparing no expense. The process took three years before the Carrera Speedster was complete, looking as if it had just come from the factory, restored back to its original black vinyl interior and Auratium Green paint. The unique color was applied to just 13 Speedsters, and this is the only Carrera Speedster that came from the factory in this color.
Seinfeld bought the GT/GS in 2012 from European Collectables for $1.2 million, enjoying it for a few years until deciding it was time to downsize. In 2016, Gooding & Company auctioned off a portion of his cars under the “Jerry Seinfeld Collection” in Amelia Island, Florida. The ‘56 GS/GT Carrera Speedster was one of the several classic Porsche’s up for bid.
Gooding & Company’s listing states that the “Porsche’s hood and decklid are stamped with the chassis number (908) and the engine type, and serial number stampings (692/0 and 91015, respectively) match the factory records.” To further prove its claim, the Speedster comes with “a Porsche Certification of Authenticity, a copy of the factory Kardex, tool roll, jack, and handbook set, which includes a 356 A owner’s manual, Speedster driver’s manual, and supplement for cars with the 1500 Carrera engine.”
The Lawsuit Against Seinfeld
The car was purchased by Brazilian-based Fica Frio, an automotive-related entity, for $1.54 million. In preparation for resale in March 2017, Fica Frio’s “Porsche expert” examined the 356 A and deemed it “inauthentic", apparently finding issues with the lack of photographic documentation during the restoration and limited history file. So the company turned to legal actions.
According to the lawsuit, Seinfeld left a voicemail apologizing for the “nuisance” and assuring them that they will be “completely indemnified in full and not have to keep the car and get all your money back.” Jerry also asked how they figured it was a fake when all of his experts missed it.
The lawsuit targets Seinfeld with not following through on his promise to pay him back, although our research found no record of Fica Frio returning the Porsche. Seinfeld’s lawyer called the lawsuit “frivolous,” but they are willing to comply as long as the proper evidence is shown.
In response, Jerry Seinfeld has filed a suit against European Collectibles for selling him the “fake” Porsche in the first place. The reports claim that Jerry has no need to supplement his income with counterfeit sports cars and purchased the car based on a certificate of authenticity. It states that he is not liable in this matter but wants to do the right thing by holding the right people accountable and let the courts determine the outcome.
Considering it has been certified and judged by several Porsche experts, it would be a rather impressive fake. Either way, it is still a beautiful piece of machinery.