Although Jay Leno is most famous for his interviewing and comedic skills, he is also an avid car enthusiast. According to Forbes.com, Leno has more than 50 sports and antique cars, spread out among three large garages, in addition to as many motorcycles. Not only does he like collecting cars, but he also takes pleasure in restoring antique automobiles to their original luster. In fact, he makes it a point not to own any modern cars, which makes his collection that much more impressive.
Possibly the most notable aspect of Jay Leno’s cars is that he doesn’t just display them in a show room, as though they were fit for a museum. His garages are fully functional, and he takes pride in driving each of his cars on a regular basis, alternating between them on any given day. He also enjoys taking his various motorcycles out for a spin around Burbank, and he’s paraded his vehicles for many publicity photos and charitable organizations.
In fact, Jay Leno managed to get $360,000 for one Harley-Davidson motorcycle in 2001, in an effort to raise money for the 9/11 victims. The bike was signed by various celebrities, and did so well that he repeated this charitable act in 2004 for the Indian Ocean Earthquake victims (raising over $800,000), and again in 2004 for the Hurricane Katrina survivors (raising more than $1 million). No car is too expensive for Leno, and no vehicle is out of reach, except for cars he considers unworthy, such as Model Ts and modern vehicles.
One of Jay Leno’s most treasured cars is the 21-foot Blastolene Special, which he purchased from the Blastolene brothers in 2004. The 810-horsepower roadster was included in Gran Turismo 4, a PS2 racing game released in 2005, and was featured on an episode of Leno’s show when interviewing Arnold Schwarzenegger. The car is worth more than $300,000, though it likely cost much less when Leno purchased it, and he has called it is “Terminator Car”.
Because Jay Leno’s facination with cars has become so well-known, he now has a column in the successful magazine Popular Mechanic, and frequently writes articles from the London Times about new sports cars that have entered the market. Additionally, Leno serves on the National Advisory Board for the McPherson College ARD (Automotive Restoration Dept.), and is able to put his considerable skills to good use.
Because Jay Leno is busy with his various celebrity pursuits, he hardly has time to spend all day working on his collection of cars. He employs two full-time mechanics who keep his cars in running condition when he isn’t available. Several of his vintage cars require priming before they are able to start, and Leno’s experience working on cars is of great benefit to this expensive hobby.
Jay Leno can frequently be found at car shows, exhibitions and other public events where antique cars and sports cars are honored and cherished. According to Forbes.com, he is more than willing to share his cars with his friends, and has no problem discussing torque and horsepower for hours on end. It is is greatest passion, aside from writing and making people laugh.
Source:
Forbes.com, “My Garage, with Jay Leno”, by Ken Gross
