Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Jerry Seinfeld sued for selling 'fake' Porsche for $1.5 million

 Fica Frio has filed a lawsuit against the comedian 

Jack Shepherd
Saturday 02 February 2019 10:39 EST
Comments
Jerry Seinfeld at a New York Event at Classic Car Club Manhattan
Jerry Seinfeld at a New York Event at Classic Car Club Manhattan (Getty Images for Netflix)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A lawsuit has been filed against Jerry Seinfeld by a company who claim they bought a classic Porsche from the comedian for $1.5m (£1.1m) only to discover it was a fake.

Court documents say representatives for Fica Frio paid $1.54 million at a Florida auction in March 2016, the price including a 10 per cent commission.

However, the firm, based in the Channel Islands, claim the car is not authentic, despite the auction summery claiming the 1958 vehicle was a “stunning example of a rare thoroughbred Porsche”.

The lawsuit says Seinfeld – a car enthusiast best know for the TV show Seinfeld – left a voicemail in June last year offering “my apology for this nuisance and assure you that you will be completely indemnified.”

The comic apparently added that he “would love to know how your guys figured it out because I find that to be interesting cause that’s impressive my guys did not I guess see anything amiss with the car when I bought it.”

According to the lawsuit, Seinfeld broke an oral agreement to return the money in exchange for the car.

Orin Snyder, Seinfeld’s lawyer, said the comedian had not meant to mislead the company and acted in good faith.

“He has asked Fica Frio for evidence to substantiate the allegations. Fica Frio ignored Jerry and instead filed this frivolous lawsuit,” Snyder said in a statement.

The lawyer added that the comedian 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”.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in