Who Is Jay Leno, Anyway?

Jay Leno, a prominent YouTuber, comedian, and former host of The Tonight Show, began buying cars in the 1980s. Today, he has about 450, some of which cost him hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The Man, The Legend

Apart from being a former TV show host, Jay Leno had his own CNBC show called Jay Leno’s Garage. Although it was canceled in 2023, he continues to talk about these beauties on his YouTube channel.

Let’s see what all he’s got in his 14,000 sq. ft. garage. 

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1934 Ford V8

This was the first vehicle in Jay's collection. In 1934, Ford began marketing the Ford V8 as a cheap but powerful choice for the public. It was so affordable that Leno bought it for about $350 when he was only 15.

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McLaren F1

Jay believes the F1 was one of the greatest automotive innovations of the 20th century. Designed by Gordon Murray and Peter Stevens, this baby could reach a speed of 240.

1mph. He bought the car in the 2000s for $800,000.

Chelsea Jay, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Lamborghini Miura

Legendary singer Dean Martin initially owned this car. After it broke down, it was sold to another person for peanuts and eventually landed in Leno's garage. The Lamborghini Miura featured a transverse V12 engine and a low-slung profile that became the benchmark for future sports cars.

Chelsea Jay, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Porsche 917

The history of endurance racing would not be complete without the Porsche 917.

This legendary racing car won several races like the 24 Hours of Le Mans and was featured in the movie Le Mans. Leno loves the 917's unique design and ample flat-12 engine.

Brian Snelson, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Bugatti Type 57 SC 

The Bugatti Type 57 SC, released in 1937, was the brainchild of Jean Bugatti, Ettore Bugatti's son. Most likely the first supercar, it features swooping lines, a riveted aluminum body, and a powerful straight-eight engine.

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1939 Lagonda V12

Lagonda V12 cars are difficult to drive.

Only two original Lagondas were ever made, but neither belongs to Leno. However, the collector owns one of the 100 replicas, which are also considered rare. The car has a 4.5-liter V12 engine that generates around 200 hp.

Alf van Beem, Wikimedia Commons

Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing

This Mercedes-Benz is known for its gullwing doors, which open upward instead of outward. Noted as one of the most iconic cars of the 20th century, the 300SL numbered among the fastest production cars of its time.

Jay's admiration for sports cars must have informed his purchase.

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Ford GT40

Ford's GT40 debuted in the 1960s to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It achieved outstanding results as a race car, recording consecutive victories from 1966 to 1969 Le Mans. After purchasing it, Leno installed a titanium exhaust for better performance.

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Lamborghini Countach

The Lamborghini Countach's revolutionary design was a clear departure from contemporary trends. Features like the angular lines and scissor doors gave it a modernized appearance and made it popular for twenty years.

Though only 2,000 copies were produced, it still found its way into Jay Leno's fleet.

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Duesenberg Model J

Many celebrities of the 1930s loved the Duesenberg Model J because it spoke luxury. Respectable designers were responsible for making its straight-eight engine and custom coachwork, features that caught Jay's attention. Not surprisingly, the car was one of the few featured in the movie The Great Gatsby.

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Porsche 959

Porsche built the 959 as a homologation special for Group B rally racing.

Among the 450 belonging to Leno, the car displayed the all-wheel drive and twin-turbocharged flat-six engine. While most contemporaries settled for 275 km/h, the 959 unapologetically pushed the limits to about 320.

joergens.mi, Wikimedia Commons

Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost

Jay's passion for classic cars seemed to have no limit. We'll never know how he could lay his hands on a 1906 Silver Ghost, but he did. This automobile was once called "The Best Car in the World" because its six-cylinder engine and comfortable cabin offered outstanding reliability and precision design.

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Jaguar E-Type

If you find a Jaguar E-Type, you may agree with Enzo Ferrari that it is "the most beautiful car ever made". Designed by an aircraft engineer, the car was abandoned in a hoarder's garage for 50 years.

Leno found it and gave it a new life.

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Aston Martin DB5

The James Bond film series appeared to have a soft spot for this car. Introduced in 1963, the DB5 was featured in Goldfinger. With its ample inline-six engine, it became one of the most famous cars in cinema history and a favorite of fans like Leno.

DeFacto, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (C2)

Jay is quite selective with cars but wasted no time buying the C2.

What makes the Stingray (C2) unique is its advanced suspension system, four-wheel disc brakes, and 396-cubic-inch V8 engine. The C2 models became the first to wear the Stingray insignia. 

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Dodge Challenger SRT Demon

You may not like demons, but you'll most likely fall in love with the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, another of Leno's collections. Its supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8 engine releases an astounding 840 horsepower. This specification gives the Demon unusual speed on the track.

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Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione

When you marry a beautiful Italian design with high-performance engineering, the result will not be far from the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. As a limited-production mode, only 500 units were produced, each carefully sculpted and featuring a 4.7-liter, 444-horsepower V8 engine.

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Pagani Huayra

Huayra was the name of the Quechua wind god, pointing to the Pagani Huayra's impressive speed. Only a few engines, like the Mercedes-AMG V12, could have achieved this vision.

The powerhouse could spurt out 720 horsepower and sprint 0 to 60 mph in under 3 seconds.

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Bugatti Veyron

Bugatti's love for breaking speed records is evident in the Veyron, another of Jay's cars. Released in 2005, it was the first production car to exceed 250 mph. This record was possible because of its quad-turbocharged 8.0-liter W16 engine, which generated 1,001 horsepower.

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DeLorean DMC-12

The DeLorean DMC-12 became famous after it starred in the Back to the Future film series.

Like a few cars in Leno's garage, it has gullwing doors that open upwards. Though it initially didn't sell much, its movie appearances made it a pop culture symbol.

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Shelby Cobra 427

Imagine setting a record that remains unbroken for two decades! That's what the Cobra 427 did. Merging its lightweight British chassis with a Ford V8 engine, the car could sprint from 0 to 100 mph in 10 seconds. Jay says it is worth about $2.

5 million.

Alexander Migl, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Maserati Ghibli 4.7

Italian auto designer Giorgetto Giugiaro was responsible for the Maserati Ghibli 4.7's layout. Leno loves the car for its 4.7-liter quad-cam dry-sump V8 engine with a 5-speed manual or 3-speed automatic. These configurations enabled it to compete with leading sports cars of the time.

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Cadillac V16

The Cadillac V16 is an incredibly rare addition to Jay Leno's fleet. Engineers developed it in secret, and every one of the 4,076 pieces had a custom-made chassis.

Known as the first production car with a V16 engine, this vehicle was as powerful as it was smooth.

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Volkswagen Beetle

As the name suggests, the Volkswagen Beetle was a "wagon for every folk". As one of Ferdinand Porsche's designs, it featured an air-cooled engine and compact size that made it a global success. It was so successful that it was the best-selling automobile at some point.

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Toyota 2000GT

In 1967, Toyota and Yamaha had to join forces to release the 2000GT, Japan's first supercar, to compete with Europe and America's best.

Like most contemporaries, the 2000GT could attain 60 mph in less than 9 seconds. Jay found and purchased the James Bond car after a 50-year search.

Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons

Chevrolet Bel Air

Beautiful tailfins, chrome accents, and fuel-injected V8 engines make the Chevrolet Bel Air legendary. Produced between 1950 and 1975, it was later succeeded by the Chevrolet Impala. Its low price gave it the name "The Poor Man's Cadillac," but you would hardly call Leno poor.

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Cord 810/812 

Leno's Cord 810/812 was the first American car to feature front-wheel drive and concealed headlights.

Its power source was a supercharged V8 that could propel the car to 100 mp. A "coffin-nose" design hid the engine bay, which gave the vehicle a modern look.

dave_7, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Peel P50

While some cars come first for their high speed, Jay cherishes the Peel P50 because it's the smallest production car ever made. Produced on the Isle of Man in the early 1960s, it had a single-cylinder engine that could only yield 38 mph.

 

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Citroën DS

The Citroën DS was known for its aerodynamic body, advanced suspension system, and innovative features, like power steering and disc brakes. It was the first mass-produced car with a hydropneumatic suspension system and disc brakes. Jay Leno specifically bought the car for its contribution to automotive development.

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Honda S600

Honda's first production car, the S600,  was the first to feature a chain-driven rear axle. With a 606cc inline-four engine, the car could generate 57 horsepower and sprint to 90 mph.

The Honda S600 has become a Leno's favorite thanks to its lightweight design and agility.

TTTNIS, Wikimedia Commons

Porsche 356

Porsche became a leading brand in high-performance automobile manufacturing largely because of the 356. This legendary car had a rear-mounted, lightweight engine and was the first production car to bear the Porsche name. It was abandoned for about 35 years before being restored and sold to Leno.

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Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud

All Rolls-Royce models, including the Silver Cloud bought by Leno, are elegant and refined.

The Silver Cloud had a 4.9-liter inline-six engine, later replaced by a more efficient 6.2-liter V8. Features like the luxurious and air-conditioned interior emphasized the brand's philosophy of excellence.

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McLaren P1

Jay Leno's McLaren P1 is the US's first privately owned McLaren P1. The car has a maximum speed of up to 217 mph and can sprint from 0 to 124 mph in under 7 seconds. The 3.8 liter turbocharged V8 engine produces about 900 horsepower.

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Mercedes-Benz 600

The Mercedes-Benz 600, popularly known as the "Grosser Mercedes," was mostly used by celebrities. Introduced in 1963, it featured a hydraulic suspension system, power-assisted doors, windows, and a climate control system. Sitting in Leno's garage, it aptly displays the history of luxury cars.

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Austin-Healey 3000

Produced between 1959 and 1967, the 3000 had a 2.9-liter inline-six engine generating 150 horsepower. The car was born out of a partnership with British Motor Corporation and Donald Healey.

Leno acquired the Healey because it was popular for winning European race competitions.

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Mazda RX-7

Unlike many of its contemporaries owned by Jay, the Mazda RX-7 featured a rotary engine—a 1.1-liter twin-rotor Wankel engine. It recorded several victories in motorsports, including over 100 wins in the IMSA class, which convinced doubters of the rotary engine's power.

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Lotus Esprit

The Lotus Esprit was featured in the Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me, where it once transformed into a submarine.

Sadly, Leno's Esprit isn't a submarine in real life, but it still has impressive features. These include its turbocharged 2.2-liter inline-four engine with a 215 horsepower capacity.

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Bentley Speed Six

Though automakers often trade speed for size, Bentley chooses to keep both. Jay bought the Speed Six for its speed and sturdy build in one go. It became famous for winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race in 1929 and 1930. 

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2006 EcoJet

Not only did Leno own classic cars, but he also collaborated with brands like GM and Honeywell to build the 2000 EcoJet.

This surprising vehicle had a Honeywell LT01 turbine engine that ran on biodiesel and produced 650 horsepower. The design was inspired by jet aircraft and Le Mans race cars.

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1966 Oldsmobile Toronado

Motor Trend's Car of the Year Award winner, Oldsmobile Toronado, also sits idle in Jay's garage. The Toronado had a powerful 7.0-liter V8 engine capable of generating 385 horsepower. One distinctive feature was its novel torsion bar front suspension, which provided excellent handling.

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1963 Chrysler Turbine Car

The 1963 Chrysler Turbine Car had a gas turbine engine and could run on kerosene and diesel. Only 55 units were released, one of which belongs to Leno. He first fell in love with the car during a family visit to the 1964 World's Fair. A true meet-cute!

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Rolls-Royce Phantom II

Powered by a 7.7-liter straight-six engine, the Phantom II was the last model produced under Henry Royce's direct supervision. Royalties and society's elites appreciated it for its sophistication and luxurious features.

Leno refers to the Phantom II as the third and last Rolls-Royce 40/50 model.

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Pontiac GTO

Pontiac's GTO cars had 6.5-liter V8 engines that yielded 360 horsepower. Almost every feature of this car looked feisty, like the wide front grille, dual hood scoops, and unique tail lights. Befitting its aggressive look, Leno and other fans call the GTO by its nickname, "The Judge".

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