On a recent edition of “Cars and Culture with Jason Stein,” Leno discussed his non-ownership of a Ferrari and disclosed that the experience of Ferrari sales, which he claims is unfriendly to customers, is what turns him off rather than the sticker price of a Ferrari. Leno added, “I just never enjoyed dealing with the dealers.
“You should be treated like a customer because you are spending an amazing amount of money.” Leno gave instances of positive interactions with rival brands like McLaren but avoided going into detail about any particular unpleasant experiences he had in the past at a Ferrari shop. Leno does not appear to be on the famed Ferrari blacklist, either.
The cliché says that when it comes to having a unique Ferrari, “No, you don’t pick Ferrari. Ferrari chooses you.” Regardless of how rich you are or how well-known you are, Ferrari only chooses its clients if they truly share the brand’s values and are Ferrari enthusiasts. There are even speculations that in order to even be considered for the elusive list that receives the invitation to purchase items like the La Ferrari, you must have a specific number of Ferraris in your garage.
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Hardcore automotive enthusiast Jay Leno
Jay Leno has had a fascination with autos since he was a young boy. The Renault that was left behind was the catalyst. When purchasing an automobile, he follows a three-point checklist. Thirdly, it must be attractive. Fourth, it must be of technical and historical significance. Fifth, it must be enjoyable to drive. The most pricey vehicle in his collection is unmarked!
This is due to the unique Ecojet that he designed in conjunction with GM. The Ecojet runs on biodiesel and is based on the 1963 Chrysler Turbine. But despite his intense passion for cars, he has never purchased a Ferrari. Most of the vehicles he drives on Jay Leno’s Garage on YouTube belong to his close friend David Lee.
Since Jay Leno despises car dealerships, he won’t purchase a Ferrari.
The majority of people may recognize Jay Leno as the former host of The Tonight Show, but in our region, he is likely even more well-known for being a true and dedicated car enthusiast. He still keeps busy with his CNBC vehicle show, Jay Leno’s Garage, after leaving the talk show business, and is hailed as one of the world’s most active car collectors. Jay Leno owns 181 automobiles in addition to 160 motorcycles, according to a duPont Registry list published last year. The exact number of cars in Jay Leno’s actual garage undoubtedly varies regularly.
The late-night legend reportedly does not own any Ferraris despite having a sizable collection, and there’s a good reason for that: He abhors the requirements Ferrari dealerships place on buyers in order to be allowed to acquire a vehicle from Maranello. It’s a little-known fact that dealing with Ferrari can be challenging unless you’re a lifelong, paying Tifosi member with a long history of Ferrari ownership.
Leno remarked on Cars and Culture with Jason Stein that “Simply put, I’ve never enjoyed dealing with dealers. I don’t want to give a man $25,000 in a sealed envelope, you know. I’d prefer not to have to purchase two Mondials.” The Ferrari Mondial, a car made by Ferrari from 1980 to 1993, is used by Jay to illustrate his point, which tells me two things: first, Jay has held this opinion for literally decades, and second, Ferrari has been conducting business this manner for at least as long.
Then he contrasted Ferrari’s “prove your worth” strategy with its bitter competitor McLaren’s significantly more customer-focused outlook.
“The dealer service is one of McLaren’s smart features. I purchased my McLaren and paid the sticker price in full. The purchasing process was excellent. My MP4-12C was the car I owned for about six or seven months. They informed me by phone one day that there had been an increase from 592 to 617 horsepower. Do you desire the upgrade? When I inquired about the cost, they responded, “It’s free.”
He continues with another incident about how Leno was once talked out of purchasing carbon brakes by a McLaren salesperson who suggested that they might not be necessary for street driving, thus saving Leno $20,000. Jay contrasts the BDSM experience with the Ferrari dealership visit. It’s like when wealthy men visit a dominatrix and say, “Oh, she kicked the snot out of me, it was terrific.” I mean, some men are like that.
Leno does not, however, deny his admiration for the vehicles themselves. “They’re great vehicles. Just the fact that you’re spending so much money is not a criticism of the car. You ought to be treated like a client.”
It’s strangely heartening to realize that “screw car dealers” is a sentiment that can actually transcend tax rates, even though the ordinary car lover like you or I may not have anywhere near the amount of vehicles that Jay Leno does.
Has Jay Leno ever owned a Ferrari?
No. Even though Jay Leno owns close to 200 vehicles, including numerous contemporary exotics, he doesn’t own any Ferraris.
I wrote on Jay Leno’s stable’s apparent lack of Ferraris in August of last year. McLaren and Bugatti exotics are among the collector’s possessions. However, it seems he has never had a Ferrari. Many auto aficionados, particularly Ferrari lovers, are curious as to why.
Customer service is more important than the cars themselves.
Nobody can deny Jay Leno’s love for Ferraris. The 71-year-old host of Jay Leno’s Garage remarked, “I’ve always been impressed with every modern Ferrari I’ve driven, and they’re just great, amazing machines,” in an episode about the plug-in hybrid SF90. Yes, that is truly twice as amazing.
But liking a car is not the same as wanting to purchase one. Leno also discussed his preference for Porsche and McLaren automobiles in an interview with Jason Stein for his SiriusXM program Cars & Culture.
I just never enjoyed dealing with the dealers,” he stated in a conversational video clip that Carscoops just resurrected. You know, you’re spending a great deal of money; you should be treated like a customer, he continued.
Leno specifically criticizes Ferrari’s hierarchical purchasing structure, in which potential buyers must first purchase entry-level vehicles in order to access more expensive versions. He pondered, “I have to buy two cheap automobiles before I — yeah — no, can I just buy the car?”
Although the firm prefers to keep quiet, wealthy owners and potential buyers occasionally provide insights into the exclusive and potentially burdensome world of Ferrari ownership. Former Shark Tank host Robert Herjavec once compared the Ferrari Club to the Vatican. “It’s very enigmatic. There are numerous accessories you must don, numerous rings you must kiss, “As reported by Wired, he said.
You have a long journey ahead of you if you want to get entry to the supercar Vatican. However, Leno has two suggestions for you if you’re like him and just want a terrific automobile with excellent customer service: McLaren and Porsche.
“You possess knowledge? The dealer servicing is one of McLaren’s great features “Stein heard Leno say. The purchase of his MP4-12C, he claimed, had been simple because he had paid the full sticker price, had been persuaded to forego more expensive carbon fiber brakes, and had received a free horsepower upgrade after a few months of ownership. He continued, “When I acquired my Porsche Carrera GT, Porsche sent two mechanics and carried it here in a flatbed. They sent me a jacket, a book about cars, and a pair of pencils and pens.
He remarked, “You know, purchasing a Ferrari is like rich guys going to a dominatrix. “Oh my God, she beat the snot out of me. It was amazing!’ — those kinds of individuals.”
Jay Leno owns how many Ferraris?
Due of “Dominatrix”-like customer service, Jay Leno doesn’t own any Ferraris. The most well-known car collector in the world, Jay Leno, owns about 181 vehicles (in addition to 160 motorcycles)
What vehicle lacks Jay Leno?
Jay Leno owns a wide range of automobiles from well-known to extremely obscure marques. But Ferrari is absent from the list. Leno gave an explanation for why he doesn’t own a single vehicle sporting the Prancing Horse logo in a December 2021 interview on the podcast “Cars and Culture.”
Leno added, “I just never enjoyed dealing with the dealers. It’s not a criticism of the vehicle.
Leno thinks Ferrari salespeople mistreat clients given how pricey the cars are. In the brief video, he alleged that Ferrari coerces owners into paying for certifications of authenticity and referenced Ferrari dealers who pressured buyers to purchase multiple cars in order to obtain orders. He said that other supercar producers perform better.
Leno remembers a McLaren representative telling him straight out that he didn’t need to spend $20,000 on carbon-ceramic brakes and providing him a free power upgrade for his MP4-12C. Leno is a great supporter of McLaren; he’s driven a P1 for the first time outside of a McLaren and has owned an F1 since it was new. Nevertheless, it’s difficult to argue with service like that.
Leno claimed that Porsche gave him a thorough tour of the Carrera GT after delivering it to his garage (which turned out to be a bit unreliable, admittedly). He asserts that Ferrari would never offer that caliber of service.
Leno claimed that Ferrari still produces “great” automobiles, and he has highlighted several of them on his “Jay Leno’s Garage” YouTube series, including a vintage 1960 250 PF Cabriolet and a contemporary SF90 Stradale. One benefit of having a successful YouTube program is that you can always rent a Ferrari if you don’t want to deal with the hassles of owning one.
What is Jay Leno’s most unique vehicle?
With projected costs far into the millions, Jay Leno’s McLaren and Duesenberg Walker Coupe may be the two most costly vehicles in the garage. One more unusual vehicle exists, though, that might even surpass those amazing vehicles in performance. There is one vehicle that is so unique and priceless that only Jay Leno owns it.
Leno and GM worked together to develop the 2006 EcoJet, according to information published by Money, Inc. It was modeled after the 1963 Chrysler Turbine and runs on biodiesel instead of conventional fuel. Together with another enthusiast and garage technician, Leno worked on creating unique designs for GM to produce. Leno didn’t have to pay for it because of his efforts in bringing this legendary journey to life. The fact that it is the only one in existence, however, makes the unique supercar more valuable than anything else. It would probably sell for a lot more money than any other item in Leno’s collection if he ever decided to sell it.
There is no denying that Jay Leno’s automotive collection is superior to those of all other celebrities. His 1966 Oldsmobile Tornado ($150,000), 1909 Stanley Steamer ($185,000), Blastolene Special ($350,000), and 2014 McLaren P1 ($1.35 million) are a few further models that rank high in price. However, it is claimed that the three models stated above constitute millions of dollars in total and are by far Leno’s most expensive models.
What kind of car does Jay Leno often drive?
On December 12th, 2010, Jay Leno received his Chevy Volt, which he had ordered. The little plug-in hybrid had an electric range of forty miles before its gasoline engine had to start. The problem is that Leno didn’t frequently travel forty miles in a day.
The Tonight Show host commuted daily by car from his Burbank home to the studio. He frequented the garage where he maintained his collection of automobiles. He estimated that he drove 35 kilometers on average every day.
Leno revealed to the New York Times in November 2011 that he drove a Chevy Volt on a daily basis. He admitted that he still had a full tank of gas left. Leno estimated that he had used less than half of the 9.3-gallon fuel tank when Chevrolet had delivered the vehicle.
Leno enjoys current innovation despite collecting antiques. He expressed satisfaction with his Chevy Volt, highlighting the interior and built-in electronics in particular. It’s a real breakthrough, said Leno in his conclusion. He decided to buy an electric automobile after the event. Leno wanted an upgrade, though, as times changed.