If you were to start a car collection, how many cars would you aim for? Ten? Twenty? Maybe thirty? More importantly, what cars would you have there? Perhaps, vintage Ferraris, limited edition Porsches and priceless custom-built French roadsters from the 1930s?
Indeed, this is how many people imagine car collections. There is, however, one car collection that puts all the other ones to shame. If not in terms of how obscure and exclusive the cars are, then definitely in terms of sheer size.
Yes, we're talking about Jay Leno - the man with, arguably, the most impressive car collection in the world! According to the DuPont Registry, Mr. Leno has roughly 180 cars and 160 motorcycles in his collection. Not taking into account the various artifacts and memorabilia that his Big Dog Garage is filled with.
However, while some of those 180 cars are true gems, others are less impressive and even questionable. In this article, you'll find a few cars that we believe are not worthy of the famous Burbank hangar.
15 2012 Tata Nano - Simply Not A Great Car
Built by the Indian manufacturer Tata Motors, the Nano received international media attention as the cheapest car in the world at the time. For the starting price of only $2,500 in 2008, the Nano didn't deliver much apart from a steering wheel and four seats.
Ultimately, the Nano was discontinued due to extremely poor sales and questionable safety. As a result, it still beats us why Jay Leno would have one in his garage.
14 1963 Chrysler Turbine - Way Too Weird
The Chrysler Turbine is one of those 1960s visions for the future that never came to life. As you can guess, the Chrysler Turbine is a car, propelled by - well - a gas turbine engine. Unfortunately, the design didn't exactly catch on due to the extremely high cost of manufacturing, poor fuel economy and the simple absurdity of it.
While we appreciate its historical value, we still think that Jay's Turbine should go to a museum and make room for something more exciting.
13 2012 Tesla Model S - Unremarkable
The Model S is undoubtedly one of the most important cars of the last decade. After all, it redefined the idea of what an electric car could be and set a new standard for the car industry. But then again, it did so in the same way that the Toyota Prius redefined hybrid cars - and you don't see Priuses in a lot of car collections.
Perhaps, in 30 years the Model S would be a true collectible. For now, however, it's just a mass-produced car that doesn't make anyone go "wow" when they see it.
12 1950 Nash Ambassador - Unremarkable
Chances are, until now you weren't even aware of the existence of the Nash Ambassador. Trust us - you didn't exactly miss much. Let's talk facts: the Ambassador is an American full-size family sedan from the 1950s.
In this category, there are so many more exciting and special cars. Jay's Nash might be unique in the sense that it's rare, but we feel like there could be a more significant car in its place in Jay's garage.
11 1972 Mercedes-Benz 600 - Painful To Own
Ah yes, the infamous Mercedes Grosser! The go-to car for the tyrannical dictators, supervillains and rock stars. At least that's what it was back when it was new. Nowadays, it's a go-to car for those who want to make tons of money restoring one.
The 600 Grosser is notoriously sophisticated and difficult to repair and maintain - you need to have really deep pockets to even think about owning one. Mr. Leno does have deep pockets, but we're still not sure that the car is really worth the trouble.
10 2012 McLaren MP4-12C - Unremarkable
The MP4-12C was an impressive car when it came out, and it still holds up by today's sports car standards. Not only it's a great car, but it was also McLaren's first road-going sports car since the famed McLaren F1 - so we see why Jay would have one in his collection.
However, the MP4-12C has been around for a while and has gotten significantly more affordable. Truthfully, it's not a very remarkable car and Jay should consider swapping it for something more special.
9 2004 Maybach 57 - Simply Not A Great Car
It's fascinating how Maybach went from the hottest ultra-luxury car brand 15 years ago to a simple trim level for the modern Mercedes flagships. The demise of Maybach as a stand-alone brand was due to a variety of reasons.
It was released at the dawn of the global financial crisis and was extremely expensive to produce - Mercedes even lost a ton of money on each car. Moreover, the model quickly became outdated and shared many similarities with the "lesser" Mercedes S-class.
8 2008 Mazda RX8 - Painful To Own
Mazda's RX models are known as the only mass-produced vehicles in recent history to be powered by rotary Wankel engines. In contrast to the conventional gas engines with pistons, the Wankel engines use a single rotating part to create the combustion cycle. As a result, they have many advantages, but also some built-in flaws.
Mazda's rotary engines are notorious for their poor fuel economy, high emissions, and their overall unreliability. Owning an RX8 might be fun if you're a fan of the rotary Mazdas, but overall it's very problematic.
7 2015 Dodge SRT Challenger Hellcat - Unremarkable
The Challenger Hellcat is an amazing car if you only wish to go fast in a straight line and not much else. Despite its crazy acceleration, it's still an awfully dated Dodge.
We feel like Jay could go with something more elegant if he wishes to go drag-racing. Besides, the Hellcat is a very common car without much collectability to it.
6 1989 Bentley Turbo R - Simply Not A Great Car
The Bentley Turbo R might have been the pinnacle of luxury 30 years ago, but not anymore. There is a reason why these cars can be found for so cheap: the performance is unimpressive, the reliability is notoriously poor and there is no rarity element. Truth to be told, Jay has much more unique Bentleys in his inventory.
5 2009 Aston Martin DBS - Unremarkable
The 2009 DBS is yet another unremarkable car in Jay Leno's garage. Sure, it's stunning and it's fast. It's also not so different from other Astons of the same era in terms of styling and questionable pricing.
In addition, the reliability is not spectacular either. All that makes for a car that is perhaps not so worthy of Jay's collection.
4 2012 Fisker Karma - Simply Not A Great Car
Conceived by the legendary car designer Henrik Fisker, the Karma was a promising car when it first went on sale. The first-ever plug-in hybrid luxury sedan got lots of attention and praise - until the issues came knocking.
The Karma suffered from several battery-related issues that in some cases led to the car catching on fire. Not something you would want to happen to a car that shares a garage with priceless vintage automobiles.
3 Decopod Scooter - Way Too Weird
Before we proceed - what on Earth is that thing even? Apparently, the Decopod is supposed to invoke the sense of the Art-Deco styling and is powered by a moped engine. Is it a car? Is it a scooter? We don't know that, but one thing we know is that Jay should get rid of it as fast as possible!
2 Zimmer Golden Spirit - Simply Not A Great Car
In the 1980s, the small-scale Zimmer Motorcars Corporation attempted to create a neo-classic luxury car. They failed. The Zimmer Golden Spirit looks hilariously cheap and kitschy. Jay himself said that the Golden Spirit is one of the worst cars he ever drove. We're not sure if it's still in Jay's garage, but it would be a real shame if it is.
1 Blastolene Special - Simply Ridiculous
And you would think that the Decopod Scooter is weird! The Blastolene was built by the creator of the Decopod, although instead of a scooter engine, it uses a V12 Patton tank engine! Hence, the "Tank Car" nickname. Jay probably thinks that it's extremely sick - and good for him! We, however, think that this car is pure nightmare material.