When 25 Million Isn’t Enough

I can’t think of many people who would ever turn down $25 million (approx £20 million) but that’s exactly what Jerry Seinfeld did recently.

He made the decision to say no to what many would consider a life-changing sum of money when his 1969 Porsche 917K went up for auction with Mecum Auctions on January 18th 2025.

One of the most iconic race cars of all time, chassis number 917-002, has an incredible history. It was purchased new in 1970 by Steve McQueen and Solar Productions, before being used as the hero car in the 1971 film Le Mans. It was specially prepared for filming, with camera mounts that are still in the car today; these were used to record McQueen driving the car in various race scenes.

After filming, the car went on to compete in the 1971 race season and was later owned by drivers including Brian Redman and Richard Attwood. Attwood raced it in several events and, in 1999, returned it to its famous Gulf Oil livery. The car was sold in 2000 and bought by Jerry Seinfeld in 2001, who has since kept it in his impressive collection. It was restored in 2024 back to its 1970 specifications and is a fantastic example of automotive and Hollywood history.

Even though this is an extremely special and very rare car, turning down £20 million is still an unbelievably brave thing to do. I wonder if an even higher offer will be made at some point in the future?…

From Mecum Auctions:

• Chassis No. 917-022
• One of the most recognizable race cars of all time
• Purchased new in 1970 directly from the Porsche factory by Steve McQueen and Solar Productions
• Used extensively in the filming of the iconic 1971 film “Le Mans”
• The hero car driven by McQueen during race sequences in the film
• 917-022 was specially prepared and altered for film production in many ways, including the addition of camera mounts and brackets
• Original camera mounting locations are still intact
• Restoration by Cavaglieri Restorations of Van Nuys, California, completed in August 2024
• Restored to its 1970 specifications as seen in the 1971 movie “Le Mans” and as driven by Steve McQueen, while also refreshing its mechanical components
• The entire car was repainted and new graphics were installed during the restoration to correctly match the Blue and Orange Gulf Oil No. 20 livery seen in the movie “Le Mans”
• Following filming, 917-022 was purchased by Reinhold Joest of Team Auto Usdau and campaigned during the 1971 race season by drivers Willi Kauhsen, Joest, Angel Monguzzi and Jo Siffert
• In 1975, 917-022 was acquired by Porsche factory driver Brian Redman
• Redman sold 917-022 to his friend and Le Mans-winning Porsche 917K driver Richard Attwood in 1977
• Attwood refinished 917-022 in a red and white livery resembling the 1970 Salzburg 917K in which he secured Porsche’s first overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
• 917-022 was campaigned sporadically by Attwood in European historic racing events throughout his ownership
• In late 1999, Attwood decided to offer 917-022 for sale and returned it to the Blue and Orange Gulf Oil livery made famous in “Le Mans”
• 917-022 was sold at the Monterey auctions in August 2000 and purchased by renowned historic Porsche collector Frank Gallogly
• Comedian and Porsche enthusiast Jerry Seinfeld acquired 917-022 from Gallogly in 2001 and has maintained possession of the car in his renowned collection ever since