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Jay Leno's garage, a modern-day Ali Baba cavern

More than just a garage, this place is a museum, a giant archive, an art gallery, a piece of auto history and, yes, a sanctuary. It's also the playroom of a grown-up fan who's passionate about fantastic 2- and 4-wheel toys.

  • Famous for his late-night talk show, Jay Leno is also a die-hard car enthusiast.
  • Here's the Tank Car, a monstrous hot rod whose 30-liter, twin-turbo V12 was borrowed from an actual M47 Patton tank. Unsatisfied with the 800 horsepower of the stock engine, Leno had it fitted with a pair of turbos and, as a result, this wicked 5-ton machine produces 1,600 horsepower!
  • In the 1970s, Jay Leno lived for several months in the back of a trusty 1955 Buick Roadmaster. Fully restored and juiced up with a big modern V8, not to mention a Corvette suspension, this car is now one of Leno's favorites.
  • Getting close to a Bentley Lagonda race car is a huge privilege. Here, two are standing side by side. What an awesome sight! The left one is a red 1939 Lagonda V12 while the right one is a Lagonda V12 Le Mans.
  • With a tiny 13.5-horsepower, 500-cc, twin-cylinder engine, this 1937 Fiat 500 "Topolino" is undoubtedly the least potent car in the entire garage. On the right is a 1959 Fiat 1100 sedan, followed by a NSU Prinz, three Mazdas and a Saab.
  • The Owen Magnetic from 1916 was an American luxury car that retailed for $9,000!
  • The 1913 Mercer Raceabout is one of the most storied American race cars. Built in Trenton, New Jersey, it reportedly sports the colors of Princeton University (yellow and black). Equally interesting are the many documents on the wall, including some authentic ones, which present the story of the brand.
  • Standing in front of a 1954 Dodge Coronet Suburban powered by a V8 HEMI Red Ram is a second-generation Chevrolet Corvair -- the car that was supposed to curb the success of the Volkswagen in North America. We all know how that turned out. Yet, the rear-engined Corvair had flair with its beautiful red dress.
  • Craftsmen are restoring this statuesque V12 Rolls-Royce before putting it right where it belongs -- in Leno's remarkable collection.
  • The crown jewels from the golden years of the French auto history: a 1937 Bugatti 57 SC Atlantique and a 1935 Delahaye 135 S Grand Prix. The former is a newly coachbuilt model and not one of the original four that rolled out of the Mulhouse shop.
  • The extravagant, ultra-sleek 1934 Duesenberg Walker coupe, custom-built for Josiah Lily, founder of the giant pharmaceutical company. Leno is particularly fond of the Duesenberg brand.
  • Here's the Bugatti area. Don't you think it would be more appropriate to call it "art gallery" instead of "garage", Mr. Leno?
  • This pair of aerodynamic cars includes a 1938 Tatra T87 designed by Czechoslovakia's Hans Ledwinka (Ferdinand Porsche used it as inspiration to create the Volkswagen) and a Detroit-born 1934 Chrysler Airflow, a maligned yet highly-advanced machine that, according to Leno, is a "masterpiece of Art Deco".
  • Upon arriving in Hollywood, back in the 1970s, Jay Leno paid $350 for a used Buick Roadmaster. After sleeping in it for six months, he abandoned the car at his mother-in-law's. The Buick was since bought back and restored -- with a Corvette engine now sitting under the hood!

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Jay Leno's garage, a modern-day Ali Baba cavern

More than just a garage, this place is a museum, a giant archive, an art gallery, a piece of auto history and, yes, a sanctuary. It's also the playroom of a grown-up fan who's passionate about fantastic 2- and 4-wheel toys.