The entertainer was pretty skeptical of electric cars when they first came out, but after driving (and buying) several of them, he was convinced. Elon Musk himself appeared in Jay’s garage with the 2012 Model S to show off his work and take it for a test drive.
The car hits 0 to 60 in just 4.4 seconds, and Leno liked the feeling of burning rubber in the sleek ride. It is also the first battery/electric vehicle designed more like a sedan, to appeal to those who otherwise may not have considered going electric.
1910 White Steam Model OO
The entertainer is lucky enough to own one of just 167 White Steam cars in existence. Built-in 1910 by Thomas H. White’s manufacturing company in Ohio, the car is powered by kerosene, burned in a two-cylinder engine that gets up to 40 hp.
Before the company started producing steam cars around the turn of the century, they were in the business of building sewing machines. It may not be very quick, as it can only travel up to around 50 mph, but it’s a piece of history that’s interesting to have as a part of a massive car collection.
Volga GAZ-21
Also referred to as the “Soviet Sedan,” the cars were built in 1966 in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, located over 200 miles away from Moscow. Since public transportation was the most popular form of traveling at the time, and what was made a priority by the government, private cars to come from the country around that time were somewhat dull, but they got the job done.
If you acquired the Volga in Russia during those days, it was a sign that you had made it. The car has a 2.45-liter engine that gets up to 75 hp and about 19 miles to the gallon.
Tata Nano
Tata Nanos are Indian cars, made to be an inexpensive city driver, easy to whip around tight turns, and squeeze between the lines of traffic that fill the streets in its native country. When the entertainer decided to show off his buy on the show, he created a Bollywood-themed episode for the big reveal.
The cars aren’t legal for driving on U.S streets, however, so he had to take it to the track. This may be the only episode of his show on which he wears something other than his classic blue denim.
1922 Stanley Steamer
With quite the collection of steam cars within his variety, he adds the 1922 forest green Stanley Steamer. The vehicles were produced by the largest steam-powered manufacturers globally and were initially sold for less than $1,000.
Today, however, they go for closer to $50,000, thanks to them offering a look into a piece of time that’s otherwise been long gone. Although steam cars weren’t mainly known for their speed, the Steamer was and was the quickest car on the roads at the time.