company name	Acura
company logo
company type	Division|
slogan	Advance
location	Tokyo, Japan (at Honda Headquarters)Torrance, California, USA
foundation	1986
industry	Automotive
products	Luxury vehicles
key people	John Mendel, V.P., Acura USA
homepage	Acura.comAcura.caAcura.com.cnAcura.com.mx
parent	Honda Motor Company, Limited }}

Acura is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Honda Motor Company. The Acura brand has been available in the US, Canada, and Hong Kong since March 1986 marketing luxury, performance, and near-performance vehicles.

The brand was introduced to Mexico in 2004 and to China in 2006. However, Honda's plan to introduce Acura to the Japanese market have been repeatedly delayed due to economic reasons: the planned 2008 launch was delayed for 'about two years or so' and then in a December 17, 2008 announcement from Takeo Fukui, former CEO of Honda, the original plan was withheld as a result of the 2008 financial crisis around the world and economic recession that resulted.

History

1980s: The Acura brand

Following a decade of research, Honda opened 60 new dealerships in North America by 1986, to support its Acura automobile division. Acura was the first Japanese luxury brand to be introduced, and its initial offering consisted of two models: the executive class Legend, a V6-powered sedan, and the compact class Integra, available as a five-door and three-door hatchback. The Legend was the result of Project XX, a joint venture Honda entered into with the Austin Rover Group of Great Britain and was mechanically related to the Rover 800 series, and the Integra was an improvement of the Honda Quint hatchback.

The success of these models, particularly the Legend, led to competing Japanese luxury brand ventures (Toyota's Lexus that began development in 1983 as the F1 project, and Nissan's Infiniti who began development in 1985 by revising their Japan-only flagship Nissan President; in the late 1990s Mazda planned but never launched its own Amati luxury division). The goal of the Legend was to compete with rivals Toyota Crown and the Nissan Cedric and Gloria, but due to its 1986 introduction worldwide, Toyota, Nissan and other companies like Lincoln took notice of the markets reaction to the Legend and later the Vigor and offered vehicles that addressed the executive size car. Toyota introduced the Lexus ES, Nissan introduced the Infiniti J30 and Lincoln utilized the Taurus platform and named their new sedan the Continental.

In 1987, Acura's first full year of sales, they sold 109,000 cars with the flagship Legend sedan accounting for 55,000 sales and the rest were of the smaller Integra. By 1990, Acura was selling 138,000 vehicles, including 54,000 Legends, compared to Mercedes-Benz's 78,000 cars and 64000 for BMW and Lexus.

1990s: NSX, updates

In 1991, five years after the debut of the Legend and Integra, Acura introduced the NSX, a midship V6 powered, rear-wheel-drive sports car. The NSX, an acronym for "New Sports eXperimental", was billed as the first Japanese car capable of competing with Ferrari and Porsche. This vehicle served as a "image car" for the Acura brand, heralding the introduction of Honda's VTEC technology. The NSX was the world's first all-aluminum production car, and was also marketed and viewed by some as the "Everyday Supercar" thanks in part to its ease of use, quality and reliability, traits that were unheard of in the supercar segment at the time. With the release of the NSX, Acura introduced the "A-badge", a stylized pair of calipers - a tool used for exacting measurements to imply that Acura vehicles are built to precise and demanding standards.

Despite a strong start in market acceptance for the Acura brand, sales suffered in the mid-to-late 1990s. Some critics attributed this decline in part to less inspiring designs, which were re-branded Japanese-spec Hondas, such as the Acura Vigor in 1992, a response to the Lexus ES and Infiniti J30. Additionally, during this time Acura switched to an alphanumeric nomenclature formula, dropping the Legend, Vigor and Integra titles, following the lead of the NSX sportscar. The 1996 3.5 RL, which replaced the popular Legend, and the Vigor became the 2.5 TL and 3.2 TL, and was regarded by many as the epitome of this problem, namely because the alphanumeric designations were more anonymous than the former Legend, Vigor and Integra titles, which had grown into their own cult followings. Also, the RL's V6 (later increased to 225 hp), together with a high price and styling that cautiously copied the larger rear wheel drive and V-8 powered Lexus LS 400, did little against BMW, Audi, Lexus, and other competitors.

During this time, the NSX also lost sales as Acura made few changes from its original 1989 trim. A year later, the Integra sedan was withdrawn from the Canadian market, replaced by the market-exclusive Acura 1.6EL, a rebadged Honda Civic. The Integra sedan continued to be sold in the United States until 2001 (in name only, the model it was replaced with, the RSX, was simply a rebadged left-hand-drive version of the JDM DC5 Honda Integra).

Despite these letdowns, Acura gained prominence in the 1990s with a young group of customers: "tuner" enthusiasts. Parent company Honda's reputation with this demographic as a maker of "easy-to-tune" and "rev-happy" engines rubbed off onto Acura, and the Integra became a popular tuner car.

2000-2003: TL, RSX, MDX

Beginning around the year 2000, Acura experienced a rebirth which was catalyzed by the introduction of several redesigned models. The first of these models was the 1999 Acura 3.2 TL, an upscale sedan competing with the likes of the Lexus ES, Infiniti I30, and BMW 3-series. Critics suggested that although 3.2 TL did not outdo its competition in any one area of luxury cars, it offered a well-rounded blend of sportiness and luxury. These characteristics, combined with the TL's competitive price, proved very popular with consumers. Subsequent Acura models have followed a similar philosophy of offering lots of standard equipment and very few options.

Another refreshed Acura introduced in the early 2000s was the MDX, a popular three-row crossover SUV based on the Honda Odyssey minivan. The MDX replaced the slow-selling SLX, which was little more than a rebadged Isuzu Trooper. The MDX was a car-like crossover SUV with limited off-road capability that catered to the demands of the luxury SUV market. It was given top honors by Car and Driver in its first comparison test against seven other SUVs. Other cars in Acura's line-up during this time included the 3.2 TL, 3.2 CL, RSX (formerly the Integra hatchback), and the NSX. By the late 2000s, Acura had dropped the inclusion of engine displacement numbers in its vehicle designations, retaining a simpler, two- or three-letter designation instead (e.g. 3.5 RL became RL). The 2000s have been plagued by transmission and other problems.

In 2001, a new coupe, badged as the RSX was introduced to the Acura line up. It was a replacement for the outgoing Integra. The RSX is a rebadged Honda Integra (DC5) from the Japanese market. As a result, the RSX is technically a new generation of the outgoing Integra. Much like the Integra, the RSX was a hit in the tuner market. However, at the end of 2006, the RSX was taken out of the Acura line up, subsequently in the Japanese market as well. It is not known why the RSX did not continue to be sold as the Integra in Japan, however, the reason that Acura gave for the cancellation of the RSX is that Acura wishes to move up in the luxury brand, thus cannot sell a car that is mostly driven by teenagers.

2004-2006: RL, TSX, RDX

A new TL debuted for the 2004 model year, featuring sharp, Italianate styling and a V6 measured by the then-current SAE standards. The new TL increased sales dramatically to 70,943 American units in 2005, trumping competitors such as the C-Class, G35, CTS, ES 300, and A4.

Also around the same time the Acura TSX was introduced as a cheaper alternative to the BMW 3-Series. It was essentially a re-badged European and Japanese-market Honda Accord loaded with features. This model became the only 4-cylinder sedan in Acura's line-up.

In 2005, a new RL was introduced with a V6, improved styling, and Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD), a system capable of sending almost all of the RL's power to just one wheel in a turn. The second-generation RL appeared on ''Car and Driver'''s Ten Best list for 2005, and also garnered an CNET.com "Editor's Choice" Award for Top Tech Car. While critically acclaimed, sales have not met expectations, as the price of the RL is perceived to be out of its bracket. As the new RL offered more features and performance than the base version of its luxury competition's (i.e., the base six-cylinder. BMW 5 Series), Honda Japan suggested that it could charge more, though Honda Canada disagreed. The RL's initial MRSP was $69,500 CAD, more than the six-cylinder BMW 525i and close to that of the V8-powered BMW 545i. At the RL's price point, most consumers expected a V8, furthermore they did not perceive Acura as being on par with its German rivals and expected more value from the Japanese marque. The damage from Honda Japan's alleged hubris was done, even though Honda Canada has since reduced the RL's price.

Acura's new models—particularly the TL and TSX—were well received by the motoring press and became Acura's top selling vehicles. The TSX was on ''Car and Driver'''s Ten Best list from 2004–2006.

In 2006 Acura introduced a small SUV which was based on its own unqiue unibody chassis called the RDX with models becoming available to U.S. consumers in August 2006. It is powered by a turbocharged 240-hp 4-cylinder engine and, like the RL, uses Acura's SH-AWD system. The model is available in two versions: Premium (the standard offering), and Technology Package (an upgraded offering with a GPS navigation system). A completely redesigned MDX became available in the fall of 2006 with a V6 engine and Super Handling All-Wheel Drive.

2007-present: ZDX

Acura re-introduced the TL Type-S for the 2007 model year. 2009 marked the all new TL and TSX models as well as an extensively mid year model update for the RL; all three made their debuts in the 2008 calendar year. Acura planned on redesigning the RL by 2011 as well as announced the creation of a brand new luxury crossover vehicle called the ZDX, previewed by the concept of the same name.

The ZDX was the first Acura designed in Acura's design studio located at Torrance in Southern California. The ZDX was designed by Michelle Christensen and based on the Acura MDX using that vehicles 3.7 litre V6 engine (300 bhp) and SH-AWD system. A common misconception is that it is based on the Honda Crosstour which was based on the Honda Accord rather than the bigger and more complex underpinnings of the MDX. It is also the first Acura to be completely built in North America. The production model of the ZDX made its debut in the Orange County Auto Show in Southern California on October 15, 2009. The concept behind the ZDX is that it is a "four door coupe," and the design emphasis of the body of the car is like a "pulled back slingshot." Another prominent design aspect of the ZDX is the wide rear shoulders above the rear wheels. The ZDX went on sale in December 2009.

Acura initially had plans for the third generation of RL to be a rear wheel drive V8 sedan for its flagship, but shelved the plans in the wake of the 2008 economic downturn.

Acura announced new TSX wagon in the 2010 New York Auto Show and the car is due to go on sale in Fall of 2010. The wagon version of the TSX is based on the wagon version of the Euro-spec Honda Accord which has been in the European market for some time. No plans for brand new RL have been released to date.

For the 2010 model year the MDX models received some slight exterior changes and increased equipment levels. Mechanically the engine remained unchanged but the transmission was updated from the previous 5-speeds to 6-speeds including steering column mounted shift override paddles. This new transmission was shared with the ZDX.

Racing

Almost since its inception, Acura has been involved in American motorsports, specifically in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and IMSA GT Championship series. Starting in 1991, Acura reached an agreement with the Comptech Racing to use the V6 motor of the all-new Acura NSX in Comptech's Camel Lights Spice prototype. Acura would go on to take the Lights championship in its initial year, including a class win at the 24 Hours of Daytona. Acura and Comptech would take the Lights championships again in 1992 and 1993, as well as another Daytona class win in 1992 and a class win at the 12 Hours of Sebring for 1993.

However a change in the IMSA rules would lead to the demise of the Camel Lights, and so Acura moved to touring car racing, joining Realtime Racing in the SCCA World Challenge with the NSX in 1996, winning the final two races of the season. In 1997, Acura added Acura Integras to the lower classes, and were successful in taking the championship in both of these classes. Realtime took the touring championship with the Integra again in 1998, and came within a few points of winning it again in 1999 only to lose it in the final race, then coming back to retake the title in 2000.

Although Realtime had abandoned the NSX program in 1998, the NSXs returned to the top class in 2001. Although the NSX squad suffered mechanical woes and were unable to take the title, the Integras of the touring class once again took the teams championship. By 2002, Acura replaced the aged Integra with the new Acura RSX in the final races of the season, scoring good finishes in their debut. At the same time, Acura finally retired the NSXs from the top GT class. The RSXs would later be joined by new Acura TSXs in 2004. Realtime continues to campaign the RSX and TSX in the SCCA Speed World Challenge. Acura also currently races RSXs and TSXs in the Grand American Road Racing Association's KONI Challenge Series for touring cars.

At the Detroit Auto Show in 2006, Acura announced their plans to enter the American Le Mans Series with multiple teams of Le Mans prototypes in the LMP2 class starting in 2007 season. The cars would be purchased chassis from existing manufacturers, but use American-built Acura V8s (a first for Acura and Honda). Acura also announced their initiative to take the cars to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2008 and eventually move to the superior LMP1 class with cars built by Acura themselves in 2009. Later in 2006, Acura announced that the three factory teams would be Andretti Green Racing, Fernández Racing, and Highcroft Racing, and that the chassis would be built by Lola Cars of the UK and Courage Compétition of France.

The three Acura-powered prototypes debuted at the 2007 12 Hours of Sebring, opening round of the ALMS season, and were successful in their debut. Andretti Green's Acura took second place overall and first in the LMP2 class, while Fernández Racing took third overall, and Highcroft sixth, beating a series of established Porsche teams in their class. At the same time, Acura began development of their own chassis by heavily modifying their purchased Courage chassis. The cars now have been so radically changed from their original orientation that they are now named Acura ARX-01a. Acura will introduce evolved B-spec cars in the 2008 season, with Gil de Ferran launching a fourth Acura team in the ALMS.

Timeline

;1986 :Acura debuts in North America as the first Japanese luxury marque. ;1990 :Acura dealerships in the US win their fifth consecutive first-place ranking on the Customer Satisfaction Index by J. D. Power and Associates. :Acura announces that it will expand research and development in US. :The second generation Integra is introduced. ;1991 :The Acura Legend coupe wins Motor Trend's prestigious Import Car of the Year trophy. :Honda's VTEC technology is introduced in the NSX :Acura is introduced in Hong Kong by Reliance Motors ;1994 :The third generation Integra is introduced. ;1996 :The CL coupe is introduced as a '97 model ;1997 :The Integra Type-R is introduced. :The Civic-based 1.6EL replaces the Integra sedan in the Canadian lineup, while the Integra sedan continued U.S. sales until 2001. ;2000 :The Acura MDX is introduced. ;2001 :The MDX wins the prestigious Motor Trend "2001 Sport/Utility of the Year" award. :Civic-based 1.7EL launched, replacing the 1.6EL, in the Canadian lineup. ;2002 :The Integra is replaced by the RSX, which is actually just a left hand drive version of the fourth generation Honda Integra. :The NSX receives a cosmetic facelift, with the retractable headlights being replaced with fixed ones. The suspension is also slightly revised, and an automatic transmission becomes optional. ;2003 :CL is dropped ;2004 :Acura is introduced in Mexico by Honda de Mexico. :3rd generation Acura TL is introduced. :TSX is introduced. TSX becomes very competitive choice against popular BMW 3-series. ;2005 :The NSX is discontinued. :The new Acura TL wins "Consumer's Most Wanted Vehicle" at Edmunds.com :Acura RL is introduced with revolutionary SH-AWD system :Acura drops engine size from 1.7EL model name. ;2006 :Acura is introduced in China. :Acura RDX is introduced with SH-AWD :Acura introduces CSX to replace EL, and is only sold in Canada. :The RSX (as well as the Honda Integra) is discontinued. ;2007 :Acura MDX receives a redesign. :Acura TL Type-S is reintroduced, CSX Type-S is introduced. ;2008 :Acura announces the introduction of the diesel engine into the lineup. :Acura introduces the new RL, which receives a mid model change redesign at the Chicago Auto Show. :Acura introduces new TSX at the New York Auto Show. ;2009 year model :Acura TSX receives a redesign. :Acura TL receives a redesign. :Acura RL receives a mid-model change. :Acura CSX receives a mid-model change. ;2010 year model :Acura introduces all new ZDX. :Acura MDX receives a mid-model change. :Acura RDX receives a mid-model change. :Acura TSX receives V-6 engine and a minor mid-model change :2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon is announced and begins production

Current models

MDX (luxury SUV)

RDX (crossover SUV)

RL (full-size sedan) (known as "RL" in North America, "Legend" in the rest of the world)

TL (mid-size sports sedan)

TSX (compact sports sedan)

TSX Sport Wagon (wagon)

CSX (compact sedan) (replacement for the Acura EL, only available in Canada)

ZDX (crossover SUV)

Discontinued models

EL (compact sedan, replaced Integra sedan; available only in Canada, replaced by the CSX--which is also available only in Canada)

Integra (sports coupe and sedan, replaced by the RSX and EL)

RSX (sports coupe, discontinued after the 2006 model year)

Legend (luxury sedan and coupe, replaced by the RL) ("Legend" nameplate discontinued only in N. America)

Vigor (mid-sized sedan, replaced by the TL)

CL (luxury coupe, discontinued after 2003 model year)

SLX (SUV, replaced by the MDX; available only in the United States)

NSX (exotic coupe) In production until 2005; rumors of revival

See also

Honda

RPA (Rubin Postaer and Associates)

Sterling

References

External links

Acura USA

Acura Canada

Acura Mexico

Acura China

North Shore Massachusetts Boston

Category:Automotive companies of Japan Category:Companies established in 1986 Category:Companies based in Tokyo Category:Japanese luxury motor vehicle marques

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name	Jerry Seinfeld
birth name	Jerome Allen Seinfeld
birth date	April 29, 1954
birth place	Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
medium	Television, Film, Stand up
nationality	American
active	1976–present
genre	Observational comedy, Political satire, Black comedy
subject	Avant-garde, American culture, Human behavior, American Politics, Gender differences, Everyday life
influences	Bill Cosby, George Carlin, Robert Klein, Abbott and Costello, Jean Shepherd, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle, Don Rickles, Ricardo Montalban
influenced	Carol Leifer, Ricky Gervais, Mitch Hedberg, Kevin Bridges
spouse	Jessica Seinfeld(1999–present),3 children
notable work	Jerry Seinfeld on ''Seinfeld
signature	Seinfeldsignature.svg

}} Jerome Allen "Jerry" Seinfeld (born April 29, 1954) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and television and film producer, known for playing a semi-fictional version of himself in the situation comedy ''Seinfeld'' (1989–1998), which he co-created and co-wrote with Larry David, and, in the show's final two seasons, co-executive-produced.

In his first major foray back into the media since the finale of ''Seinfeld'', he co-wrote and co-produced the film ''Bee Movie'', also taking on the lead role of Barry B. Benson. In February 2010, Seinfeld premiered a reality TV series called ''The Marriage Ref'' on NBC. Seinfeld was more recently directing Colin Quinn in the Broadway show Long Story Short at the Helen Hayes Theater in New York which ran until January 8, 2011.

Early life

Seinfeld was born in the borough of Brooklyn in New York City. His father, Kalman Seinfeld (d. 1985), was of Austrian Jewish background and was a sign maker; his mother, Betty (1915- ), is of Syrian Jewish descent. Her family was registered as Turkish.

Seinfeld grew up in Massapequa, New York. In September 1959, his mother enrolled him at Birch Lane Elementary School, Massapequa High School. At the age of 16, he spent a short period of time volunteering in Kibbutz Sa'ar in Israel. He went to SUNY Oswego, and after his sophomore year he transferred to Queens College, City University of New York, graduating with a degree in communications and theater.

Seinfeld developed an interest in stand-up comedy after brief stints in college productions. In 1976 after graduation from Queens College, he tried out at an open-mic night at New York City's Catch a Rising Star, which led to an appearance in a Rodney Dangerfield HBO special. In 1979 he had a small recurring role on the ''Benson'' sitcom as "Frankie", a mail delivery boy who had comedy routines that no one wanted to hear, but he was abruptly fired from the show due to creative differences. Seinfeld has said that he was not actually told he had been fired until he turned up for the read-through session for an episode, and found that there was no script for him (Interview in "How It Began," a special feature in the Seinfeld Season 1 & 2 DVD). In May 1981 Seinfeld made a highly successful appearance on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'', impressing Carson and the audience and leading to regular appearances on that show and others, including ''Late Night with David Letterman''.

''Seinfeld''

Seinfeld created ''The Seinfeld Chronicles'' with Larry David in 1989 for NBC. The show was later renamed ''Seinfeld'' to avoid confusion with the short-lived teen sitcom ''The Marshall Chronicles'' and, by its fourth season, had become the most popular and successful sitcom on American television. The final episode aired in 1998, and the show has been a popular syndicated re-run. The show also starred ''Saturday Night Live'' veteran Julia Louis-Dreyfus, as well as experienced actors Michael Richards and Jason Alexander. On the show, Seinfeld played a caricature of himself. He has said that his show was influenced by the 1950s sitcom ''The Abbott and Costello Show''. Citing Jean Shepherd as an influence in his commentary for "The Gymnast" episode on "Seinfeld, Season 6," he said, "He really formed my entire comedic sensibility--I learned how to do comedy from Jean Shepherd." Seinfeld also holds the distinction of being the only actor to appear in every episode of the show. From 2004–2007, the former ''Seinfeld'' cast and crew recorded audio commentaries for episodes of the DVD releases of the show. Seinfeld himself provided commentary for numerous episodes.

Post-''Seinfeld''

1998–2006

After his sitcom ended, Seinfeld returned to stand-up comedy instead of pursuing a film career. In 1998, Seinfeld went on tour and recorded a comedy special entitled ''I'm Telling You for the Last Time''. The process of developing and performing new material at clubs around the world was chronicled in a 2002 documentary, ''Comedian'', which focused also on fellow comic Orny Adams, directed by Christian Charles. He has written several books, mostly archives of past routines.

In the late 1990s, Apple Computer came up with an advertising slogan called "Think different" and produced a 60-second commercial to promote the slogan which showed people who were able to "think differently", like Albert Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King and many others. This commercial was later cut short to thirty seconds and ended up paying tribute to Jerry Seinfeld. This commercial aired only once, during the series finale of ''Seinfeld''.

In 2004, Seinfeld also appeared in two commercial webisodes promoting American Express, entitled ''The Adventures of Seinfeld & Superman'', in which he appeared together with an animated rendering of Superman, who was referenced in numerous episodes of ''Seinfeld'' as Seinfeld's hero, voiced by Patrick Warburton, who had portrayed David Puddy on ''Seinfeld''. The webisodes were aired in 2004 and directed by Barry Levinson. Seinfeld and "Superman" were also interviewed by Matt Lauer in a specially-recorded interview for the ''Today'' show.

On November 18, 2004, Seinfeld appeared at the National Museum of American History to donate the "Puffy Shirt" he wore in the famous ''Seinfeld'' episode of the same name. He also gave a speech when presenting the "Puffy Shirt", claiming humorously that "This is the most embarrassing moment of my life."

Seinfeld had a special appearance on May 13, 2006, ''Saturday Night Live'' episode as Julia Louis-Dreyfus' assassin. Louis-Dreyfus was the host of that episode and in her opening monologue she mentioned the "Seinfeld Curse". While talking about how ridiculous the "curse" was, a stage light suddenly fell next to her. The camera moved to a catwalk above the stage that Seinfeld was standing on, holding a large pair of bolt cutters. He angrily muttered, "Dammit!", angry that it didn't hit her. Louis-Dreyfus then continued to say that she is indeed not cursed.

2007

On February 25, 2007, Seinfeld appeared at the 79th Academy Awards as the presenter for "Best Documentary". Before announcing the nominations he did a bit of a stand-up comedy routine about the unspoken agreement between movie theater owners and movie patrons. One of the winners of the award was Larry David's now ex-wife, Laurie.

On October 4, 2007, Seinfeld made a brief return to NBC, guest-starring in the episode "SeinfeldVision" of ''30 Rock'' as himself.

2008

On February 24, 2008, Seinfeld appeared as the voice of his ''Bee Movie'' animated character Barry, at the 80th Academy Awards as the presenter for "Best Animated Short". Before announcing the nominees, he showed a montage of film clips featuring bees, claiming that they were some of his early work (as Barry).

Amidst his spring 2008 tour Seinfeld made a stop in his hometown of New York City for a one-night-only performance on June 2, 2008 at the Hammerstein Ballroom to benefit ''Stand Up for a Cure'', a charity aiding lung cancer research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

In August 2008 the Associated Press reported that Jerry Seinfeld would be the pitchman for Windows Vista, as part of a $300 million advertising campaign by Microsoft. The adverts, which were intended to create buzz for Windows in support of the subsequent "I'm a PC" adverts, began airing in mid-September 2008 and were cut from television after just 3 installments, Microsoft opting instead to continue with the "I'm a PC" advertisements, and instead continued running the Seinfeld adverts on the Microsoft website as a series of longer advertisements.

2009

In March 2009, it was announced that Seinfeld and the entire cast of ''Seinfeld'' would be appearing for a reunion in Larry David's HBO series ''Curb Your Enthusiasm''. The fictional reunion took place in the seventh season's finale.

Seinfeld appeared on an episode of the Starz original series ''Head Case''. Like many of his previous guest appearances on sitcoms he played himself.

In Australia, Seinfeld appears on a series of advertisements for Greater Building Society, a building society based in New South Wales and south eastern Queensland. His appearance in these adverts were highly publicized and considered a coup for the society, being only the third time Seinfeld had appeared in a television commercial. The adverts were filmed in Cedarhurst, Long Island, with the street designed to emulate Beaumont Street in Hamilton, where the Greater's head offices are located. Seinfeld also wrote the scripts for the fifteen advertisements that were filmed. The adverts largely aired in the Northern New South Wales television market, where the society has most of its branches.

Seinfeld was the first guest of Jay Leno's new talk show, ''The Jay Leno Show'', which premiered on September 14, 2009.

2010s

Seinfeld was featured on Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update sketch to do the "Really!?!" segment with Seth Meyers. Seinfeld was also executive producing and occasionally starring as a panelist in ''The Marriage Ref''. On August 30, 2010, Seinfeld made a notable surprise guest appearance on ''The Howard Stern Show'', repairing the falling out the two had in the early 90s. Jerry appeared on SNY during a Mets game and announced for an inning. Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez, SNY analysts, were very thankful for the opportunity.

Seinfeld toured the U.S. in 2011 and made his first appearance on stage in the U.K. in 13 years. In July 2011, he was a surprise guest on The Daily Show, helping Jon Stewart to suppress his urge to tell "cheap" "Michele Bachmann's husband acts gay" jokes. He also launched a personal archives website at JerrySeinfeld.com. In 2011 he also appeared in the HBO Special 'Talking Funny' with fellow comedians Chris Rock, Louis C.K. and Ricky Gervais.

Books

Seinfeld is also a bestselling author, most notably for his book ''Seinlanguage''. Released in 1993, the book went on to become a number one New York Times bestseller. The book, written as his television show was first rising in popularity, is primarily an adaptation of the comedian's standup material. The title comes from an article in ''Entertainment Weekly'' listing the numerous catch-phrases for which the show was responsible.

In 2002, he wrote a children's book titled ''Halloween''. The book was illustrated by James Bennett. There are also several books about both the sitcom and Seinfeld himself, though many of them are not written by Seinfeld.

Seinfeld wrote the forewords to Ted L. Nancy's ''Letters from a Nut'' series of books and Ed Broth's ''Stories from a Moron''. Both authors were rumored to be pseudonyms for Seinfeld or a friend of his. Neither Nancy nor Broth have been seen publicly, although Seinfeld is heavily involved in pitching their books for television.

In promoting Broth's book, Seinfeld hosted a toast in the author's honor. Broth did not attend.

Seinfeld also wrote the foreword to the ''Peanut Butter & Co. Cookbook'', from his favorite sandwich shop in New York City.

Personal life

Seinfeld dated Carol Leifer, a fellow comedian and rumored to be the inspiration for the character of Elaine from his eponymous sitcom ''Seinfeld'', although both parties deny it. When he was in his late thirties, Seinfeld began a romantic relationship with then-seventeen year old high school student Shoshanna Lonstein. A while later, after meeting Jessica Sklar at the Reebok Sports Club, he began dating her. Sklar, a public relations executive for Tommy Hilfiger, had just returned from a three-week honeymoon in Italy with Eric Nederlander, a theatrical producer and scion of a theater-owning family. Sklar divorced Nederlander and married Seinfeld on December 25, 1999. Comedian George Wallace was the best man at the wedding. After the nuptials Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld bought Billy Joel's Amagansett, Long Island house for $32 million in March 2000.

Seinfeld and his wife have one daughter and two sons; daughter Sascha was born on November 7, 2000 in New York City, son Julian Kal was born on March 1, 2003 in New York City, and Shepherd Kellen was born on August 22, 2005 at New York's Cornell Medical Center. His son Julian's middle name is Kal, which is the first name of Seinfeld's father. Kal is also the first name of Seinfeld's hero Kal-El. Among Seinfeld's best friends are fellow comedians Larry Miller and Mario Joyner.

In 2000, Jessica Seinfeld launched Baby Buggy, a charity that provides clothing and gear for underprivileged women and children. She is the author of the best-seller ''Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food'', released by HarperCollins in October 2007.

Seinfeld is recorded as having made several political contributions, including George W. Bush and Al Gore's presidential campaigns in 2000, and subsequently to four Democratic Party primary candidates in 2000 and 2004.

Seinfeld says that he has practiced Transcendental Meditation for most of his life, and he appeared at a 2009 benefit for TM. Seinfeld has admitted dabbling in Scientology when he was in his twenties, though he says he was never in the organization. The association came to light in 1992.

A fan of the New York Mets, Seinfeld periodically calls Steve Somers' show on WFAN-AM, a sports talk radio station, as "Jerry from Queens." Seinfeld called four innings of a Mets game on SportsNet New York June 23, 2010, reuniting with analyst Keith Hernandez who appeared in the ''Seinfeld'' two part episode The Boyfriend.

Personal wealth

According to ''Forbes'' magazine, Jerry Seinfeld's annual earning from ''Seinfeld'' in 1998 was $267 million, making him the highest-earning celebrity that year. ''Seinfeld'' still generates more revenue than most current shows, through syndication and DVD sales. He reportedly turned down $5 million per episode, for 22 episodes, to continue the show for a tenth season. He earned $100 million from syndication deals and stand-up appearances in 2005 and $60 million in 2006. He also earned $10 million for appearing with Bill Gates in Microsoft's 2008 ads for Windows. Between June 2008 and June 2009, Seinfeld earned $85 million, making him the highest-paid comedian during that 12-month period.

Car collection

Seinfeld, an automobile enthusiast and avid collector, is rumored to own one of the largest Porsche collections in the world. He rented a hangar at the Santa Monica Airport, in Santa Monica, California, for an extended period of time during the 1990s for storage of some of the vehicles in the collection. After his return to New York City, he was involved in an extended dispute with several neighbors over the proposed building of a $1.4 million multi-story garage to contain the cars.

A current tally has Seinfeld owning 46 Porsches. Reporter Paul Bannister reports that Seinfeld's collection includes Porsche 911s from various years, 10 Porsche Boxsters each painted a different color, and the famous 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder, the same model and pearl-grey color that actor James Dean was driving when he crashed and died. The Discovery Channel television show "Chasing Classic Cars" claims that Seinfeld owns the first and last original Porsche 911s produced. The centerpiece is a $700,000 Porsche 959, one of only 337 ever built. To his initial despair, he was not allowed to drive it as US emission and crash tests were never performed because Porsche refused to donate four Porsche 959s for destruction tests, rendering the car "not street-legal". He imported the car "for exhibition purposes", which stipulates the car may never be driven on American roads. The car was made US street legal in 1999 under the "Show or Display" federal law. In several episodes of ''Seinfeld'', Seinfeld drives a Saab 900 (NG) convertible, but a Porsche-themed painting, depicting a Porsche 904 GTS race car competing in the 1964 Targa Florio race in Italy, is visible on a wall in his apartment, as well as a Porsche racing poster featuring a 550 Spyder depicting the 1958 Targa Florio. In another episode, he is seen hiding behind a red Porsche 911RS parked on the street. In addition, an issue of ''Excellence'', a Porsche-centered publication, is featured prominently on an outdoor magazine rack in one episode and on at least one occasion he is seen reading an issue of ''Road and Track'' magazine from circa 1990 with a cover article on the Porsche 964. He also wrote an article for the February 2004 issue of ''Automobile'', reviewing the Porsche Carrera GT. For the story he was awarded Road Pest — Silver at the 2004 International Automotive Media Awards.

Credits

Film

Year	Film	Role	Notes
	''The Ratings Game''	Network Rep
	''Pros & Cons''	Prison Man #2
		Himself
rowspan="2"	''A Uniform Used to Mean Something''	Himself
''Hindsight Is 20/20''	Himself
	''Bee Movie''	Barry B. Benson

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1980		Frankie
1989–1998	''Seinfeld''		American Comedy Award for Funniest Male Performer in a TV Series (1992, 1993)Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series (1993)Golden Globe Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (1995, 1997, 1998)Nominated — American Comedy Award for Funniest Male Performer in a TV Series (1996, 1999)Nominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996)Nominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series (1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998)Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (1996)
1993, 1998	''The Larry Sanders Show''	Himself
1997	''NewsRadio''	Himself
2000		Comp-U-Comp
2004	''Curb Your Enthusiasm''	Himself	(cameo)
2007	''30 Rock''	Himself	("SeinfeldVision")
2009	''Curb Your Enthusiasm''	Himself
2010	''The Marriage Ref''	Executive Producer
2011	''Talking Funny''	Himself
2011	''The Daily Show With Jon Stewart''	Himself

Writing credits for ''Seinfeld''

The list below only includes episodes mainly written by Seinfeld, as he and Larry David rewrote the drafts for each episode.

Season 1

The Seinfeld Chronicles (with Larry David)

Male Unbonding (with Larry David)

The Stake Out (with Larry David)

The Stock Tip (with Larry David)

Season 2

The Ex-Girlfriend (with Larry David)

The Pony Remark (with Larry David)

* Nominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series (1991 - Episode "The Pony Remark")

The Busboy (with Larry David)

The Jacket (with Larry David)

The Chinese Restaurant (with Larry David)

The Phone Message (with Larry David)

Season 3

The Stranded (with Larry David and Matt Goldman)

Season 4

The Shoes (with Larry David)

Season 5

The Sniffing Accountant (with Larry David)

The Raincoats (with Larry David, Tom Gammill, and Max Pross)

The Opposite (with Larry David and Andy Cowan)

Season 6

The Kiss Hello (with Larry David)

Season 7

The Cadillac part 1 and 2 (with Larry David)

References

External links

Jerry Seinfeld's Personal Archives

in 1987 in 2002 in 2007

Jerry Seinfeld Goes Back to Work on Time.com (a division of Time Magazine published 26SEPT 07)

How Automobile got Jerry to write the Porsche GT Review

Category:American stand-up comedians Category:American television actors Category:American voice actors Category:American Jews Category:Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (television) winners Category:Car collectors Category:Emmy Award winners Category:Jewish comedians Category:Living people Category:Actors from New York City Category:People from Brooklyn Category:People from Nassau County, New York Category:Queens College, City University of New York alumni Category:People from East Hampton (town), New York Category:State University of New York at Oswego alumni Category:Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Screen Actors Guild Award winners Category:1954 births Category:American memoirists

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