20 Apr 04
"Most movie stars have no idea about cars," chortles Jay Leno, the king of America's late-night TV talk shows, as we cruise through the sun-bleached northern fringes of Los Angeles. NBC's studios, where five times a week he chats to A-list stars, are just round the corner.
Rather than dissect another piece of crappy celluloid or another trashy novel, Leno would much prefer to talk about cars or motorbikes on his show. He has 80 of each in a collection estimated to be worth over £30 million. As we hurtle past NBC we are riding in one of his favourites- a 1930 Duesenberg, worth £800,000. It looks like a muscular Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, but without the wings.
Leno's famous man-in the-moon face lights up as he continues to hustle us in the direction of the Hollywood Hills and a personal tour of Tinseltown by 'the man who knows the stars the best'. He's back on the subject of stars and cars.
"I had one star say to me after the show - 'You're into cars, what should I buy?' I said: 'the new Ferrari's hot'. 'Oh everyone's got a Ferrari,' he said. I said: 'Never say that! Not everyone has a Ferrari. Never say that, you'll get shot. Remember Marie Antoinette and let them eat cake!'"
Not all of Hollywood are automotive ignoramuses. It's no coincidence that 'Johnny' Travolta and Nick Cage count themselves amongst Leno's friends. They are also into cars. Cage owns a D-Type Jaguar. Travolta has his own treasure trove of cars (and airplanes, coincidentally). In fact, Leno and Travolta share a mechanic.
