Jerry Seinfeld sues Costa Mesa classic-car dealer over ’58 Porsche alleged to be fake

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld sued a Costa Mesa classic-car dealer Monday, saying the company left him stranded in a dispute over whether a 1958 Porsche he sold is authentic.

Seinfeld sought unspecified damages from European Collectibles in his lawsuit in Manhattan federal court.

“Mr. Seinfeld, who is a very successful comedian, does not need to supplement his income by building and selling counterfeit sports cars,” the lawsuit says.

According to the suit, Seinfeld owns one of the world’s largest collections of Porsches and had never dealt with European Collectibles before it solicited his agent to propose his purchase of the vintage vehicle.

The suit comes weeks after Seinfeld was sued by a company that says it bought the comedian’s Porsche for $1.5 million, only to learn it was fake.

A woman who answered the phone at European Collectibles on Tuesday said no one was available to comment about Seinfeld’s lawsuit.

Seinfeld says in the complaint that he bought the car from European Collectibles for $1.2 million in February 2013. The suit says he relied on the company’s certificate of authenticity.

Seinfeld then sold the car in March 2016 to Fica Frio Ltd., based in the Channel Islands. Fica Frio, which sued Seinfeld this month, wants to recover the money it spent on the sale and all costs it has incurred.

After Fica Frio sued, Seinfeld “promptly contacted” European Collectibles to demand that it resolve the dispute directly with Fica Frio, according to the lawsuit.

“To date, European Collectibles has refused to do so,” the suit says.

The suit also claims that the Seinfeld purchase wasn’t the first time European Collectibles sold a restored Porsche that a disgruntled collector alleged to be inauthentic.

Orin Snyder, Seinfeld’s lawyer, said in a statement Monday that Seinfeld relied on the certificate of authenticity when he bought the car and sold it three years later.

“Jerry has no liability in this matter, but he wants to do the right thing and is therefore bringing this action to hold European Collectibles accountable for its own certification of authenticity and to allow the court to determine the just outcome,” Snyder said.

Daily Pilot staff contributed to this report.

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This article was originally published at 1:35 p.m. and was later updated with additional information.