Funny man’s Fiat

António was confident about his car and waited, but not for long. A week later an email arrived from someone in the USA, asking two simple questions: “Do the original licence plates come with the car? Would you help to ship it by plane?” The deal was quickly closed and the contract sent to be filled in.

The new owner’s name sounded quite familiar. “How many Jerome Allen Seinfelds can there be?” António wondered. Sure enough, it was indeed the one and only Jerry Seinfeld.(…)

As soon as the deal was closed, Jerry was excited to get his hands on his new toy. But I had a request for New York: could the very last drive of the yellow Fiat in Portugal be mine, in my hometown? The great man said yes.(…)

For a young American in the 1970s, the 128 Coupé was clearly a refreshing, charismatic and exciting machine – a true connoisseur’s choice. Obviously there were other, more obvious, Italian brands on his radar but, for Jerry, Fiat had a special coolness to it: “Fiat was not a ‘passion’ brand like Alfa Romeo or Lancia. It was just a manufacturer dedicated to make everyday cars in the best way possible, with Italian flair. That gives it a very special character.” I couldn’t agree more.

If I were given the choice to drive any of the cars in Jerry Seinfeld’s collection, maybe this wouldn’t be my first pick, but after knowing how much this little Fiat means to its owner, no other car would feel such a privilege. Thank you Mr. Seinfeld for this special drive, and thank you for being one of us.

Feature originally published on Auto Italia magazine
Photos by David Guimarães