The $25M Porsche 917K: Did Jerry Seinfeld’s Legendary Le Mans Car Vanish in a Secret Deal?

Let me set the scene for you: the 1969 Porsche 917K owned by Steve McQueen for the movie LeMans and now property of Jerry Seinfeld, bathed in that iconic Gulf livery, rolling across the block at the Mecum Kissimmee auction earlier this month. Yes. THIS Porshe 917k.

If you’ve ever watched Le Mans—and if you haven’t, stop everything you’re doing and fix that immediately—you know what I’m talking about. This car isn’t just a car. It’s a portal. A time machine. A straight shot to that glorious opening scene where the camera lingers on Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney, cool as ice, helmet in hand, ready to conquer the world. And then? That sound. 600hp in a car that weighed less than 1,900 pounds (the power to weight ratio of the greatest supercars ever - and this raced for 24 hours on a TRACK).

The Porsche 917K doesn’t just drive—it screams. It’s the kind of scream that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and convinces you, if only for a moment, that you could be a Le Mans hero too.

This car, chassis 917-022, isn’t a replica or some souped-up tribute—it’s the car. It was in Le Mans. It roared down the track, played its role to perfection, and then went on to live a life worthy of a Hollywood script. Steve McQueen’s Solar Productions bought it for the movie. Then, decades later, Jerry Seinfeld—yes, that Jerry Seinfeld—scooped it up and lovingly restored it like the rolling masterpiece it is.

When this Porsche hit the auction block, the atmosphere was electric. Bidding soared to $25 million—a number as epic as the car itself—but then? Nothing. The reserve wasn’t met, and the hammer stayed silent. Cue the audible groans from the crowd because, let’s face it, this is a car that deserves a mic-drop moment. It’s that cool.

But wait—plot twist. Rumors started swirling that Dana Mecum, the guy behind Mecum Auctions, may have secretly snagged it before the event. If that’s true, it’s kind of genius. Imagine being able to say, “Oh, that Porsche 917K? Yeah, it’s mine. No big deal.” Mecum might’ve just pulled the ultimate flex, and honestly, I respect it.

Here’s the thing. For anyone who’s ever fallen in love with Le Mans—for anyone who’s ever dreamed of racing down the Mulsanne Straight at full tilt while that Porsche flat-12 howls like it’s ripping a hole in time itself—this car is the dream. It’s the smell of racing fuel, the vibration of the engine, and that indescribable magic of McQueen as Delaney. Owning it? That’s not just buying a car. That’s buying a piece of your childhood dreams, wrapped in Gulf blue and orange, ready to take you back to the golden age of motorsport. And honestly, who wouldn’t want that?

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