Jay Leno’s vast car collection drives down costs in new show

  • By Rick Bentley The Fresno Bee
  • Monday, October 5, 2015 4:30pm
  • LifeGo-See-Do

LOS ANGELES — Hiring Jay Leno to host the eight-part series “Jay Leno’s Garage” is saving CNBC tons of money. That’s because Leno will be able to feature many of his own vehicles — 135 cars and 117 motorcycles — in making the series that’s based on the former “Tonight Show” host’s obsession with cars.

The majority of the savings come in insurance premiums.

“Usually when you do these kind of car shows and you get an expensive car, there is an insurance waiver and you can only drive it around the driveway and you have to go around the cones and there are police protecting it,” Leno says. “But since I own a lot of these cars, we can just beat the crap out of them.”

One example of how staggering insurance fees can be: Steve McQueen’s XJSS Jaguar, valued at $60 million, would have an insurance premium for one day of $900,000.

That kind of cost would cripple most TV budgets. That’s why Leno has opened his garage doors for the production.

The series won’t just be Leno and a special guest cruising around in a fancy car. Each one-hour episode features a mix of stunts, challenges, reviews and celebrity interviews that showcase the colorful history of the automobile.

Leno’s collection reflects that history. His collection ranges from a 1909 Baker electric car that goes 80 miles on a charge to his most recent purchase, a Tesla that goes 300 miles on a charge. He loves that despite the cars being a century apart in age, they both basically use the same technology.

A question about the size of his collection gets a joke from Leno.

“It’s cheaper than coke and hookers,” Leno says. “I look at Charlie Sheen and his hobbies. He’s almost broke. My hobby is fine, and plus, my wife doesn’t hate me when I get home.”

There’s more than just a mechanical history to the cars Leno owns. Each vehicle has a story that is personal to the former talk show host.

He once bought a 1951 Hudson despite having one in his collection. Leno looked at the car at the request of a 96-year-old woman who bought the car with her husband when it was new. It was the only car they owned. After the death of her husband, the car had been placed in storage.

Leno bought the car and told her he would give her a ride in it when it was refurbished. That ride created a friendship that lasted until the woman died at age 101.

Hulu takes “casual” approach

The latest comedy to join the growing list of original programming on the streaming service Hulu is “Casual.” The series looks at a bachelor brother and his newly divorced sister living under one roof again. Together, they coach each other through the crazy world of dating while raising her teen daughter.

Tommy Dewey, Michaela Watkins and Tara Lynne Barr star.

“Casual” creator, Zander Lehmann, explains the title is vague on purpose.

“I think the title refers to casual in all parts of life, not just sex, not just with family. I think this family interacts in a way that we haven’t really seen on television before,” Lehmann says. “They are open about things. They talk about everything. They share these experiences in a not too serious way. But it’s also they get into serious problems, too, and I think part of it is no matter how bad the situation is, they always would come back together and love each other.”

“Jay Leno’s Garage”

10 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, CNBC

“Casual”

Wednesday, Oct. 7, Hulu

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.