Jerry doesn’t need the money.
A 1969 Porsche 917K racing car that was featured in the Steve McQueen film “Le Mans” failed to sell at the Mecum Auctions event in Kissimmee, Fla., on Saturday night.
The car has been owned by Porsche collector and sometime comedian Jerry Seinfeld since 2001. He is an avid fan of the brand and has owned dozens of the marque’s models.
The 917K was purchased by McQueen’s Solar Productions and outfitted as a camera car that was used for the “hero” shots in the film.
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Seinfeld had the car fully restored to its original condition and it still retains the equipment that was installed for the making of the film. It is also signed by McQueen with the message, “‘Finished’ Thanks for staying together.”
It’s not known what Seinfeld paid for it, but its previous owner purchased it at an auction in 2000 for $1.3 million.
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An identical car that was used for stunts in Le Mans was auctioned in 2017 for $14 million, which is the current auction record for a Porsche, so Seinfeld’s was expected to go for an even higher amount.
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Unfortunately, while the bidding reached a would-be record of $25 million, that wasn’t enough to meet the undisclosed reserve price that Seinfeld put on it, so it didn’t sell. Seinfeld had the option to lift the reserve, but apparently chose not to. It’s not like he needs the money. Forbes estimates his worth at $1.1 billion.
“There are objects that have great value, then there’s objects that you can’t place a value, because they evoke so much,” Seinfeld said in video previewing the auction. Nevertheless, he clearly has a value in mind.
The Porsche isn’t the only famous camera car used for one of McQueen’s films that’s been across the auction block.
In 2020, the hero Ford Mustang from “Bullitt” that was hidden away by the family that owned it for decades, was sold for $3.74 million. It hasn’t been seen since.
This story has been updated with additional information