The 12 Most Expensive Cars In Jay Leno's Garage

Today, Jay Leno is well known for being the guy with the massively valuable car collection. His web show turned YouTube channel has a vast audience and is complemented by on-air segments broadcast on CNBC as well. Leno's work in entertainment gave him the means to amass his collection of classic iron and his stardom as the host of The Tonight Show gave him a platform from which to transform into a full-time petrolhead.

Being successful in stand-up comedy and leading a successful late-night show have certain monetary advantages, and putting that to good use, Leno's collection is highly enviable. His collection features some of the rarest cars on the planet along with other more ordinary, but still desirable, vintage rides, although there is not a single Ferrari included. A few of the machines in his garage are complete one-off custom creations made from an unexpected mix of components, such as a Bentley powered by an utterly huge aircraft engine. These unique custom machines are hard to put a value on, especially when having well-known celebrity ownership in consideration. Many of them are unique and comparable and previous sales are not always equal comparisons, so there is a bit of guesswork involved in coming up with a dollar amount. That said, barring the many individual unique custom-built projects in Jay's garage and keeping with original or restored factory-built examples, here are the 12 most valuable vehicles of Jay Leno's collection in Burbank, California.

Probably one of the lesser-known vehicles in the Leno garage is the American-made Cunningham. Leno owns a 1953 C3 that has been fully restored to its original condition and it is a beautiful machine. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Briggs Cunningham was one of the fastest drivers in auto racing. In his brief biography from briggscunningham.com, Tom Cotter says that Cunningham was influenced toward auto racing from an early age and that he benefitted from his well-to-do family that could help finance his efforts. This later turned into an auto manufacturing enterprise that, because of homologation rules for racing, saw him producing road cars. However, they were costly, and at a price of $9,000 to $10,000, he only sold 30 examples.

Leno owns one of the few remaining Cunninghams. It is a sleek early American sports car that derives its power from 5.4-liter Chrysler Fire Power Hemi V8 engines fed by four Zenith downdraft carburetors. Being a fairly small car with a big V8 engine made for a quick ride. The chassis was built by Vignale in Italy and shipped to West Palm Beach, Florida for final assembly, giving the cars American brute force power paired with Italian coachwork. It is a beautiful combination that makes for a valuable collector's car today and, per Concept Carz auction tracker, the value of Leno's is somewhere north of one million dollars.

Mercer Motor Cars is a lesser-known American automaker. It was one of the leading race cars of the brass era, according to historian Clifford Zink. Mercer could very well be considered America's first sports car, as it was built to go as fast as possible and had few practical considerations about it, such as rear seats or trunk space. One of Mercer's cars won 47 races in 1911 alone. Mercer is a special automobile company in American history.

Jay Leno features his Mercer in an episode of Jay Leno's Garage, showing off the many fascinating quirks and features of the car. According to Jay, Mercer was a dominant manufacturer of the brass era but did not make it beyond that because of a decision by one of the company owners to return from Europe to the United States aboard a ship called Titanic. Jay's Mercer is a beautiful machine and is in excellent condition, of course. It is said to be capable of 100 mph, an impressive feat at a time when the Model T would struggle to get much past 40. Looking through past auctions of this limited-production car show that cars that rest in their completely original condition can fetch more than $2 million. Others that have been restored have gone for around $900,000. Jay's car is certainly a nice example of one with value within that range.

Some of the most collectible American cars from the '20s and '30s are Duesenbergs. These cars were known for being of the highest quality as well as having loads of power. Wealthy people of fame and stature drove Duesenbergs, and, for their substantial amount of money spent, they received a lot of car. In Jay Leno's garage are a few examples, including a 1931 Model J Town Car.

Classic tells us the Model J is the most well-known of the Duesenbergs. They are outfitted with massive 7.0-liter straight-8 engines produced by Lycoming from Duesenberg designs. It was common at the time for cars to be produced by a manufacturer and then completed by a coachbuilder, so many Model Js are unique. Jay's Model J is a Town Car, which signifies a large car meant to be driven by a chauffeur. The passenger compartment is separated from the driver as in a modern limousine. The fact that cars were coach-built means that many unique models exist and that translates into a broad spectrum of auction pricing. Some cars have more value than others. Classic lists a range of $500,000 to $3 million, so it is safe to say Jay's Town Car could fetch at least $2 million.

In 1967, Lamborghini released what would become the most consequential vehicle for the trajectory of high-end auto manufacturing. According to our own history of the car, the Sant'Agata company created and built the Miura, which was the first mid-engined sports car ever made for the consumer market, and it set the standard for every supercar to come. But it was not just groundbreaking, it was also a beautifully styled automobile. Penned by famed Bertone designer Marcello Gandini, the Miura turns heads anywhere it is driven and its iconic status has turned it into a most highly coveted vehicle as well as highly a valuable one.

Leno's Miura is one of the earliest examples of the Miura and also has a peculiar pedigree and story. The original owner was none other than the famous Rat Pack crooner Dean Martin, according to Car Buzz. Leno claims he received it with a non-running engine due to abuse causing a seized engine at the hands of Martin's son. It has since been repaired but remains otherwise all original and in excellent conditions. The Miura market has matured significantly in recent years, with certain cars selling for as much as $2.5 million. The addition of ownership by not just Jay Leno, but also Dean Martin could add to the value, but it will be a long time before we ever see that final sale.

The Mercedes-Benz 300SL is a thing of beauty. Not only was it an engineering success and a winning racer, but its styling also stirs emotions, unlike most other cars. Car and Driver proclaimed in 1956 that it was a trend-setter with styling that was a shock to the world of automotive design. Furthermore, they noted that the gullwing doors would surely be widely copied in low-slung American sports cars. Further praise was lavished on the slanted six-cylinder which realizes the enormous potential of fuel injection. The verdict was that it is a great car to own if you can afford the ultra-steep price of more than $7,000, a hefty sum for the time.

The price of the 300SL prevented it from ever being any kind of mainstream car. Because of this, the car now exists in highly limited numbers and is now reserved for collectors with very deep pockets. However, for those who can afford it, they get a magnificent machine that is not only a great-looking and driving car, it is a piece of history. Jay's 300SL is a great example of the original, unrestored classic. It was found in the desert and, while all the mechanicals were brought up to a new standard, the paint exists with flaws, cracks, and peeling from years of sitting. According to Robb Report, extra nice examples of this car could fetch between $7 and $9 million. The all-original Jay Leno Gullwing is likely not far off that mark.

One fascinating thing about Jay Leno is that he is an avid enthusiast of all cars. He does not appear to prefer a specific era, brand, or type of car, but it is clear he has an affinity for Depression-era luxury cars, such as Duesenbergs. He is fortunate enough to have a few Duesenbergs in his collection, including a one-of-a-kind one-of-one aerodynamically styled coupe. The 1934 Walker Coupe is the only Duesenberg to have shaped and rounded bodywork representative of the style that dominated the late '30s.

Jay's most expensive car started with a unique story that led to it being the most expensive Duesenberg ever built. Custom ordered by Josiah Lilly, of Eli Lilly Pharmaceuticals, the Walker Coupe was styled to his demands of a sleek aerodynamic car with a v-shaped windshield, sleek roofline, and headlights that were integrated into the fenders (via Motor Authority). Jay saved the car from long-term storage in a garage in New York and saved it from rotting away and succumbing to the ravages of time. It was in a sad state of disrepair but has been brought back to its former glory and received a new life in Jay's garage. Since this is the only car made with these specifications, no auction comparisons are available, but estimates suggest it would easily reach between the $20 to $30 million mark (via Car Buzz).