One of the world’s most famous car enthusiasts gets behind the wheel of an important classic Ferrari.
Just about as well as he is known for his career in comedy and television, Jay Leno is known all over the automotive world for his passion for classic cars and automotive history, which is why his time with the 1971 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 “Daytona” was quite special. The car, a classic itself, is created with a timeless formula for excellent sports cars: a powerful engine at the front that sends power to the back wheels, and a roof that can come down for the driver to feel the wind rushing past. What’s extra special about the Daytona is the fact that it is powered by the legendary Colombo V12 engine, which would make it the last front-engined Ferrari Spider to be powered by a V12 for an incredible 50 years until the reveal of the much-loved Ferrari 812 GTS of today.
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The stunning yellow example of the Daytona that Jay Leno drives is from the collection of Ferrari collector David Lee, and it features the classic Ferrari gated shifter for its manual transmission. Touches like that make the Daytona a true classic, and a visceral car to drive that connects the driver and the machine in a way that many modern cars fail to, and to that point, during their drive together, Lee and Leno noticed a slight issue with the ignition, detected by a popping noise during acceleration, and after the drive, Jay Leno even fixed the issue by reconnecting and tightening a wire with needlenose pliers, something that’s just about unheard-of as it relates to the Ferraris of today. This video of the legendary Ferrari Daytona goes to show that some cars are just too good to fade from glory.
Source: YouTube/Jay Leno’s Garage