There is no greater car collector in North America than Jay Leno. Between his huge celebrity and his huge car collection, he’s essentially became the ultimate goal of all car collectors. The admiration and jealousy towards other gear heads towards him flow freely.
Leno’s garage is incredible. He currently only 169 cars and 117 motorcycles. He has vehicles from every ear and every category. Though admittedly he prefers if they go fast than not. He’s a fan of continuity and historical significance with his automobiles as well. It’s been estimated that the commercial value of his vehicles currently sits at approximately 350 million dollars.
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In addition to his original McLaren F1, he’s also got a more modern McLaren P1. These two cars have helped define what a supercar is for over 20 years. Leno likes a lot of classic cars that have influenced entire designs. He owns two of the most iconic jaguars of all time. The 1963 Jaguar E-Type and the 1954 Jaguar XK120M Coupe are two of the most beautiful cars ever created. Their styling cues can be seen on essentially every Jaguar ever created though they are more modernized now. Leon owns a 1930 Bentley 27 Litre. This Bentley was actually powered by a Spitfire engine! Automotive and aeronautic synergy right there! One of the true stars of Leno’s collection is his 1963 Corvette Stingray. It may be the most famous car ever built in America. Leno has restored his to an incredibly condition and is one of the finest examples of this car currently existing in the United States.
Leno has sections in his collection. He’s got Italian and German and “Eastern Bloc” sections. Not all of the cars on display were luxury cars, but a lot of them are just interesting pieces that reflected the times and locations that they were created.
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Leno’s favorite thing in life is clearly cars, and though his time in the tonight show, he was looking to expand his TV persona towards cars. When it was announced that the British BBC show Top Gear was looking to expand with a United States version, Leno was instantly linked to be one of the hosts. Leno’s car knowledge combined with his joking nature would make him a natural for the host role made so famous by Jeremy Clarkson. Leno was certainly, however the show was unable to gain the insurance Top Gear UK has and the assurances from automobile companies that they would continue to loan their cars for pieces regardless of the outcome or things said. That second part was the key. In the UK, if Top Gear said something bad about BMW, it wasn’t going to stop them from sending the newest M3 for the next episode. Leno had none of those guarantees. Manufacturers were going to influence the product and he backed out. Top Gear USA was never a big success and cancelled after a few seasons.
Leno has created his own web series which then started getting aired. Rather than deal with the politics of automobile manufacturing he’s just digging into his garage and then creating shows based off of his garage. He’s been going on automotive adventures and honestly seems like he’s having a blast with it. Jay’s Garage is available to view online, or on NBC.
