Comedian Jay Leno is best known as successfully filling the shoes of longtime “Tonight Show” host, and DeLorean owner, Johnny Carson beginning in 1992. But following his retirement after more than 4,600 episodes of NBC’s late night show, Leno finally got to pursue his true passion for all things mechanical on a full-time basis. That includes helming “Jay Leno’s Garage” on CNBC before the show was cancelled and moved to YouTube a few years ago.
Some media outlets exaggerate the size of Leno’s collection at more than 260 automobiles, but it’s more like a still-impressive 181 cars, plus about 160 motorcycles thrown in for good measure. Inside the entertainer’s Burbank, California warehouse lies an eclectic gathering of sheet metal to be sure, starting with the early 20th century steam-powered cars that proved to be hazardous to the septuagenarian tinkerer. Of course, there’s the requisite supercars like a McLaren P1 and a Porsche Carrera GT. Heck, he’s even got a Tato Nano — a dirt cheap microcar from India. But one brand that any car lover worth his or her salt cherishes is conspicuously absent: Ferrari.
What’s Jay Leno’s beef with Ferrari?
To be clear, Leno is a fan of the prancing horse brand. Both classic and contemporary Ferraris like the F50 have graced “Jay Leno’s Garage,” but the denim-clad aficionado would never actually use his own money to buy one. “I like Ferraris, they’re excellent cars,” Leno states on a “Cars and Culture” podcast circa 2022. The jokester continues, “I just never liked dealing with the dealers. I don’t want to give a guy 25-grand in an envelope [for the privilege of buying one].” He likens the Ferrari purchase experience to “rich guys who go to a dominatrix” to get the crap kicked out of them.
Leno also levels accusations that customers are required to buy inferior models first as a prerequisite to buying the car they really want, and that the brand pressures owners into purchasing pricey certificates of authenticity to maintain a vehicle’s provenance. Leno contrasts the cold shoulder from Ferrari with excellent customer service from McLaren, whose salesperson advised him against unnecessary costly options like carbon fiber brakes and later offered a significant horsepower upgrade for his MP4-12C, free of charge.
A curious aspect of Jay Leno’s stance on new Ferrari ownership is that his considerable fame — automotive and otherwise — would likely negate the need to jump through the same hoops that mere mortals like us would endure. The fact that Leno doesn’t throw his celebrity weight around and treats a Ferrari purchase from the same viewpoint as your average Bitcoin millionaire speaks volumes about his humility.
