Jerry Seinfeld Auctioned Off His Porsche 911 Carrera, but Bidders Had No Idea It Was Him

The Porsche 911 Carrera Targa is a 1996 model year that the actor purchased new while he was working on the "Seinfeld" series. In 28 years, it only had one owner: the comedian himself. Known as a Porsche enthusiast, having owned, over the years, more than 14 of them, Jerry Seinfeld spared no expense when he specced this 911 Carrera Targa. That is why it ended up with a very long list of options.

The sports car is finished in a special color combo of Polar Silver over Midnight Blue leather upholstery, which covers the eight-way power-adjustable front seats, with the controls in the shape of arrows on the exterior side of the seats.

There is a color-coordinated center console, door panels, and carpeting. It has a power-operated glass roof panel, a rear window wiper, and a 'basket handle' speed-activated rear spoiler with an integrated third brake light.

The steering wheel is also wrapped in leather, sitting in front of the VDO instrument cluster, which includes the 6,800-rpm redline tachometer, a 180-mph speedometer, an analog clock, and gauges that display information on oil pressure, oil temperature, oil level, and fuel level.

All dials feature an aluminum look with chromed rings. They matched the aluminum shift knob of the manual gearbox and the aluminum parking brake lever. Mr. Seinfeld also went for an onboard computer, which shows outside temperature and other relevant data. It looks outdated by today’s standards, but still so… Porsche!

Litronic xenon headlighst with washers, fog lights, and power-adjustable mirrors are also on the equipment list.

There is a Becker-Porsche CR-210 cassette stereo with a six-disc CD changer on board in the company of a Nokia Digital Sound Processing system. An R134a-based air conditioning system provides the necessary comfort on hot days.

It is powered by an air-cooled, rear-mounted, 3.6-liter M64 flat-six engine, mated to a six-speed manual transaxle, featuring a Variorum intake system and breathing out through the dual exhaust outlets. The car rolled off the production line with 282 horsepower and 250 lb-ft of torque, steered straight to the rear wheels.

At the time, a four-speed automatic transmission was offered as an option. But Jerry Seinfeld has always been a car guy, pretty much a purist.

"The first real thought I had of something that I might do was to write for car magazines, because I always had a car thing," Jerry admitted once. And we totally understand, can’t blame him for it.

For the 993 Targa, based on the convertible, Porsche came up with a revised roof with a lifting and sliding huge glass center section. This solution replaced the removable hard top of the earlier 911 Targa models.

Jerry Seinfeld checked the box for the optional Motor Sound Package, which brought along a revised intake and mufflers, for more drama on his way to the set. The car is also equipped with a limited-slip differential.

The Porsche rides on 17-inch two-piece Targa-specific Speedline wheels with 205/50 front and 255/40 rear Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 N3 tires, mounted in October 2023.

The stock brakes are still in place, meaning that Porsche-branded calipers over cross-drilled rotors at all four corners provide the stopping power. The model is also equipped with Bilstein shocks with M030 springs added recently.

The six-digit odometer reads 26,228 miles. The car is registered in California. It was last serviced in 2023 when the mechanics replaced the fuel filter, spark plugs, drive belts, engine insulation, shifter shaft seals, and brake hoses. Most of the work was done last fall, in October and November. That is when the model also received new tires.

After all these years and with no restoration in its CV, the Porsche is far from being impeccable. The listing states that the left front fender, right front fender, and fuel door show evidence of paintwork, following possible scratches. The photo gallery uploaded in the sales ad includes images of those.

The sale includes the manufacturer’s literature. The model comes with a clean Carfax report and a clean California title. After 32 bids, the car went over $146,000. The listing on Bring a Trailer surprisingly fails to mention Jerry Seinfeld. But the now 69-year-old comedian referred to the sale on January 10, 2024, during the Spike’s Car Radio show.

Super rare (only 4,583 Targa units were made,) and with the celebrity factor added, the car sold after 46 bids for $164,000. The last 30 minutes of the online auction saw at least 20 offers.