When it first hit the market, this 1937 model was worth approximately $43,000. Today, however, it’s worth somewhere closer to $50-$100 million. The car was designed by the man himself, Mr. Jean Bugatti, and includes a 3,257-cc engine from the Type 59 Grand Prix cars.
However, Leno’s vehicle isn’t the original; it’s a replica, created by a car enthusiast in Germany, whose specialty is crafting up cars to look precisely like rare classics – something he’s very good at. Type 57 recently won the Best of the Best Award at the Peninsula Classics in Paris.
1994 McLaren F1
McLarens weren’t street legal in the United States for the longest time – and some of them still aren’t in a few states. Leno’s 1994 F1, however, was the first of the line to be given the thumbs-up.
He admittedly chose the car because he wanted something incredibly light, and, when asked what his plans were for it, he said, “mostly road use. I don’t think I’m going to do any track work with it.” He wasn’t disappointed, according to later interviews, either. In fact, he called it his favorite at one point, which is saying a lot considering how many cars he has!
1955 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing Coupe
Jay Leno had his eyes (and mind) on the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing for quite some time, but it seemed as though he could just never quite get his hands on it. But in 2010, that changed when the opportunity finally presented itself. He was thrilled to add it to the collection. Who wouldn’t be?
This car has it all, but probably one of the coolest features has to be the upward swinging doors – hence the name, Gullwing. Leno’s model is worth around $1.8 million, which is something most car lovers can only dream of paying for the pleasure.
1937 Fiat Topolino
The 1937 Fiat Topolino was worth less than $800 when it initially hit the markets in the ‘30s. The brand is known across Europe for its cute, small, and gas-friendly cars. So friendly that Leno says he’s able to get 50 miles to the gallon in his little Topolino!
Only around 500,000 of the cars were ever made, though since Leno has shown some interest, many people have said that if Fiat were to start producing them again, they’d buy one in a heartbeat! The vehicles were only made between 1936-1955, so Leno’s 1937 version is close to being one of the earliest in production!
2017 Ford GT
Ford’s GT supercars were pretty exclusive – and expensive, especially when they first came out, with a price tag of nearly $500,000, and an impressive top speed of over 215 mph. But of course, supercar fan Jay Leno had to be one of the lucky few to purchase them.
Leno had his custom-designed with an array of extra features, including the 400A package, which tacked on $25,000 to the manufacturer’s price, along with $15,000, 20” exposed carbon fiber wheels, and more. Hey, if you’ve got it, spend it, right?