Jerry Seinfeld Settles Lawsuits Over Alleged Fake Porsche

Jerry Seinfeld settled two lawsuits related to the $1.5 million sale of his Porsche 356 Speedster.

In 2019, the comedian was sued for allegedly selling a fake Porsche at auction, according to The Drive. Seinfeld then sued the company from which he bought the Porsche, claiming that he was sold a fake vehicle. The terms of the private settlements have not been disclosed.

In 2016, Seinfeld sold the rare 1956 Porsche 356 A 1500 GS/GT Carrera Speedster to a Channel Islands-based entity called Fica Frio Ltd. for $1.54 million. A year later, a Porsche expert assessed the vehicle and informed the new owner that the Porsche was a fake, Driven reported. The company sued Seinfeld in 2019, claiming the vehicle was inauthentic.

Seinfeld said he was unaware that the car was fake and apologized. His lawyer at the time said that Seinfeld was "willing to do what's right and fair, and we are confident the court will support the need for an outside evaluator to examine the provenance of the car," according to The Drive.

Seinfeld contacted European Collectibles, Inc., from which he bought the vehicle, but when it refused to cooperate, he sued, saying that he was intentionally sold a fake. Upon buying the car in 2013 for $1.2 million, Seinfeld received a "Porsche Certificate of Authenticity" that had the car's VIN, model year, and type and was also signed by the president and CEO of Porsche North America.

However, as The Drive notes, in order to receive that certificate, just the serial numbers of the engine and chassis need to match. This was done by European Collectibles after restoring the Speedster. 

Seinfeld's lawyers in the complaint said the comedian, whose successful career spans decades, "does not need to supplement his income by building and selling counterfeit sports cars." 

Driven revealed that the case was settled Wednesday in Manhattan federal court. It further noted that Seinfeld's suit filed against European Collectibles has also been settled. 

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