When you think about Jay Leno, your mind probably goes straight to that denim-on-denim outfit and the legendary chin. But for anyone who actually cares about things that go vroom, he’s basically the high priest of the internal combustion engine. Honestly, calling it a "garage" is like calling the Smithsonian a "storage unit." It’s a massive, living organism tucked away in a series of hangars near the Burbank airport.
People always ask: "How many cars does he actually have?"
As of early 2026, the count sits at roughly 181 cars and 160 motorcycles. The numbers shift because, despite what people think, he does occasionally sell things to make room—like when he parted with a Tesla Model S to clear space for newer EV tech. But he doesn't "flip" cars. He’s not some crypto-bro trying to make a buck on a 911 GT3. He’s a guy who buys what he likes, whether it’s a million-dollar hypercar or a quirky 1950s economy car that most people would ignore.
The Jay Leno Auto Collection: Beyond the Sticker Price
The math on the Jay Leno auto collection is enough to make a CPA faint. Estimates usually hover between $52 million and $100 million, though some experts argue the "real" value is much higher because of the provenance. If Jay Leno owned it, it’s worth more. Period.
Take his 1994 McLaren F1. He bought it for roughly $800,000 back in the day. Now? It’s easily a $20 million machine. But the crown jewel, at least in terms of sheer rarity, might be the 1934 Duesenberg Walker Coupe. It’s the only one of its kind. It’s a massive, aerodynamic beast that looks like something a noir villain would drive. You can't even put a price on it because there's nothing to compare it to.
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Then there’s the weird stuff. Most collectors want the fast stuff, the pretty stuff. Jay wants the interesting stuff. He’s got a 1963 Chrysler Turbine car that sounds like a literal jet engine because, well, it basically is. Chrysler built 55 of them, then crushed almost all of them. Jay’s is one of the few that actually runs on everything from diesel to, allegedly, tequila.
The Steam Era and the "Old Technology" Obsession
You’ve gotta respect a guy who spends 30 minutes just starting his car. That’s the reality with his 1909 Stanley Steamer. Most people think steam power died out for a reason (it did), but Jay loves the engineering. He treats these cars like living history.
- 1906 Stanley Steamer Vanderbilt Cup Racer: A beast of a machine that looks terrifying to drive.
- 1911 Christie Fire Engine: This thing has a massive engine and was used to pull fire equipment. It’s loud, it’s hot, and Jay drives it on the street.
- 1914 Detroit Electric: This is a hoot. It’s an early EV that women used to prefer because they didn't have to crank-start a gas engine. Jay and his team actually modernized one with a Nissan Leaf battery and AC, which is sort of the ultimate restomod.
Why the Big Dog Garage is Different
Most billionaire collections are basically "car graveyards." They’re climate-controlled vaults where the oil turns to sludge and the tires get flat spots. Not here. Jay’s big rule is that everything has to run. He has a full-time staff of about seven people, led by Bernard Juchli, who are basically wizards.
They don't just "fix" cars. They manufacture parts that haven't existed for a century. They use 3D printing and a $50,000 laser welder to recreate water jackets for 100-year-old engines. It’s a specialized machine shop that just happens to have 300+ vehicles parked in it.
I remember seeing an update on his "Barnes Special," a Pikes Peak race car they're rebuilding. It’s got a Cadillac engine and aircraft brakes. Who does that? Only someone who is more interested in the "how" of a car than the "how much."
The Pivot to the Future
Don't let the steam cars fool you. Jay is surprisingly bullish on electric vehicles. He’s often said that the internal combustion engine will eventually become like the horse—something people do for fun on the weekends, but not for getting to work.
He was an early Tesla adopter and recently did a deep-dive on the 2026 Tesla Model Y and the 2025 Mustang GTD. He’s not a purist in the sense that he hates new tech; he just loves good engineering. If a car is well-engineered, whether it’s powered by coal, gas, or lithium-ion, he wants to understand it.
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What Most People Get Wrong About Jay’s Garage
There’s this myth that he’s just a "rich guy with a hobby." Honestly, he’s a mechanic who happens to be rich. He knows the RPO codes. He knows why a specific year of a car had a better transmission than the next.
He’s also incredibly generous with the collection. He doesn't hide it behind a paywall. He does the YouTube show, he shares the sounds of his cars with video game developers (like the team behind L.A. Noire), and he uses the cars for charity events constantly.
- The Ford GT (2017): He actually drives this thing, unlike most people who keep them under a silk cover.
- The 1967 Lamborghini Miura: Given to him by Dean Martin’s family. It’s the car that basically invented the supercar layout.
- The EcoJet: A custom-built car Jay designed with GM that runs on biofuel and uses a jet engine from a helicopter. It’s absurd. It’s loud. It’s Jay.
The Actionable Insight for Car Lovers
You don't need Jay Leno's bank account to follow his philosophy. The core of his collection isn't about the $100 million valuation. It’s about the story.
If you’re looking to start your own collection or just appreciate what you have, take a page from the Big Dog Garage:
- Buy what you love, not what you think will appreciate. If you buy a car as an investment and it drops in value, you’re miserable. If you buy a car you love and it drops in value, you still have a car you love.
- Keep it running. Cars are machines. They need to move. Seals dry out and fluids go bad when they sit. Even if it's just a weekend drive to get coffee, keep the mechanicals moving.
- Learn the "Why." Don't just drive. Read about the engineering. Understanding the struggle the original designers went through makes the driving experience 10x better.
Jay Leno’s collection is a testament to human ingenuity. It covers over 100 years of "What if we tried this?" From the first electric cars that pre-date the Model T to the latest 800-horsepower Mustangs, it’s all there. It reminds us that we’ve always been obsessed with moving faster and more efficiently.
If you ever find yourself in Burbank, look for a guy in a denim shirt driving something that sounds like a jet or a sewing machine. That's probably Jay, just out for a drive, making sure the "children" are healthy and the tires are warm.
The Jay Leno auto collection isn't just a hoard of metal. It’s the ultimate library of how we got from point A to point B, and it’s still growing every single year.