At this point, Jay Leno is just as famous for his love of cars as he is his legendary late-night hosting history. The comedian has amassed one of the world’s most impressive car collections, with more than 180 vehicles total. But there’s one luxury sports car brand you won’t find in Leno’s garage.
Fans of Jay Leno’s Garage, the long-running YouTube series in which the former Tonight Show host’s test drives some of the world’s rarest—and most expensive—cars, know that Leno has rarely met a vehicle he didn’t want to test drive. On more than one occasion, Leno has found himself behind the wheel of a Ferrari.
Has Jay Leno’s Garage Ever Featured a Ferrari?
In 2016, Leno got behind the wheel of a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB4 for an episode of his YouTube series then opted to feature a 1951 Ferrari 212 Inter by Ghia in a 2023 episode. In 2019, Leno was joined by Matt Damon to promote his then-new movie, James Mangold’s Ford v. Ferrari, which went on to win two Oscars.
In May of this year, Leno tried out the new 2025 Ferrari Daytona SP3—a V12 supercar that retails for more than $2.2 million, in part because less than 600 of them were even built. He had a blast exploring the vehicle’s highly customizable details, marveled at how much fun it was to drive, and described it as “achingly beautiful.”
While such a vehicle would certainly fit right into Leno’s car collection, he has had a longstanding rule about the Italian luxury brand: He will never buy one.
Why Won’t Jay Leno Buy a Ferrari?
Leno recently sat down with fellow car enthusiast Benedict Fowler for an episode of his Road to Success Stories podcast, where the host asked the 75-year-old comedian to explain his beef with Ferrari.
Fowler decided to ask the question outright, when he wondered: “Why have you never found yourself in a Ferrari?”
“Ferrari is a different company,” Leno replied, adding that “it’s much different now.”
He went on to explain that simply walking into a Ferrari dealership and buying the car you wanted wasn’t something that happened several years ago. The carmaker itself had certain rules its owners were expected to follow, and Leno found the entire experience far too “elite” for his tastes.
Leno went on to explain that when he bought his first McLaren, the salesperson helped save him $20,000 by telling him there were certain upgrades he didn’t need based on how he intended to drive the car. After owning it for just a few months, he learned about an available horsepower upgrade. When he asked about the cost, he was told it was free.
“I mean, I felt like a customer,” Leno explained.
He went on to share a similar experience he had when working with Porsche. “[It’s] something I don’t think I would have gotten, at least at the time, from a Ferrari dealership. Because they don’t need my business. I like people who need my business. I like to be helpful to you, and you can be helpful to me.”
Ultimately for Leno, it comes down to customer service. And while he notes that Ferrari is different today, given the added competition from newer luxury brands like McLaren, the comedian is going to stick with what he knows.
How Much Is Jay Leno’s Car Collection Worth?
Leno’s real-life “garage” contains more than 300 vehicles, which includes both cars and motorcycles. His vehicles are kept in Burbank, California, in what has become known as the “Big Dog Garage.” While it is a private facility, tours of Leno’s garage have been offered to benefit charitable organizations over the years.
Some of the most expensive vehicles Leno owns are a 1934 Duesenberg Walker Coupe, which was custom-built that year for industrialist Josiah Lilly, heir to the Eli Lilly and Company pharmaceutical company, for what was then a whopping $25,000 (the equivalent of just under $600,000 in today’s dollars). Leno completely restored the vehicle, which is estimated to be worth approximately $20 million.
As Leno explained in his interview with Fowler, he was also one of McLaren’s first customers. He has regularly praised the company for its customer service, and owns at least three of them. His 1994 McLaren F1 was the first of its kind imported to the U.S. and is also estimated to be worth around $20 million.
As the value of a vehicle can vary based on a variety of factors, there’s no definitive number on the value of Leno’s entire collection. But experts estimate that it’s worth anywhere from $52 to $100 million.
