Jay Leno's Incredible Car Collection Will Blow You Away

By Stuart Wolf - May 13, 2025

Jay Leno hosted NBC's The Tonight Show for two decades. In that time, he saved his salary to pay for his hobby, collecting automobiles. However, Jay doesn't just collect classic, vintage, and race cars; he owns one of the world's most valuable collections, estimated to be worth $50-$100 million. Today, we'll look at Leno's childhood, career, marriage, his love of engines and some of his beautiful cars.

Jay’s Early Life

James Douglas Muir Leno was born on April 28th, 1950, in New Rochelle, New York. Jay's father, insurance salesman Angelo, was born in New York to Italian immigrants — while his Scottish homemaker mother, Catherine, emigrated to the USA in 1922 when she was 11. Though his mother was strict, his dad's Italian heritage meant the house was loud.

Pinterest // @Thurn59

Jay's childhood in Andover, Massachusetts, was happy. He loved playing pranks like flushing a tennis ball down the toilet and giggling with his friends when the janitor couldn't fix it.

Jay Falls in Love With Cars

When Jay was nine, he was riding his bike up a hill in Ballardvale, Massachusetts. At the top of the hill, he saw a man called Mr. Mulligan wheeling a 1951 Jaguar XK120 — complete with spats — out of his garage.

Pinterest // @Ranker.com

As the wide-eyed youngster stood staring at the beautiful gun-metal gray car, Mr. Mulligan called Jay over and let him sit in the driver's seat. From that moment on, Jay was hooked on cars. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Jay Buys His First Car

Jay bought his first car at 14 with money he'd saved from summer jobs. It was a pickup truck his dad found at an abandoned gas station in nearby Reading, Massachusetts.

TikTok // @thejerryapp

He told CNBC Make It: "I bought a '34 Ford pickup truck, and it didn't run. My dad said, 'You've got two years before you get your license, so get busy working on it. I learned how to fix it and make it run." Jay soon got the bug for fixing up cars.

Stand-Up Comedy

In 1973, Jay started a comedy club while studying for a bachelor's degree in speech therapy at Emerson College, Boston. After college, he did the rounds as a stand-up comic in nightclubs. Next, Jay moved to Los Angeles and bought a 1955 Buick Roadmaster for $350.

YouTube // @MyClassicCarTV

He'd sleep in his car after opening for singers like Johnny Mathis and Tom Jones. On March 2nd, 1977, Leno made his first appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, alongside guests Diana Ross and Burt Reynolds.