In his latest quarantine edition of Jay Leno's Garage, the namesake of the franchise reviews one of his prize possessions, Johnny Carson's 1939 Chrysler Royal. The vehicle, while no supercar, is special for more than just its ownership history though, and Jay makes that clear throughout the video. This car cost less than $900 when it was brand new and today a well maintained (albeit less famously owned example) can be had for under $15,000. It turns out that if you're in the market for a classic car that won't cause you heartache after the purchase, the Royal might be the perfect one for you.
Reliable Class
Jay features the entire car throughout the video and shows off the comfortable and passenger-centric interior. Intended to transport up to 6 people, there are nice touches for the occupants like footrests for the rear passengers, a grab handle, and a radio with presets up front. It also features the ultra-reliable Chrysler flathead engine that produced 114 horsepower. While that's low in today's market, Jay points out that the car only weighs around 3600 lbs. Thanks to a 3-speed transmission with an additional overdrive gear, it was more than enough power for the time.
The Carson Connection
Johnny Carson's dad actually was the original owner of the Royal. Johnny is seen during the video when he was just 12 years old washing the car. Later in his life, he took this exact car to prom where more archival footage was found of him and the car before the event. At some point after that, but before Carson became famous, his father sold the car to another family in their small Nebraska town.
Years later NBC featured Carson in a special called "Johnny Goes Home", and as a part of the production, NBC actually found the Royal and repurchased it as a gift for Johnny. After some time keeping the car at his home he felt he didn't have room for it and reached out to Jay to get advice about what to do with it. Jay suggested lending it to a museum and Carson obliged. After Carson's death, the museum phoned Jay to let him know that Johnny had requested that Leno be given the car. Jays' pride in having something that was so close to Carson beams through in his description of it.
History And Stewardship
One of the things we here at Hotcars appreciate most about Jay Leno is that he is a sincere steward of the cars in his garage. He cares about these vehicles in a way that few other collectors do. His knowledge is extensive and vast. He's not stuck on one type, region, design, or era of vehicle either. He's inclusive of anything that's interesting, fun, and fast. This Chrysler Royal clearly holds an even more special place in his heart given it was Johnny's very own car.
Sources: Jay Leno