Jerry Seinfelds Porsche 993 Speedster S

It is common knowledge that there was no original Speedster version of the Porsche 993 generation. Two unique cars of the Porsche 993 Speedster became very well known. During the series production of the Porsche 993 from 1993 to 1998, only one vehicle was produced. This prototype was made for the designer of the Porsche 911, Ferdinand Alexander (F.A.) Porsche for his 60th birthday.

Jerry Seinfelds 993 Speedster S

Jerome Allen “Jerry” Seinfeld is one of the most successful figures in television history.

The American actor, comedian and author became famous in particular for his very successful eponymous sitcom, “Seinfeld”. It ran on NBC from 1989 to 1998, and, due to his additional involvement in the successful series as a writer and producer, Seinfeld earned more money than any comedian before him. He is reputed to have earned up to $ 100 million a year during the best times, and I don’t know anyone who would have begrudged him his riches. 

The name Jerry Seinfeld is also, however, well known among car enthusiasts, because he has one of the largest private Porsche collections in the world. In 2001, Seinfeld commissioned Porsche Exclusive with the task of converting his privately used 993 S Cabriolet from the last “air-cooled” model year, 1998, into a Speedster. This one-off made headlines worldwide and Seinfeld rented an entire hangar at Santa Monica airport to accommodate his cars. 

In recent years, the media have repeatedly reported on sales by Seinfeld of parts of his car collection. The most recent of these was in March 2016, when Seinfeld turned over 18 of his cars to auctioneering firm Gooding & Company for auction. Jerry Seinfeld said in advance of the auction that he was suffering from acute space problems and didn’t have the time to take care of all the cars. This was why he was looking to downsize his collection. 

Thus it was that, on Amelia Island, seventeen of the eighteen cars were sold, including a Porsche 550 Spyder for $ 5.3 million, a Porsche 718 RSK for $ 2.9 million and a Porsche 917/30 Can-Am Spyder for $3 million. The auction brought in gross proceeds of $ 22 million for Jerry Seinfeld. Seinfeld made it clear at the beginning of the auction that he never bought a car with the intention of making speculative profits. 

This statement was also completely true, as attested to, for instance, by the fact that he had bought the Porsche 917/30 Can-Am Spyder in 2012 for the significantly higher price of $ 4.4 million.

Many Porsche Speedster lovers still wonder to this day what happened to Seinfeld’s legendary 993 Speedster, which he had rebuilt by Porsche Exclusive in 2001.

Remaining of Seinfelds 993 Speedster

And there is good news, because the only wide-bodied 993 Speedster S ever converted by Porsche itself has been neither lost nor damaged. It is no longer owned by Jerry Seinfeld, but is instead closer than ever before to its birthplace in Stuttgart.

With its new, black wheel set, the 993 Speedster S looks also more attractive than it did when it was turned out by Porsche Exclusive in Zuffenhausen in 2001. But the original wheels are of course still in existence. Two brothers from Switzerland bought “Jerry’s ex” directly from him some years ago and shipped it to their home country. There it is even used for common-or-garden trips to the bakery, and its owners are delighted by its exceptional suitability for everyday driving. 

In our book „Porsche Speedster Legends 1954-2020“ you can read the interview with the owner and how he came into possession of his one-off.