Inside Jay Leno’s Car Collection | 2024 Edition

Social media is often ripe with celebrities’ unique takes on a variety of things be it art, politics, social issues or you guessed it, cars. However, few are acknowledged as authentic enthusiasts and those lucky ones are generally gauged by the uniqueness, history and specifications of the cars they have in their collection.

Jay Leno, the famous host of The Tonight Show, is one such man who has managed to establish himself as a true car collector thanks to the vast variety of vehicles in his prized Big Dog Garage in California. With almost 200 cars in his collection and not to forget an endless array of various motorcycles, the garage can also be termed an auto museum.

Though it is near impossible to write about each of Leno’s cars in this article, we will try our best to share the most prestigious vehicles adorning the famed Big Dog Garage. From the rather “mundane” Ford Mustang to the rarest McLaren P1, let’s get started.

2015 Tesla Model S P90D  – $95,000

Jay Leno hasn’t sold any car he has bought apart from the very first Ford truck he bought back when he was quite young and a Tesla P90D which he sold relatively quite recently in 2021 at an auction, so it makes sense to start off the list with this pure electric car. The car fetched $95,000 which is $45,200 less than what he paid for.

Nevertheless, he bought an updated version, the Model S Plaid soon after selling the P90D. Not only did the Model S Plaid replace its predecessor but it also replaced the Chevy Volt as Leno’s daily runner.

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2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8  – $50,000

Being at the forefront of the horsepower wars, the Dodge Challenger SRT8 represents the sheer American addiction with raw engine output so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this muscle car has found its way to Jay Leno’s garage in California. His peculiar behavior regarding the soon-to-be-discontinued cars isn’t hidden from anyone and this is one car that ticks such a box.

Estimated to be almost $50,000, the Mopar muscle car is equipped with an automatic transmission, something which Leno himself isn’t very keen about. Nevertheless, its worth is only projected to go upwards as time passes.

1994 McLaren F1  – $20 Million

McLaren, Leno’s favorite automaker due to its unique and continuous daring takes on supercars, possesses a special place not only in his heart but also in his garage as well. It wouldn’t be wrong to call the legendary F1 as apple of Leno’s eyes since he claims it to be the perfect road-legal sportscar ever built with all the handling and acceleration characteristics one desires from a road-legal car.

The center-placed front seat is a very rare thing to come by in a super car and that not only makes the car special but it also delivers a very natural driving experience out on the roads according to Leno. The car has been in Leno’s garage for around 25 years and it regularly sees the Californian roads as Leno likes to take each one of his cars out on the road periodically.

With only 107 McLaren F1 ever made, the one in Leno’s possession is, therefore, understandably valued at a whopping $20 million today.

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McLaren P1  – $17 Million

Much like other Jay Leno’s cars, his P1 also has an interesting tale to tell. Being the first one to land on the shores of the United States, the car donned in bumble bee color has a plug-in hybrid powertrain under its lightweight skin, which together with the V8 engine delivers instant acceleration. Obviously, the $17 million P1 is also very close to Leno’s heart but it doesn’t come as close to his heart as the F1 since he believes that the P1 is too track-focused and thus is very bumpy on the roads.

McLaren MP4 12C  – $120,000

Another esteemed McLaren that has been a part of Leno’s garage is the MP4 12C. The supercar is somewhat underrated considering the efforts that went into its creation. On top of all the blood and sweat that went into its creation, Leno’s MP4 12C stands apart due to the fact that it was one of the first MP4 12C to arrive in the U.S. Leno felt so good driving the car that he put 1000 miles on it the first week of his ownership.

Just like the F1, the MP4 12C has made a permanent mark on Leno because of its sedan-like ride on roads all thanks to its normal mode. Unlike Leno’s many other supercars, the MP4 12C has depreciated since the time he bought it and it is presently valued at around $120,000.

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2005 Mercedes SLR McLaren  – $400,000

Mercedes has clinched the runner-up award in the heart of Leno and it is proven by his admiration for the SLR. Despite having visible sporty aesthetics, the car is capable of fulfilling a variety of roles which makes it a great grand tourer and this is coming from none other than Leno himself.

Part of the reason why Leno adores the SLR is probably because it was built in partnership with McLaren which bestows it with the best of both worlds characteristics. The 617-hp Grand Tourer averages around $400,000 these days.

2017 Acura NSX  – $180,000

The Acura NSX doesn’t get the dream car attention it deserves from enthusiasts and the same can be applied in the case of Jay Leno. Tucked away in a corner albeit fully maintained just like any other car in the garage is the Japanese supercar, the NSX. This particular NSX’s honor of being the third one to roll off the factory floor is like icing on the cake and makes it synonymous with other rivals parked in the garage. The hybrid car is probably worth around $180,000 nowadays.

Ford GT  – est. $500,000

Ford has strict criteria for allocating the rare GT models to willing customers but it’s no wonder that Leno was able to get one since his car enthusiasm knows no bounds. Just like the Mustangs, one of the Ford GT has a special story to tell.

The 100th Anniversary Edition 2005 model supercar flaunts its bright red color effortlessly which is further accentuated by the white stripes. Unlike other cars, it is hard to put an estimate on its value today but it has, without a doubt, appreciated in value by several thousand dollars.

2010 Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita  – $4.3 Million

Anybody remotely familiar with hypercars knows how hard they are to come by. Koenigsegg tops the list of making such cars and the CCXR Trevita is one such ultra-rare machine. Only 3 units were ever made and Leno got his one delivered by none other than the man behind Koenigsegg, Christian Von Koenigsegg. With over 1000 hp under its featherweight body mated to a manual transmission, the Trevita is a purely driver’s car. The hypercar costed Leno $4.3 million and such a timeless machine is bound to only go up in value.

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Enough has been written about Leno’s modern car collection, it is high time that we discuss some of Leno’s classic cars, of which there are many.

Baker Electric Car  – est. $250,000

The first classic car both in essence and form that deserves a mention in this list is the Baker electric car, specifically it is a 1909 model. Surprisingly, the electric car came before gasoline cars ever saw the light of the day and even more surprisingly it had a range of 80 miles more than a century ago. Marketed primarily as a women’s car in that era, it had six batteries and was truly ahead of its time with the only problem being the lack of electricity to charge it.

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1959 Fiat Millecento  – est. $5,000

The 1959 Millecento is undoubtedly the closest thing to a Ferrari that Jay Leno will ever own since he refuses to buy a Ferrari. Bought by a woman in 1959 and preserved in her lounge until 2005, the Fiat only had 5,000 miles when Leno bought it in 2005. Being a very light and quick vehicle, Leno couldn’t resist driving it and has put more than 5,000 miles on it after buying it.

1986 Lamborghini Countach  – $600,000

Image Source: Jay Leno’s Garage

It doesn’t take a Lambo fan to appreciate the beauty and overall aesthetics of the Countach and like many other priceless sports cars, an 86 Countach also found its way to Leno’s garage. According to Leno, he bought it because it was the last of its kind, i.e., it was the last Lamborghini based on a carburetor-fed engine.

1965 GT350 Mustang  – $400,000

Like any true car enthusiast American, Jay also is a fan of the Mustang. Amongst the two Ford Mustangs in his garage, one is the very first generation white Ford Mustang GT350 from the 60s that stands out due to the blue stripes. The other one is a rather newer 350R that has the same livery as its ancestor which came out exactly 50 years ago. The newer 350R hasn’t undergone any major development vis-à-vis its value but the Stang from the 60s is estimated to be around $400,000.

Daimler Dart 250  – est. $60,000

The Dart is one of the many cars proudly shown by Leno to almost every visitor. Quite different from Dodge’s version of Dart, this English car was voted as the ugliest car in the New York car show.

By Leno’s own admission, the English had tried to make an American car by slapping a chrome-laden grille on the front and carving out large wings on the rear. Though the experiment failed in a sense, it nevertheless, managed to capture Leno’s attention who subsequently bought it and made it a part of his collection.

Jensen CV8  – $50,000

You may have never heard of Jensen CV8 but according to Leno, he lusted after this car. He even termed the car as a “poor man’s Aston Martin” even though both had the same price tag. Its reputation further improved after Sean Connery bought it for his James Bond movie. The car was truly American as it had a 383 Chrysler engine, wire wheels, American transmission and a fiberglass body.

Estimated Worth of Leno’s Garage: About $120 million

With over 200 cars and 160 motorcycles in his collection, it is hard to allocate an accurate estimate to the entire collection. However, considering the fact that most of Leno’s cars have appreciated considerably since he has owned them, and not to forget the recent appreciation in the prices of cars in general, a conservative estimate for his entire garage would be somewhere in between $110 – $120 million. Of course, this figure won’t remain the same as time goes by and many factors can push it higher or lower.

Wrapping Jays Big Dog Garage Up!

There are numerous other cars in Jay Leno’s cars that are worthy of being discussed here but it would then take forever to complete this article. Amongst such cars are Duesenbergs, a 1967 and 69 Lamborghini Miura, a couple of Bugatti Type 35 and Type 58, a 1963 Jaguar XKE, a 1963 Jaguar 63SK, custom aero-engine cars, Lotus Elan 26R and the list goes on.

The variety and care given to all the cars makes a car guy envy Jay Leno and his dedication to cars of all eras. Few have such rich taste when it comes to cars and this makes Jay Leno’s garage one-of-a-kind in the whole world.