Jerry Seinfeld’s 1997 Porsche 993 Turbo S

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Check out these links for more information on the Porsche 993 and Porsche 993 Turbo. You might also be interested in viewing the Porsche 993 Owners Video, or learning the differences between a Porsche 993 Turbo and a Porsche 993 Turbo S. Lastly, you can view listings of Porsche 993 Turbos for Sale. If you would like to learn more about Jerry Seinfeld’s 993 Turbo S please read on.

While a proven racing provenance will usually help to lift a car’s value, can the same be said for celebrity ownership? Case in point, Jerry Seinfeld’s ’97 Porsche 911 Turbo S; currently listed for sale at TruSpeed Motorcars, in Costa Mesa CA, for $225,000. That’s a pretty pricey premium for a model that would otherwise sell in the $135k to $150k range.

Is The Price Justified?

Scott McCloud (sales manager at TruSpeed) doesn’t think that previous celebrity ownership should play a big role in the pricing and sale of the car. In fact, he believes the car’s other, more unique features are what set it apart from the very few Porsche Turbo S’s on the market.

1997 Porsche Turbo S Features

1st Turbo S built and imported to the US
The only one produced in Turquoise Blue (the color is slowly growing on me)
Factory cell phone with special console
Low miles (only 8,000)
The first of only 175 built in 1997 and one of only 345 total between ’97 and ‘98 (production numbers vary by a few cars depending on source. My numbers are courtesy of (Adrian Streather’s “Porsche 993 The Essential Companion”)

As it happens, past sales may prove that celebrity ownership can provide a premium. One of Seinfeld’s beloved 356’s sold at a Barrett Jackson auction in 1997 for $82,950 or, almost twice the then going market price. The new owner didn’t mind the additional expense as they too thought the celebrity provenance would help to increase attendance at the museum where the car would be shown. See the full article here.

On-line Rumor Mill

There has been a lot of discussion regarding this car on various web forums – such as Rennlist and 6Speedonline. I have read significant speculation on provenance, pricing, and length of time it has been for sale (in fact, some think it has been for sale continuously for the past two years). In order to put some of this to rest, I decided to make a few phone calls and find out directly for myself.

Here’s what I learned:

The car was originally ordered for Jerry Seinfeld through Circle Porsche of Long Beach California
Seinfeld had the car as part of his collection until sometime in late 2005 early 2006
It was then offered for sale by Seinfeld’s fleet manager (Sam Cabiglio) through Richard Sloan of Sloan Cars in CT (Richard has sold other Seinfeld cars in the past)
Richard sold the car to a private collector
The car then returned to Sloan (via the unnamed private collector) and was subsequently sold to TruSpeed about six (6) months ago
The car is fully documented as to provenance, ownership and service history

Bottom line, this is a unique car and unique cars require unique buyers. As the first in a production series, along with the only one of its kind color, low miles, and factory options this will make a very nice addition to someone’s collection. My only hope, as a true Porsche enthusiast, is that it gets driven and enjoyed the way a car of this caliber should be. Please click on any of the additional thumbnails below for full-size images.

First And Last Air-Cooled Porsches

As an interesting factoid, among the other Porsches owned by Seinfeld are the first air-cooled 911 and the last air-cooled 911 (both pictured here).

Quick update: As you can see from the comments below, the information I was given may not have been 100% accurate. Check out this post for the most up to date information on Seinfeld’s 993 Turbo S.

[Source: TruSpeed Motorsports, Richard Sloan, NY Times; Picture Source: TruSpeed Motorsports, Hillman Images]