A Rolls Royce, in itself, is a car worth more than just a cursory glance, and is often the cynosure of all eyes on the road when it rolls in, pun intended. Also, a Rolls Royce can only be afforded by the crème-de-la-crème of the society so if one passes you, it’s natural to be curious about the identity of the driver and passenger since a lot of Rolls Royce owners are celebrities. Unsurprising then, to see a Rolls-Royce on Jay Leno’s Garage. Only, the Rolls-Royce here is merely a fancy wrapping for the crazy engine that powers it.

Also, this is Leno’s car. Well, duh. Why else would he have a Rolls to roll in? You can also call it a work of art, and a fruit of labor because this Rolls-Royce, from 1934, bears an engine so wacky, powering it up like the “hand of God pushing you”, according to Leno.

The engine is simply called the Merlin, and it comes with a crazy amount of power because it was never meant to be put inside a road vehicle. It’s a piston-powered engine and comes with a WWII legacy that could make anyone proud to be associated with it.

So here are the crazy details about the Rolls-Royce Merlin From Jay Leno's Garage and how he’s managed to put more than 800 miles on it…

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The History Of The Rolls

The 1934 Rolls Royce Merlin From Jay Leno's Garage
Via YahooMoviesUK

The 1934 Rolls Royce Phantom was bought by Jay Leno from its erstwhile British owner three decades ago and even at the time, it lacked a permanent body and came with a wooden one. It did come with the acclaimed Merlin engine (more on that coming up) but the Jaguar XK120 gearbox in it could not handle the insane torque.

Its taken 30 years for Leno to get this car from then to now, beginning with first creating a period-fit aluminum body with a bespoke grille. Along with plenty of under the hood changes to handle an engine that powered up aircraft in its heydays, everything else has been beefed up to handle all that power. There is added cooling and stronger wheels, much beefier suspension, and more fuel tanks considering the Merlin is no delicate sipper.

This car is not something you would ever drive regularly, even if you were Leno. It’s simply a show of strength, to see how much of a beating a 1934 Rolls Royce can take, from an engine that used to take to the skies… It’s a gleeful experiment.

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A Bit About The Merlin

Jay Leno’s Rolls Royce Merlin Proves That There Is No Replacement For Displacement, And The Purists Will Certainly Agree Even If The Environmentalists Balk
Via MattStoneCars

Today’s engines are smaller and seem to jet out more power than the burly big blocks of yore. But Leno’s Rolls-Royce Merlin proves that there is no replacement for displacement, and the purists will certainly agree even if the environmentalists balk.

The Merlin engine, a 27-liter V12 monstrosity from the house of Rolls-Royce powered up many military fighter planes, including the then legendary American P-51 Mustang. In top supercharged form, this engine can produce 2,000 horsepower with ease. But Leno tuned it down using natural aspiration but even so, the beastly engine made 1,000 horses and an insane 1,760 lb-ft of torque.

The torque shattered the Jaguar’s gearbox, and Leno had to find a solution. So he turned to his chief fabricator, Jim Hall. In case the name sounds familiar, Jim Hall (along with his then partner, Hal Sharp) is the man behind the insane success of the Chaparral cars, enough to get banned from F1 for making vehicles far too powerful for their own good.

Hall used a 3D printer to put in six twin-Weber carburetors, and then added a six-speed manual New Venture Gear 5600 transmission, the one that goes into the Cummins-powered Ram trucks, to handle the torque.

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Jay Leno’s Rolls Royce Merlin Is Pure Magic

The Merlin Engine Jay Leno's Rolls Royce Alone Weighs 1,800 Pounds And Yet, The Car Weighs 4,800 Pounds And Leno Manages To Drive It Minus Any Brake Boosters
Via Pinterest

Starting this car is not easy, and almost as crazy as the starting up of a WWII aircraft. Switches need to be flipped, things need to be primed with oil and there’s a hand-cranked magneto located on the dash that starts the car in a shower of sparks. The motor does not roar or purr, it whines, and the ultimate move forward is nothing short of dramatic. Like Shakespearean drama.

The engine alone weighs 1,800 pounds and yet, the car weighs 4,800 pounds and Leno manages to drive it minus any brake boosters. Well, YOLO and Leno seem to have more lives than a car. And this is not his only aero-powered car because he has a Merlin Bentley as well, so clearly, the experience of trying to keep a high power engine contained with the limited prowess of a classic luxury road barge has taught Leno some life lessons.

Namely, if it’s fun and can be done, Leno is Nike, he just does it! The good thing is that he does it in front of a camera, inspiring people either to do it just like him or never try it at home.

Sources: Hemmings, Road&Track

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