by: Jeremy Hart A-list Eighty all day Wave, say Hi Mister Cruise Car capital Have it all Hello Big Boy

We edge past the new venue for the Oscars on the corner of Highland and Sunset Boulevard. It is still being finished off. Cue another barrage of barracking from builders.

"They shout 'Hi Jay'. If I was a movie star it would be 'Hi Mr. Cruise'," he explains. Then it's a massive yank to the right on the two-foot steering wheel and the Duesenberg lurches onto Sunset.

To the left and right, the pavements are lined with embossed foot-wide gold stars bearing the names of Hollywood's greatest. Leno has his own, but is too embarrassed to stop and show us. He is also worried about security, mostly for the car but also for himself.

...and a few more cars

"There is hardly a day that passes when I don't get hate mail. Most you ignore. One a few weeks ago I could not," grimaces Leno. "I got a video in the mail. There was a man. He had no shirt on. But he had a machine gun. He said I'm gonna kill you. But stupidly he left a return address on the envelope. I called his local police direct. And they went round and dealt with him."