Jay Leno: Hollywood’s Biggest Car Collector

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on 12/15/2006







Filed under:on 12/15/2006 Many people know the late night host of The Tonight Show as a first rate comedian who is the crown jewel in the NBC comedy crown. But what many people don’t know is that Jay is an avid car collector and an expert, as well. Jay writes a frequent column in Popular Mechanics about cars and he’s one of the magazines most popular contributors.

As for Jay’s car collection, it’s bordering on ridiculous. He has approximately 85 cars and over 70 motorcycles in his collection. Where does he park all these cars? On a football field-sized spread of warehouses in an industrial park in Burbank, California. Jay is famous for driving a different car or bike from his collection every day to work.



His collection spans the entire life of the automobile, including a 1914 Auto Car, a 1909 Baker Electric and a 1915 Franklin featuring a Harley Earl build body. But the collection isn’t just oldies. Jay also sports an incredible array of speed machines, as well. The collection boasts a host of Bughattis and Lamborghinis, as well as an actual F1 racing car from McLaren that is valued at well over a million dollars.



Jay’s collection has brought him his fare share of fame, as well. He’s the first person ever to drive the pace car at every major NASCAR event, as well as the Indy 500. He even inspired an entire line of Hot Wheels based on his collection. The cars are made with extra care and have become a bit of a collectors item on their own. The Hot Wheels collection features miniatures of his Jaguar E-Type, as well as his Shelby Cobra and his Lamborghini Miura. The cars sell for around $15 each, a bit more than a regular Hot Wheels car.



It shouldn’t be a surprise that Jay’s love of cars started early. His first ever job was working at an auto dealer in 1967. The first car he ever owned? A simple 1934 Ford pickup truck.



Jay’s car collection has gotten to be such a popular topic for conversation that NBC has actually given Jay a separate website, found at www.jaylenosgarage.com, which offers live, streaming video of Jay’s collection, commentary on his favorite cars and tons of information about the collection, in general. Many of the articles that Jay pens for Popular Mechanics also appear on this website.



Jay has also made a habit of exhibiting his collection when he gets a chance. At a recent Pebble Beach Pro Am golf tournament, Jay showed off some of his collection next to some other amazing cars. One of the favorites? Jay’s 1934 Duesenberg J Murphy convertible coupe in a beautiful pea green with enough polished chrome to make anyone jealous. Jay also brings his cars onto The Tonight Show when he can and they have become so popular he is considered the most famous (or at least the most popular) classic car collector in the U.S.



When it is all said and done, Jay will be known as the man who replaced Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show and brought the decades-old program to new heights. But he’ll also be known as one of the most famous and popular car collectors who has taught millions of people about restoration, collecting and respecting the world’s amazing automotive past.







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