Met the Ultimate Car Guy Today!!

[MrNewportCustom]

My brother and I went to the Spring Fling Mopar show and swap meet at Woodley Park in Van Nuys, today. On our way home, we made our traditional stop at an auto-themed bookstore in Burbank. Guess who walks in while I'm paying for my books? Jay Leno.

After some greetings and small talk, my brother opens his big mouth and asks Jay, "Do you give tours of your shop?"

Jay's answer was, "Got some time?"

We were thrown for a loop! Could've knocked us over with a down feather!

Jay asked us to follow him to his shop. We followed his McClaren F1 in my 1967 Chrysler, and he gave my brother and I a private, personal tour of the shop and the collection: just he and us! We were there for about an hour, and he showed us everything! Classics like: Packards! Deusenbergs! Bugattis! Imperials! Doble and Stanley Steamers! Lotuses! Maseratis! A Tatra from Chechoslovakia! Many, many motorcycles, including a bizzare bit of history with a six cylinder radial engine mounted inside the front wheel! (Ponder getting fuel to it!) A 1967 Imperial; the sister car to my Chrysler, that he'd just bought! Then he came out and looked at MY car, and it was his turn to ask questions. Then my brother and I each took a picture with him!

He really is one of the nicest people you can meet.

This was an experience of a lifetime! Jay doesn't give many tours of his shop; he told us that insurance makes it hardly worth the risk. But he gave us the tour just out of pure chance. We feel like the luckiest car guys in the world today!

 

[Jerekson]

That...is...AWESOME!

Wow!

Wow!

Uh...

Wow!



That's just incredible. You lucky dog! I can't beleive that happened to you!

Why don't you post those pictures?

Jerekson

 

[panamag8or]

Freakin' AWESOME! Post those pics!

 

[anon`]

Wow.

No way else to put that. Does he still have the Toronado?

 

[TommySalieri]

Oh, man. That's awesome! How about some pictures?

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

If I can get my lazy keister up early enough (I work nights) I'm going to Woodley Park today. maybe Jay will be there again.

Were there a lot of 30s-50s Mopars there as well? I haven't been to a Spring Fling in a few years, which is sad because I live only a few miles away.

 

[Feraud]

That is a great story! What about the motorcycles?? Did you see any? Leno is an avid rider/collector.

 

[MrNewportCustom]

The only pictures we got were the ones of my brother and I by my car with Jay; he doesn't allow photos inside. We didn't ask, but there's a sign with a camera inside that red circle with a line through it on the side of the building. Also, I didn't use digital, so I'll have to wait for the DVD when I get the film developed.

Yes, he does have the Toronado. And it's GORGEOUS in person!! In fact, in an episodes of My Classic Car, he says he never sells anything: he's had the Roadmaster since '72, when he paid $500.00 for it. It took him to his first Tonight Show and first Merv Griffin Show. Dated his wife in it - he's still with her after thirty-five years. "I'd have the same cat, if he hadn't died," he says.

Tony, the show is from 10:00 to 1:00, but cars are there early and late. I've seen him there twice before, and it was after 12:00 each time. He said he might bring the tank car (The one I call Chitty Chitty Bang Bang from Hell!) But he also thought about bringing his Chrysler Airflow. (That was the third or fouth car he'd mentioned taking. I offered to drive a couple cars for him. . . . well, one at a time.) Also, he showed us a Lotus Elan he'd bought that day. And as we were leaving, we saw the same red '70 Dart that was parked behind my car Saturday. He'd sent someone to buy it! I don't even know if the seller knows who bought it.

If you go, Tony, look for my car. We'll chat a bit and have something to drink. I'll be in with the C-Bodies. Mine's a green '67 Chrysler Newport Custom with a vanity plate; BGGRNCR. If I'm not under a tree, I'll have a blue Quick Shade up.

Feraud: A better question is, "Which motorcycle isn't represented in his fleet? Wizzers, Harleys, Honda, BSA, Triumph, Pope, you name it. He even has two that are powered by Wankel engines and one with a jet engine! He has ones I've never ever heard of! I'd guess he has about fifty or sixty bikes.

Jay needs to call Dennis Adler, who wrote and photographed the books on the Neterhcutt Collection, and have him write one about his collection! Only problem I can see, though: Jay adds to his collection seemingly on a weekly basis, so the book would be outdated before it came off the presses. LOL. While we were there, we saw four cars he'd just added: The '67 Imperial, the aforementioned Lotus and '70 Dart, and the McClaren. All purchased within the past couple of weeks.

Jerekson, I can't believe that happened to me! lol

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

Well, I saw your car but I didn't see the owner. Anyway, here are some pictures. Click the thumbnails to see the bigger picture.

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

 

[MrNewportCustom]

Glad you made it, Tony. Too bad we didn't connect. Perhaps we'll meet at John's BBQ.

Jay brought the Tank Car. He tricked me by arriving right at 10:00 and then left shortly after 11:00.

My car isn't much to look at, but it seems to be fairly rare. (Production for the '67 Newport Custom was 23,101.) After seven years of ownership, I've yet to see another.

The black '34 Dodge sedan next to the two-tone green '31 Chrysler belongs to magician and comedian Ken Sobel. You may have seen him there dressed for the part.

Thank you for the pictures, Tony! Those were some great cars.


Lee

 

[MrNewportCustom]

That is a great story! What about the motorcycles?? Did you see any? Leno is an avid rider/collector.

Some of his bikes: 1964 Honda Dream 150, Harley VRod and several others, Wizzers, several Triumphs, a Vincent or two, a 1921 Margola (German) - a bizarre bike with a radial six cylinder engine inside the front wheel His jet bike - it has a helicopter turbine engine, 1908 (?) Pope. My brother and I wish we had better memories.

 

[Twitch]

Here's one that showed up at our cruise-in Saturday- 1930 Calillac V-16

 

[Gary Crumrine]

I've heard many nice things about Jay Leno. This just further burnishes his image.

 

[MrNewportCustom]

That's a beautiful Cadillac, Twitch. One of these days! lol

My automotive tastes run the gammut: Classics, brass era, sports cars, tri-fives, Mopar (of course), Anything Mercedes, Supercars, orphans, abandoned. You name the decade and there are many that I want.


Lee

 

[Twitch]

Mr Newport if you have the desire NOW is the time to get a vintage car. There are many, many fine cars that are not priced in the stratosphere. There are a lot under $10,000. And vintage car insurance is crazy cheap.

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

Mr Newport if you have the desire NOW is the time to get a vintage car. There are many, many fine cars that are not priced in the stratosphere. There are a lot under $10,000. And vintage car insurance is crazy cheap.

Yep, quite true. My problem right now is that I don't have a garage, or even a driveway. My cars are parked on the street, albeit in a nice neighborhood. I have to get a place with a garage first, before I can get back into classic cars.

 

[cooncatbob]

That's just too cool. Jay does have a website.
http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/

 

[J. M. Stovall]

Jay is a genuinly nice guy. He sat and talked with me and a few friends for quite a while in a Hilton bar when he was on tour. He didn't have a drink but did eat lots of popcorn. We were kind of flabergasted that he spent so much time with us.

 

[MrNewportCustom]

Very true, Twitch. I've seen many nice classics for very low prices. In fact, a few months back I saw a Packard 120 for about six grand. Unfortunately, I'm in the same fix as Tony: my Chrysler is parked at the curb. It also happens to be the green '67 in the photos that Tony posted in this thread.

Thank you for the link to Jay's site, Cooncat. I've already watched half a dozen clips and will be watching many more.


Lee