Jay Leno's Garage

Michael Kunz from Mercedes Classic Center stops by the garage with three vintage Mercedes produced in the mid-1930s that you've never seen before.

In 1929, Errett Lobban "E.L." Cord founded his Cord Corporation as a holding company to manage the over 150 companies he owned, including Auburn Automobile, Lycoming Engines, Duesenberg, Checker Cab and American Airways, which would go on to become American Airlines.

Long before megasponsors, endurance racing pioneer Ab Jenkins raced for the love of the sport, sometimes driving for more than 24 hours straight. Jay Leno had a chance to test drive Jenkins's custom Duesenberg, the Mormon Meteor III, a 750 hp monster that takes some real elbow grease to steer.

The oldest continuous British automobile manufacturer, the Morgan Motor Company was founded in 1909 by H.F.S. Morgan. A trained engineer, Morgan opened a garage business out of which he also sold cars and started one of England's first bus lines. After purchasing an early three-wheeled vehicle, Morgan decided to build one for personal use, with economy and speed as his ultimate goals.

French automobile pioneer Emile Delahaye began his career as an engineer, and began experimenting with steam and internal combustion engines relatively late in life...

Austrian born automotive legend Hans Ledwinka began his career at the age of 19, as a draftsman at the company where he would eventually make his name. Czech railway manufacturer Nesseldorfer Waggonbau was considering a go at the automobile business, and Ledwinka's designs resulted in the company's first production run. Nesseldorfer closed its automobile division during World War I, and Ledwinka moved on, only to return as chief designer after the war.

In 1891, American Wilbur Gunn relocated to Britain to pursue a career as an opera singer, and open a branch of his father's Lagonda company. Named after a river in Gunn's hometown of Springfield, Ohio, the company manufactured tube cleaning machinery and steam equipment.