You’ve probably seen the photos. Or maybe you caught that viral clip where a massive, gleaming red machine towers over a Ferrari at a stoplight. It’s not just any vehicle; it’s the jay leno fire truck, a beastly piece of American history that the comedian literally saved from a scrap heap. Honestly, in a collection of McLaren F1s and steam cars, this 1941 American LaFrance might be the coolest thing he owns because it actually does work.
Most people think celebrities just buy stuff to look at it. Jay isn’t like that. He drives this thing. He’s used it to haul broken-down motorcycles, and more recently, he’s been spotted using it to serve hot meals to firefighters on the front lines of California’s wildfires. It’s basically a six-ton rolling kitchen and rescue vehicle now.
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How He Found a "Dying Mastodon" at the Airport
The backstory is kinda wild. This 1941 American LaFrance didn’t start its life in a museum. It spent decades working the lot at Warner Bros. Studios. Eventually, the studio donated it to the City of Burbank, and by the late 1960s, it ended up at the Burbank Airport.
It wasn't a showpiece. Far from it.
For about 30 years, the airport used it as a windbreak. They literally just parked it at the end of the runway to keep dust and trash from blowing across the tarmac. It sat there, rotting in the sun, leaning to one side like what Jay calls a "dying mastodon."
Then 9/11 happened. Security protocols changed overnight. The FAA decreed that no large obstacles—like a massive, rusted-out fire engine—could be near runways where someone might hide. Jay saw a tow truck hooking up to it and asked where it was going. The driver said the scrapyard. Jay offered double the scrap value—basically a couple hundred bucks—and saved it on the spot.
The V12 Engine That Put Muscle Cars to Shame
When you talk about the jay leno fire truck, you have to talk about the heart of the beast. This thing has a narrow-angle V12 engine that was originally based on a Lycoming aircraft design.
In 1941, this was the most powerful road engine in America. 265 horsepower doesn’t sound like much today when a Honda Civic has that, but back then? It was a monster. It was built to run all day long at high RPMs to pump water, which is why it has four separate alternators and an oversized radiator.
- Weight: Somewhere between 6 and 8 tons.
- Fuel: It costs a fortune to fill. Jay has joked it’s about 200 bucks a tank.
- Brakes: Originally just old-school drum brakes, which are terrifying on a 15,000-pound truck. Jay eventually added a Telma induction brake system to actually, you know, stop.
Why It’s the "Most Practical" Vehicle in the Garage
Jay doesn't just parade this thing around for ego. He actually modified it to be useful. He ripped out the old 1.5-ton water tank—which was dead weight anyway—and replaced it with a custom liftgate and a flatbed area.
Now, it’s his go-to motorcycle hauler.
If he’s out on one of his vintage bikes and it breaks down (which happens a lot with 100-year-old bikes), he just calls the shop, and someone brings the fire truck. They drop the lift, roll the bike on, and head home. He even put padded bench seats along the sides using old fire hoses as backrests. It’s basically a party bus that can carry ten people and a couple of bikes.
The Real Impact in 2025 and 2026
Recently, the truck has taken on a more serious role. During the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, Jay didn't just sit at home. He loaded the back of the LaFrance with ribs, chicken, and a massive grill.
He drove it right into the fire zones to feed the first responders.
There’s something poetic about a 1941 fire engine, saved from the scrap heap, being used to support the men and women fighting modern-day fires. The firefighters loved it. One of them mentioned that even though the company, American LaFrance, went out of business in 2014, the hardware is so standardized that modern hoses still fit the old 1880s-style thread patterns on Jay's truck.
The Other Fire Trucks in the Collection
While the '41 LaFrance gets the most press, Jay has a thing for these rescue rigs. He also famously owned a 1911 Christie Front-Drive Fire Engine. That one is a pure "steampunk" machine with a massive four-cylinder engine where each cylinder is the size of a modern car's entire engine block.
He actually donated the Christie to the Los Angeles Fire Department Historical Society after it blew a piston through the side of the block during a drive. He also frequently features "LaBestioni," a custom boat-tail speedster built from a 1915 American LaFrance chassis by craftsman Gary Wales.
What This Means for You
If you’re a collector or just a fan of vintage iron, Jay’s approach to the jay leno fire truck offers a few real-world lessons.
- Preservation over restoration: Jay often keeps the "patina" or the history of a vehicle rather than making it look like a plastic toy.
- Modern safety is non-negotiable: He added the Telma induction brakes and an overdrive unit. If you’re going to drive a 70-year-old truck on modern highways, you have to upgrade the stopping power.
- Functionality wins: A vehicle that just sits is a paperweight. By converting the water tank area into a hauler/patio, he ensured the truck stays in regular rotation.
The next time you're stuck in traffic in Burbank and see a flash of red and gold leaf in your rearview mirror, don't be surprised. It’s probably just Jay, out for a cruise in the world's most overqualified motorcycle trailer.
To see more of the truck's mechanical details, you should look into the specific episodes of Jay Leno's Garage where he walks through the Telma brake installation—it’s a masterclass in heavy-duty engineering. You can also check out the LAFD Historical Society's museum if you want to see the 1911 Christie he donated; it's a testament to the era when fire trucks were transitioning from horses to horsepower.