Jerry Seinfeld's Porsches up for grabs

Ever fancied investing in rare, expensive Porsches? Who hasn't...

Imagine driving one these stunning vehicles at a historical race meet, such as Goodwood in the UK, or showing it at a primo concourse event like Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

Well, if you've got the cash and can make it to the USA for March 11, comedian and car aficionado Jerry Seinfeld has plenty of shiny Porsches. The man who made his fortune in the 1990s "TV show about nothing" simply called Seinfeld, has confirmed he will sell more than a dozen very special, very exclusive Porsche vehicles.

"I've never bought a car as an investment," said Seinfeld. "I don't really even think of myself as a collector. I just love cars. And I still love these cars. But it's time to send some of them back into the world, for someone else to enjoy, as I have."

One of the standouts is the iconic 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder, a beautifully simple and curvaceous design of which less than 100 were built. The rare specimen was also made (in)famous by James Dean, who crashed a 550 Spyder – fatally – in 1955.

The auctioneers reckon this car will go for between five and six million US dollars.

The 1973 Porsche 917/30 Can-Am Spyder is another standout that will be likely to attract considerable attention at Seinfeld's auction, which is being conducted by Gooding and Company as part of its 2016 Amelia Island Auction in Florida.

The ultra-rare race car is one of only four examples built by Porsche, and Seinfeld's car was the last of the batch, bearing the chassis number 004. It was supposed to be delivered as the Penske-Sunoco race car in 1974, but was snapped up by Alan Hamilton, the Australian Porsche importer at the time.

The Porsche 917/30 Can-Am was rumoured to punch out up to 1580hp (1180kW) from its twin-turbo 5.4-litre flat 12-cylinder engine, which makes it one of the world's most powerful race cars ever made – even to this day.

It's expected to sell for between five and seven million US dollars.

Some of the other notable vehicles include a 1958 Porsche 356 A 1500 GS/GT Carrera Speedster, a 1959 Porsche 718 RSK and a 1990 Porsche 962C.

Perhaps one of the more curious Porsches in Seinfeld's collection to be sold to the highest bidders is a 1958 Porsche 597 Jagdwagen. Designed as a military vehicle, the Jagdwagen never reached production after it was knocked back by the German armed forces.

Expected to attract bids of more than US $350,000, the old-school 4WD is powered by a four-cylinder boxer engine based on the same unit used in the Porsche 356. It made around 37kW – a far cry from today's Porsches, which have turned to forced-induction to meet emissions targets while maintaining performance.

David Gooding, President and Founder of Gooding & Company auction house, said Jerry Seinfeld is "…recognised throughout the world as having acquired one of the finest Porsche collections ever assembled".

And the man himself, whose popular YouTube show Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee has even included the likes of US President Barack Obama, says that each of the 18 cars in the collection "is a pinnacle of mechanical culture to me".

"And the reason I wanted to bid these cars farewell in this way is really just to see the look of excitement on the faces of the next owners who I know will be out of their minds with joy that they are going to get to experience them.

"My enthusiasm for this pursuit remains quite insane and I am very fortunate to have many other cars I get to look after," said Seinfeld.