📹 Jay Leno on Why He Refuses to Buy a Ferrari
A conversation with comedy legend and car enthusiast Jay Leno. Check out our socials: Instagram …
Why doesn’t Jay Leno own a Ferrari?
Jay Leno, a retired late-night talk show host with a net worth of around $1 million, has a collection of around 180 cars and 160 motorcycles. He explains to Cars and Culture with Jason Stein that he dislikes dealing with dealers and doesn’t want to give a person $25, 000. He doesn’t want to be told to buy two Mondials before they can buy a car, and he doesn’t want to be told to buy two crappy cars before he can buy a car. Despite his impressive collection, Leno doesn’t believe in the cult of the Prancing Horse.
What is the rarest car Jay Leno owns?
The planned collaboration between GM and J. Leno has yet to materialize. The 1931 model has been identified as the first successful prototype, with a single unit having been tested.
Is denim on denim ok in 2024?
Denim is an optimal material for this fall season, as evidenced by the prevalence of blue jeans worn by models from Schiaparelli, Versace, and Moschino. This aesthetic evokes the enduring influence of Western fashion trends. To achieve this look, it is not necessary to purchase items from a designer collection; a matching set or a denim dress will suffice.
Is denim on denim ok?
Double denim can be a stylish and cool accessory when done right, but it can also look outdated if worn wrong. To style your denim-on-denim in a fresh and stylish way, avoid basic styles like classic denim jackets or jeans. Opt for directional denim jackets or over-sized shirts, or boxy denim jackets with a longer line. For jeans, avoid skinny jeans and opt for a straight leg with a high waist or your favorite antidote to skinny jeans. Remember to be creative and versatile with your denim-on-denim look.
What is double denim slang for?
The term “Canadian tuxedo” gained popularity in the 70s when American designer Ralph Lauren showcased a full denim collection, including a denim suit resembling a tuxedo. The term was likely coined by American newspaper columnists who believed Canadians, particularly those in rural areas, often wore a lot of denim, hence the term “Canadian” being applied to the outfit. The term remains used today to refer to the denim-on-denim look.
To wear double denim in the modern era, mix and match different washes and textures for a more dynamic look. Experiment with layering by layering a denim jacket over a dress or jumpsuit for an unexpected take on the trend. Play with proportions by pairing a fitted denim jacket with wide-leg jeans or culottes or a cropped denim jacket with baggy jeans. Accessorize wisely with simple sneakers or ankle boots, and consider adding a statement belt or piece of jewelry for a pop of interest.
Feeling confident is the key to pulling off double denim. Start by pairing a denim jacket with jeans in the same wash and experiment with different combinations to create a unique and stylish look.
Does Jay Leno still make money?
Some sources indicate that Leno, who is no longer the host of “The Tonight Show,” continues to receive an annual income of between $10 and $15 million from his performances of stand-up comedy, which number 200 or more.
What car does Jay Leno refuse to buy?
The speaker posits that in order to procure a Ferrari model that aligns with their preferences, it is necessary to purchase two Mondials, given that Ferraris are regarded as exemplars within the automotive industry. It is possible that they may eventually purchase a Ferrari, although this is not a certainty.
Is black double denim ok?
The combination of two distinct denim fabrics in a single outfit can be an enjoyable fashion choice when the contrast between the two tones is carefully considered. This can be achieved by pairing a light indigo shirt with dark men’s jeans, for instance.
Is denim a 70s thing?
In the mid-1970s, women’s fashion evolved significantly, with the T-shirt becoming a staple item. Extensive designs were introduced, including slogans and sports teams, while looser, more flowy shirts transitioned to fitted tops. The hippie look disappeared by the mid-1970s, but casual looks continued. Women wore various clothing styles, including sweaters, T-shirts, cardigans, kimono, graphic T-shirts, sweaters, jeans, khakis, gauchos, workmen’s clothes, and vintage clothing.
A denim emphasis continued from the early seventies, particularly in 1973 to 1975, with denim fabrics of various intensities of indigo paired with blue jeans and denim skirts. The slim-legged jean style known as the cigarette-leg was introduced in 1975, dominating the end of the decade. Around 1976, casual fashion adopted a Parisan peasant look, featuring capes, turbans, puffy skirts, and shirts with billowing sleeves.
Accessories were generally not worn, adopting a minimalistic approach similar to the 1950s. The most common form of jewelry was a simple gold neckchain, worn under the collar against the skin by both men and women throughout the decade. White pukka shell necklaces were also worn by both sexes. Small leather shoulder bags were popular, and popular shoes included Mary Janes, knee-high boots with rounded toes, platform shoes and sandals, wedge-heeled espadrilles, Birkenstocks, Famolares, and loafers.
Clean-cut, all-American active wear for women became increasingly popular from 1975 onwards, with the biggest phenomenon being the jumpsuit. Other sportswear trends included tracksuits, tunic shirts, crop tops, tube tops, sweatshirts, hip-huggers, low-rise pants, and leisure suits. Accessories were less important during this time, but sneakers and tennis headbands were highly desirable.
As the divorce rate rose and marriage rates declined, women were forced to work to support their families, altering shopping styles and fashion. Feminized men’s business suits were the go-to choice for success.
Does Jay Leno wear the same clothes?
The Jay Leno Show is scheduled to premiere on NBC later this year, and the comedian’s performing wardrobe will be included. However, when not performing in front of an audience, he maintains a consistent personal style, comprising blue jeans, a blue work shirt, and black lace-up boots. Leno, renowned for his minimalist approach to style, has stated that he will not alter his personal style in order to accommodate the demands of his new role. He has asserted that the most effective approach is to maintain the style that has proven to be effective thus far.
📹 Jay Leno Explains why he Hid in the Closet
A can’t miss conversation with the great Jay Leno, where Bill Maher and Jay share hilarious stories like Jay’s true feelings about …
Good for Jay for standing up to principals. I loved his Ford GT story. When the Ford GT came out in 2004, a Ford dealer called Jay to see if he was interested because they had one in stock. Jay asked him what the price was and the dealer quoted DOUBLE the sticker price. Jay then asked him if he reads the Ford dealer newsletters and the dealer asked why. Jay then said he would have known that he bought the first Ford GT released for sale and at the sticker price. LOL
I walked into a Porsche dealership a few years ago with my little cousin (he was 6 at the time) as he wanted to see the cars up close. Felt a bit nerve wracking walking into a dealership knowing full well that I couldn’t afford a damn thing in there, even their “cheap” merchandise was outta reach. I asked my cousin to stay close and not touch anything but was immediately irrupted by the sales manager that encouraged him to go over, sit in whatever car he wanted, and even sat in the passenger seat beside him (in the driver’s seat) encouraging him to day dream that he was driving the car. All the while I was offered a cup of tea and biscuits free of charge. My little cousin was given a Porsche 2018 brochure and memories he’ll most likely never forget. We were there for a good hour whilst my little cousin was going from car to car pretending he owned the lot, even got shown the spec room, getting to spec his own GT3. When I asked why they’d gone through all this effort after explaining many times that I couldn’t afford anything, I was reassured that everything was okay and then told by the sales manager before leaving that just because I can’t afford to buy a Porsche it doesn’t mean that my little cousin won’t be able to when he grows up. They wanted to create a good first impression and they certainly did that. I love Ferrari but I honestly can’t see something like that happening
When Ferrari made the F60, they took 400 pre-orders at almost $1m each, and only existing owners were allowed to buy one. Then, they announced they’d only build 399 cars because ‘not everyone who wants a Ferrari can have one’ and canceled one customers order to prove the point. Screw Ferrari. Not even Ubisoft treats its customers that badly.
Jay is “spot on” with his comments on difficulty in working with Ferrari. I had same problems in Houston, I comment on their “comments” site, and was asked by them to remove my comments. A couple of my neighbors have complained about their service with the dealer too. I ended up buying a new 488 GTB in 2019 from Oregon and it was a great experience. A shame they are not more easy to deal with. And if Jay Leno says he is not a fan of the process…then the process needs to be looked at – but of course they won’t…
Glad I stumbled upon this. I only had 2 experiences with Ferrari. One was at a car show, where the cars were roped off and you couldn’t get within 10 feet of them. The other was at the Wynn at Las Vegas, they had a dealership there, but they had a fee just to enter the store, I think it was like $50 (probably a bit less, I don’t recall exactly). BMW is one I also don’t like for their sales/service. Years ago (when I had money :), I figured I shop for a mid-life crisis car, and was looking for a convertible/roadster. I had a good test drive, then started to talk with them about a way we could whittle the price down a little. He gave me a itemized list, so I said that I want to cut the satellite radio service if possible (really just anything as he was not budging), in the end he chastised me saying you don’t nickel and dime a $70k car. This was the point where I calmly thanked him for his time and walked out. Next day he called me and asked if I was still interested, and I told him I was going to be buying an Mercedes SLK. The Mercedes dealership was a lot more flexible, help me figured out what I wanted, and even gave a competitive discount.
Great story, this reminds me of one I read about a large, very old liquor store in a nearby city. They sell all kinds of rare wine, scotch etc, but they also sell kegs of beer practically at cost. The interviewer asked the owner why he does that when they make almost nothing on the kegs (selling mostly to college guys ) . He said just because they can’t afford expensive alcohol now, nor have the palate for it, doesn’t mean they won’t develop it later in life. Many of his older, more pricey clients had purchased from him while they were in college and remembered being treated decently. Solid customer service will always pay for itself and then some, no matter if you’re selling a $4 aquarium fish, a $4000 set of appliances, or a $40,000 car, or a $400, 000 car. It’s all the same.
Man I love this guy. He comes off as the kind of guy I imagine a lot of car enthusiasts would be if we had that kind of money. He appreciates the cars for the history, the engineering and things other than status or price. I love that he has examples of more modest cars in his collection and gets just as excited talking about them as he does his super cars. I think that’s pretty darn cool….
Living in the San Fernando Valley I see Jay driving around in different cars regularly. I’ve seen him in DOZENS of DIFFERENT cars over the years. Best thing about Jay is if you see him at a store or grabbing a burger or whatever and you want to talk to him he has always been more than willing to show me the vehicle he’s driving that day. I’ve seen him probably 30 or 40 times and have talked to him 5 times and each time he showed me around his car like a regular down to earth dude. There’s NOTHING pompous about Jay!!! He’s a regular dude and loves to turn wrenches. His cars really are his LIFE!!! Hearing him talk about them when he has shown me a few of his cars he’s always been really cool and humble and of course VERY knowledgeable!! Jay is the shit!!! I know for a fact I’ll see him probably 2 or 3 more times before the end of the year. Not seen him in his McLaren yet so maybe I’ll get to see him cruising Topanga Canyon in the McLaren next week or so.
He speaks the truth. I bought a Certified Pre-Owned Porsche for less than a new Lexus and the Dealer treated me like a King. Free gifts in the mail, car was professionally detailed before delivery & a few other personal touches. It was a terrific experience at 2 different dealers. The maintenance will kill your pocketbook, but they treat you right with loaners, gifts & follow up.
hahaha! Jay speaks so much truth here. It’s all about the service and how the brand makes you feel. I once had a Lexus that needed a turn signal bulb. Dealer said $75 to replace the $5 bulb. Called an auto part store that had the bulb in stock. When I asked how much, his response “You drive a Lexus, why are you worried about the price”. I sold the car the next week and purchased a Honda. Parts are affordable, widely available, and folks never question my inquiring about the price.
I remember as a kid (about 11) being allowed to sit in a Diablo GTR, the Lamborghini reps were super friendly and just eager to talk about cars in general. We were there for a half hour before the line picked up and we moved on but we could easily have stayed and chatted. Meanwhile Ferrari was charging $10 per person to stand next to a roped off Enzo. And the reps were getting on people for “standing too close to the ropes” that themselves were 15 ft out from the car
Went to Maserati dealership in Cape Town on a little day-trip with some of my wife’s colleagues a few years ago. The owner of the dealership took us on a tour of their facilities and gave a little talk on all things Maserati and afterwards asked if anyone had any questions. An elderly lady standing towards the back says yes! Can we take one for spin? He obviously wasn’t expecting that but without much hesitation says sure, why not! In less than a second there’s about twenty driver’s licences reaching out towards him. To cut a long story short, he had a sales assistant bring around a beautiful Maserati GT Sport with all the trimmings and we each got a chance to take it for a short spin around the foreshore. He did not have to. We were all just ordinary folks out on a day-trip but I think we’ll all remember that experience fondly and I personally will always hold Maserati in high regard.
Back when I was a teenager I was in Los Angeles on vacation and wanted to check out the supercars at the dealerships in Beverly Hills, since back in my hometown there were no supercar dealerships (not even Porsche lol). I remember walking by the Ferrari dealership and being intimidated to go in because all the dealers in there looked super posh and a bit pretentious, so I just looked from the outside. They saw me checking out the cars through the window and they quickly looked away, drinking their fancy espressos — didn’t even smile at me. I then walked to the McLaren dealership down the road and also decided to look from the outside because there didn’t seem to be anyone in there. Shortly after looking at the cars through the windows, a tall guy with long hair looking super chill came out and literally asked me if I wanted to come in so I can get a better look. Obviously, I said yes. I was super excited and thankful. He then took the time to talk to me about some of the cars and before I left told me that if I work hard enough, the next time I come in hopefully it won’t be just to look. I left inspired and full of gratitude. I totally get what Jay is talking about in this vid. What a great authentic guy. Legend.
Our local BMW dealer used to be wunderbar. Then they got bought out by a chain operation. Fired all the good guys and brought in slick willies. So today my BMW 330ci windshield washer motor quit and I ordered a new part for $17. For the heck of it I called the dealer and it’s $250 to fix it. Found a tutorial on the net and it takes 10 minutes to swap out. Think I’ll do it my self and I’m 77 years old.
I grew up in Burbank and ran into Jay Leno a few times growing up. His car warehouse is actually a few blocks from my current work and I’ve seen him driving around pretty recently. 1st time I met him, his car broke down in my alley. I was a little kid, but I recognized him because my older brother used to watch his show and we shared rooms. He had a 1930’s style classic. I still have the autograph. 2nd time I met him was at Foster’s Freeze in Burbank and he bought ice cream for a bunch of kids. He’s always wearing the denim pants and shirt. He’s a nice down to earth guy.
My neighbor was just telling me how he went to the new Ferrari dealer, wanting to put a deposit on something (I don’t recall which model), and that he was flabbergasted that they didn’t want his money. He had no idea about the “rules” for buying a new Ferrari. Needless to say, he ordered a Lamborghini.
My uncle (rip) had a Ferrari 25+ years ago and he told me the exact same thing as Jay is saying here. He put up w/ the dealer nonsense and then he finally got rid of it. I didn’t know that you practically have to bring in your resume/CV to show that you are “worthy” enough to own a Ferrari. I’m guessing that’s part of the “show-off” part of owning one: that you are “worthy” enough. F— that.
This just made me respect him even more. I hate it when people voluntarily let themselves be treated like garbage. That’s why I will never buy a Mercedes from a dealership. What an attitude 🤢 I walked in there to buy 3 vans for my company. After 5 minutes I just ran away and bought Peugeot instead. Excellent service 👌
He’s being kind. When you have a massive warehouse of cars from every decade, every genre, and personal mechanics on payrol you have to feel disgusted literally every time you’re presented with the opportunity or thought of having a Ferrari. The sheer number of cars owned and time spent researching, taking care of, and restoring cars Leno has and there’s literally no love, no passion towards Ferrari. At that level you’re forgiving of issues because you find something about the history of the product to admire. There is literally no admiration, no forgiveness. I think it speaks volumes.
It’s great that Leno is saying this publicly. Ferrari won’t easily change their behavior, but if enough other rich people decide that Leno is right, and give their business to Ferrari’s competition, they may be forced to change. Ferrari acts like they are doing you a favor to sell you one of their cars.
I love Jay Leno. Down to earth, as actually worked on cars and motorcycles etc… Understands the mechanics, genuinely loves cars. I find it unbelievably cool that a guy like that has the wherewithal to buy whatever the hell he wants. And the wherewithal to point out when a particular brand is more than a little full of itself
I love this article and periodically come back to it just to smile/laugh. Call it “living vicariously through Jay”. He’s exactly right. Currently, here in Sept. 2024, it’s a lesson that ALL new car dealerships need remedial lessons on. You’re attempting to charge me $64,000.00* for a Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro (?!?!?) and expect me to be delighted that you won’t negotiate on the price or even REMOVE the BS ‘dealer add-ons’ or what used to be “market adjustments’. Oh, and you’re giving me a 4 cyl instead of a V6. Even we “poor, little guys” want to feel like a valued customer. This is a great article and lesson.
As a valet, one of the most fun cars I’ve ever got to drive was a $700,000 Ferrari f12. That being said, after knowing that Enzo snubbed his nose at Lamborghini, simply out of pride because Lamborghini fixed his own transmission problems in his 250 GT, and after how he thought he was bigger and better than FoMoCo, I could wake up tomorrow to find out Ferrari went completely bankrupt and doesn’t exist anymore and I wouldn’t shed a tear. They sell you cars that you aren’t allowed to drive without their permission and that is wrong on several levels of vehicle ownership.
I was visiting Burbank on business a couple months ago and happened to be only a couple miles away from Jay’s garage at the Hollywood Burbank airport. I didn’t have any free time to drive by and see it from the outside, but just being that close gave me a happy warm feeling, which is usually the last thing I feel while driving in traffic anywhere else in Southern California.
I know exactly what Jay is saying. I’ve owned 2 Ferraris in the past and the sales manager at my dealer was a total jerk. He should never have been allowed near the public. If it hadn’t been for a great salesman, Bud Root, I would’ve told the manager to F off several times. I own a 718 Cayman GT4, 981 Cayman S, and a 986 which I recently bought through Porsche Classic. I do about 10 track days per year, mostly at Sebring, and almost never see a Ferrari out there. Half the grid is made up of Porsches, the other half are a mix of Corvettes, Mustangs, Camaros and Miatas. Both my Ferraris were way too fragile to take the constant pounding on a race track and survive the day.
There are a lot of luxury products that are sold this way (watches and handbags are the first two that come to mind) and it does kind of make the whole idea undesirable. …that’s why there’s a pre-owned market for these things! If you have the cash you can walk/drive away with the product! I do like how Jay gave two examples of straight-forward dealer interactions… on a Maclaren and a Carrera GT! Honestly, I’ve heard stories about how hardworking Jay is and how he segments the money he earned from TV and the money he earned by being active on the stand-up circuit for all these years/decades; he’s a super-successful comic – he has earned the right to buy nice things. The fact that he CAN deal with the Ferrari dealer network, but refuses to, just makes him seem like a normal guy to me.
Ferraris are great cars, but their relations with their other-than-uber-rich customers does leave something to be desired. I’d had one Ferrari, a 360 Modena, and it was a great car to drive, especially in the mountains. A wonderful engine, loved the gated shifter, and that sound! Customer service sucked, so never again.
I went into a Ferrari dealer,looked around for a few minutes and the staff stayed on their laptops and totally ignored me. I went to Aston Martin dealer and they welcomed me,showed me around their stock and sat in a car. The salesman made me a cup of tea and got my wife a drink. What difference. I had just sold my mother’s four bedroom house in North West London,in the UK,so I could have bought a Ferrari!
I’ve read a story where Jay was interviewed and asked the same question. His response was along the lines of him considering Shelby a personal friend, and Shelby and Ferrari had beef since the late 50’s/early 60’s. Shelby believed that Ferrari was responsible for the death of some of his driver friends; Ferrari considered drivers expendable at the time. Jay also went on to say that Ferrari was always grouchy looking, whereas as Shelby always had a smile on his face.
Years ago, someone else said pretty much the same thing online about buying a Ferrari. They weren’t trying to buy a limited production version, just a garden-variety 360 when it was new. The dealer told him he could get a new one, but the waiting list was two years. Plus, before he could take delivery, he’d have to commit to doing the following: * Buy a used Ferrari from said dealer * Put no more than 10K miles on it per year for the next 2 years * Sell the used Ferrari back to the dealer They told him that he could only take delivery of the new Ferrari after meeting these requirements. He refused to play this game. Instead, he took his business to the Porsche dealer down the street, where they put him behind the wheel of a new 911 Turbo same-day with no fuss, no waiting, and no ridiculous hoops to jump through.
I really hate it when dealers act like this. I’ve never owned a Ferrari or anything like that but I remember feeling exactly the same thing when I was buying a new Mercedes’ from a big dealer in Moscow. The entire process felt like I was an inconvenience to them like what’s this guy doing wasting our precious time. There were a lot of problems and overall a horrible experience. And yeah sure it wasn’t their top model or anything but still a very expensive car. I just don’t understand this. If I’m a customer that comes in with money that your business needs to survive, then your entire focus should be on making sure that I am left at least in the same mood that I came in. I don’t know why people expect customers to pay AND do some work to get what they are paying for. No the whole point of me paying for it is that I don’t do any work. I’ve done the work already to make my money. To spend it I don’t have to work. You have to work to get my money. I wish more people would get this.
At 18 I went around with my parents asking dealerships if they would either let me sit or drive one of their cars as a test drive so I could one day get it myself. Jaguar let me test drive, ford let me test drive twice, mclaren took me out for a passanger ride in a 720s, porsche gave a passanger ride in a 911, mercedes let me drive a c63s, and who would have guessed, ferrari didn’t even let me sit in a single car, and the salesman left to go get coffee right after🤣🤣🤣I was a 18 year old kid kindly asking for even just sitting in a car, and most of them let me drive them even cause they saw my curiosity…but ferrari saw lack of money and I couldn’t even sit in a car xD
I agree with him totally. I have a lambo and I’ve always been put off by the snobbery around ferrari, which the dealers also propagate. Look what happened when deadmau5 changed his ferrari to camouflage colour, and changed the ferrari badges for mouse ones. Ferrari banned him from buying their cars again. Lamborghini understand that the customer is always right and let them customise the car however they want
Always remember, Ferarri being an ass is why Lamborghini decided to tell him to stick his brand and he started making his own exotic cars… No matter what your product is, if you have no appreciation for the people you’re trying to sell your product to, then you and your product don’t deserve their money.
He’s not just stating his opinion – he’s speaking from experience. I have to agree with him. Somehow Enzo Ferrari’s arrogance lives on in his cars until today- the same arrogance that made some of his rich customers, the best known being Ferrucio Lamborghini, make their own cars rather than buy one of his.
I work in the car sales business, and my general manager told me a story. The man who owns our Auto Group has a large car collection. The general manager asked him one time if there’s a car he’s going to go after. The talk turned to buying a new ferrari. The Auto Group owner said he would never do that, because you’ve got to “grease a bunch of palms and kiss a lot of butts” to get in line to buy one. And then, you never truly own it, because Ferrari dictates how when and where you service the vehicle. Sorry, there are simply too many nice cars in the world to mess with something like that
I owned a ’89 Testarossa for 7 years and enjoyed it immensely. I live in Northern Ontario, 8 hours from the nearest dealer, but fortunately I was able to do all my own work. The quality of construction and components was endlessly impressive. But I finally sold it because of all the Ferrari bullshit. The jacked-up prices, the ridiculous service intervals, the snooty compatriots were just too much. Jay is right on.
I can’t agree with Jay more on this. Back in the 80’s I had the choice to buy a Ferrari 308 or a Mercedes-Benz 280 SL…….I chose the Benz & have never regretted it (I still own it today). Now I’m looking at a supercar, & while a Ferrari 458 is pretty, I’m going with the just-as-nice Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. Like Jay, Ferrari turned me off when spending $350,,000 for one then, up to recently anyway, they charged you another $10-15,000 for a TUNE-UP because they dropped the entire engine to do it! And even though Ferrari customers are being taken to the cleaners, they still prance around in their red jackets too ego-maniacal to realize that Ferrari & their dealerships continue to soak them for tens of thousands of dollars after the sale! Beyond ridiculous.
An executive at my company ordered a Ferrari awhile back and he said you have to option it when you place your order. If you dont Ferrari will most likely weeks later deny building your car even if the deposit is placed. You basically give them a deposit and the options you want then Ferrari has to “accept” your order. This was also his first Ferrari so he couldn’t order certain models. He had to buy the less expensive ones first for a year before even being allowed to buy the top models.
Some say the sales attitude can credited to Girolamo Gardini. He became the company’s sales manager in 1950. His philosophy was simple – the cars must be required, never offered. In other words, the purchaser went to Ferrari, not the other way around. He was a master at building desire, orchestrating who would have to wait for a car, who would get it tomorrow, and who wouldn’t get one at all.
My Ferrari Jay story. Many, many years ago I was driving a Ferrari 360 Spyder in Burbank. I see a really old classic unidentifiable car pull over to the side of the street and as I pass by I see none other than Mr. Leno hop out. Obviously it was something from his vast collection and I watched in the rearview mirror as he was opening the hood. So I made a U-turn came back. I pulled up behind him, got out and he instantly started roasting me for being in the Ferrari which was not my car by the way but a friends we were using for a project I was involved in at the time. Anyway, it was a like a private comedy show, just rapid fire one liners none of which I was quick enough to counter but all good natured and then we just fell into car talk. Just two car enthusiasts chopping it up as he told me all about the musuem piece he was driving while he waited for support from some of his guys back at his garage. I don’t remember the make or model car he was driving but it was old, a defunct company I’d never heard of before, and it literally had near lanterns for headlights.
I have been buying new cars from the luxury/exotic car market for the last 15 years. Every single time I walked into Ferrari I left leaving disrespected and just annoyed at how I was handled by the salesman that somehow all act like they are Enzo Ferrari and their shit don’t stink.. Long story short my brother died and he had VIP status at Ferrari in Europe, I’m in between Canada and America. I thought I would try to take over his VIP status and order some cars to keep his status going with the dealership. Let me tell you it was the worse experience I ever had with spending hundreds of thousands of dollars… There isn’t enough time here to explain what all the bs that happened from me trying to order 2 cars than finally receiving them and buying them. Suffice to say at the end we went our separate ways and I vouched to never walk into a Ferrari dealership again even though that’s exactly what my train of thought was prior to my brothers situation.
yes i agree with jay, not on just ferraris sales concepts this is a general auto dealership problem. its because you’re not just paying for “your” car, you’re lining the dealers pockets and helping the rest of that money pay their lot lease. any new car is a trap. its all up to how you want to accept the trapping process. thats all. #greed
I was around 10 years old when I was obsessed with Ferrari’s. My mom brought me to the dealership in Mill Valley just north of San Francisco whenever we were headed to the city. We pulled up in a beat faded blue volvo wagon and the salesmen where always nice to me. One day they had a F50, the salesmen was so cool and talked to me about it as I excessively walked in circles around it. I appreciate their patience to this day, too bad it never matured into a sale!
I’d love to spend a week with Jay and his car collection, a day would certainly not be enough. Every time he talks about a car he has it’s with such love and passion – he doesn’t just know the car, he understands it. And the historical preservation he goes through to get some of these cars back up and running is outrageous. I don’t think he has any cars that can’t function.
I am not remotely a car buff unless the name James Bond or a certain British trio is involved, but Jay gave such an excellent run-down of his answer that I understood it in a heartbeat. If you’re gonna pay for something top-of-the-line and other similar or even lower tiered purchases are going to treat you like a KING, why even bother flexing the big sale if it feels so hollow? I would love to listen to this man talk about cars for HOURS.
Leno would actually be a tremendous ambassador for Ferrari’s history and story if they understood why they lost him and will never have him. He would have his dedicated section of his garage with every bit of literature and trophies and documentation throughout the years. And I would bet he’d have mostly pre-1970s era models, with an F40. I do not see Jay driving a modern Ferrari.
I used to work at Ferrari and Maserati and those cars are very fun to drive and they’re head turners, but they are temperamental. When one thing goes wrong, everything goes wrong. Basically, they spend more time in the shop than they do on the street. I wouldn’t buy one with someone else’s money, even if they paid me to buy one.
He’s very, very right about this. I have experience with Ferrari dealerships in three separate cities and they all behave this way. It’s almost a Mafia-style way of running a company. You have to be “in the family” in order to buy a Ferrari. “Pay your dues,” so to speak. It’s really bizarre and I never could figure out what that was all about.
I bought a Ferrari a few years ago and it’s freekin awesome! I can’t even believe how much I love this car. Maybe it’s the dealership you’re working with, I don’t know. But I’d bet if Jay wanted one, they’d probably treat him pretty special as well as other brands have. I mean, little nobody me didn’t find it a “snobby” experience at all.
Yeah I can understand his reasons. Even I would be slightly annoyed if they told me to buy inferior ferrari cars before I can touch my favorite car, the 458, just for the sake of proving I’m worthy of their higher-end cars. As much as I love ferrari, even if I had the money to buy one, I would probably wait until they remove this practice, or I’ll just buy a mclaren or porsche.
Ferrari customer service isn’t that great just like other other car dealer manufactures. Clearly Jay said it well as Ferrari wouldn’t have that personal touch when spending big money on a vehicle where McLaren will literally guide you through more in-depth and let you know what you need and willing to go above and beyond with their customer service skills to your house as what they did with Jay Leno and should be the same with a non famous customer. Mercedes does the same for example. In addition, you can walk in with any money you want but still you will not walk out with a Ferrari if it’s build your own since most dealers will not allow the sale because “your not in the club” for special model vehicles since you need to buy the smaller cars first. You’re perhaps better off getting it used from a third party dealership and having the sale run more into your favor but of course not genuine customer service from an actual Ferrari dealership. The cease and desist letters for any wraps done to the car that can ‘negatively’ affect the Ferrari brand that’s if it’s online and Ferrari’s see it.. Just like a HOA community shame.. Not to mention the unreliablity of Ferrari’s cars will break not often or malfunction but of course paying top dollar for a expensive car you must of course be able to afford the repair after warranty…
An even slightly crazier part to this is that McLaren and Lamborghini limited edition tech items sell twice over what anything Ferrari has ever done with a company. It’s the branding itself at this point, the only people interested are those who think they are also better than the next guy. Aspiring entrepreneurs are going to resonate towards a brand they’ll see themselves having a relationship with after success. Ferrari isn’t it. Ferrari is the highschool jock of the car world. Great at what they do, but a problem everywhere else.
Huge respect to Jay who knows what customers deserve laying out so much $! Hey my Italian friends it’s not a privilege to own a Ferrari- it should be a privilege to sell one… something McLaren gets! From the namesake of a little innovative country at the bottom of the South Pacific that showed you how (ditto when it comes to motorcycles… Britten anyone?:) Kudos sticking to your principles Jay!
Its all About the customer service I 100% agree. I bought a classic Camaro from a small mom and pop shop open 40 years. The man had millions of dollars of cars in his Garage. The man made me breakfast while silent bidding cars on the phone. He made me fell like I was the First customer to ever walk threw the doors of his Dealership. 40 years in business. I will always remember that.
I went to a Porsche dealership when I was a little kid (probably 2009) with my dad and it was right before they closed. The owner asked if I want a ride I’m his car and ofc I said yes. A good minute later I’m flying up and down the highway with a random guy I met 5 mins ago in his Ferrari 458 Italia. Been addicted to cars ever since
Ferrari are masters at doing all this. You have to own at least five Ferrari’s before you could even join the queue for an Enzo and all that crap. But fools buy into it all the time, like Ferrari are doing you a favour. The last Ferrari’s I liked were the 599 & 16M, everything since holds no interest for me. People also buy a new car, knowing in 12mths there’ll be the ‘better’ one (Pista, Speciale etc). The uninitiated would say ‘why buy that when there’s a better one round the corner’ – we say ‘it’s nothing but a cynical marketing ploy’ which these days is all Ferrari are. There’s no such thing as a pretty Ferrari anymore. Overpriced gimmicks that are sold on how fast they lap Fiorano or the ‘Ring, both of which are utterly irrelevant today at 30mph in Central London. Most people who can even afford one don’t drive them and would lay a cable using the car at even half of what it’s designed for, but intimately will never get anywhere near. Why bother.
I’ve heard about Ferrari’s notorious elitism when it comes to new owners and specific models, you cannot purchase certain track models until you have “seniority” with the older models (like Jay explained). Honestly I’d rather a Lamborghini or a McLaren than a car that goes just 25 miles before it needs a $25k tune-up.
“She kicked the crap outta me….it was great!” LOL! Frankly, it’s not just Ferrari acting like this. I went by a Rolex owned boutique in CDG a few weeks ago and they had inventory…that they would neither sell nor even take out of the case. I was like, “Wait, so you have a boutique where nothing is for sale”? Lady looks at me and says, with a straight face, “It’s like a museum”. I wasn’t sure if this was better or worse than the Schiphol boutique that had two sales people but only one watch (a horrible diamond encrusted ladies Datejust) in the case. The guy looks at me and says, “Please buy this so we can go home”. It’s, of course, the same with many luxury good now….Hermes, Chanel, Rolex, Ferrari, etc. These are products I might buy if not made to feel like I am being done a favor to overpay for something that I don’t really need in the first place.
I went to the Festival of Speed for the first time in ’21 and in the Supercar Paddock was Ferrari with their current line up of cars and Lamborghini with their most exclusive models i.e. SVJ, STO, and the SCV12. With Lamborghini you could get a 360° view of their cars and get as close as your eyes could focus but with Ferrari they had their big red ribbon around their entire tent. You couldn’t get within 3 meters of their cars and thats what tipped me over the edge. Why should you be made to feel like you’re not good enough to even look at their cars? As a young man with aspirations of owning a car from an prestigious brand such as Ferrari, how could I be expected to pay such a premium on a car from a manufacturer who will not engage with the people who are passionate about their products?
Jay is absolutely right. Because I own a 1967 330 GTC (considered a budget low-end Ferrari classic and low-rent Ferrari by enthusiasts who turn their noses down at it), here in Monaco I was given the opportunity to purchase an Enzo, LaFerrari ect. I don’t want a track toy, I wanted a GT. So bought a California, which I still have. And you wanted to hear what the dealer said!…..”why do you want one of those for?! You want a ‘true’ Ferrari”……..Snobs! I don’t know why I’m so brand-loyal to them. But my 330 means everything to me, as My father bought it for when I was born in 1967😥
I once entered a competition where 10 statements about Ferrari had to be put into order of importance. In case there was a tie break, entrants had to complete a sentence beginning with ‘I’d like to drive a Ferrari because …..’ using no more than 16 words. I didn’t win the competition because my order of importance was different to the panel that chose the order of importance but Jeremy Clarkson did use my winning sentence in one of his Top Gear reviews. My sentence was ‘I’d like to drive a Ferrari because everyone would know I had arrived before I’d even set off’.
When he mentions Mondials he’s talking about a car from the early 80’s. Imagine how much custom Ferrari have lost from Jay alone in that 40 years or so from offending him with their ideas of grandeur over a car. If only other buyers showed standards like that all this “its exclusive because we say so” nonsense would end and only genuinely great cars would be in that echelon. The McLaren F1, Porsche Carrera GT and so on get rare and expensive because of what they are. They don’t need fake marketing rubbish to elevate them.
I bought a used 2007 Porsche Cayman with a 5 speed. I’ve had it for 4 years now. Absolutely love the car and I’ve been to Fresno Porsche a few times now for parts that are hard to find anywhere else. I gotta say they treat you so nice there. I’ve gotten treated with respect and when im waiting for them to get my parts I’ve ordered in back I get asked if I want water or coffee or a soda. I always say yes and I thank them everytime. It’s freaking great. If ya get a high end car get a Porsche!! You won’t regret it.
In 1989 I finally r e ached the point where I could honestly afford a Ferrsri. So I took a sturdy morning and went over to Beverly Hills Ferrari. As it happened I wanted a Testarossa. Red. With a tan interior and the matching luggage. It seemed simple enough . What could possibly go wrong? Well..quite a bit actually. After looking over a yellow Testarossa on the showroom floor and a smaller Ferrari which as I recall was used and silver a sales person finally slithered over and asked if he could help me. I explained what I wanted. I was asked if I had ever purchased a previous Ferrari. No. It was explained that there was a waiting list of Testarossa purchasers and for a 5000 deposit I could join the waiting list. However when the Testarossa that I was I line for came off the assembly line it might be any color. If I refused it it was return to the end of the line and wait some more or forfeit my deposit.it was also explained to me that people who had previously purchased two or more Erraris could skip to any place in line to get the Ferrari they wanted. Final I was told that the out the door price would include delivery and preparation fees in an amount to be determined by the dealer at the time of delivery. I thanked him for the time and left to see my dominatrix who treated me better than the salesman at the dealer.. The following g Monday I got hold of the car leasing agency that my company used for its fleet. I told him what I wanted. He asked if the cat had to be new. I told him no just close to it.
Customer service done right. I sell auto parts and we get all kinds of people but I always treat them like they’re human beings. Sometimes good customer service is not selling something. My coworkers on the other hand ended up clouded by illogical policies that in the end don’t matter much vs putting a smile and taking care of the customers.
I once had a lot of problems with a brand new Ford, and the owner of the Ford dealership where I bought the car told me that “I have 1,500 new car customers a year, and I don’t need you”. I sued under the Lemon Law, and won, and I have never bought another Ford, or stepped into a Ford dealership again.
That attitude problem is part of the company tradition at Ferrari. Even some employees got to feel it at times. I think it origins from Enzo Ferrari, who was a bit of a weirdo and when Ferrari was the absolute top in sports cars and motorsport. But those days are long gone – only the Ferrari have not noticed it yet.
Great and customer centric expectations we should all have . GM and the dealers should see this in regards to the rip offs going on with the corvette stingray and the game of getting used ones with less than 1k miles on them so they can Jack up the price 20k over sticker. Here is Jay Leno who can afford to certainly do it refusing to be treated that way . Very impressed
It’s been said that, unlike the car companies that race cars, Ferrari is a racing company that sells a few cars. Yeah, many are quite beautiful in design, and likely drive excellent for a few weeks out of the year, but SO many owners have had similar complaints, not just about buying one but getting dealer/factory support after the purchase.
Jay Leno is an American Icon – a true auto enthusiast who elevates the love of car. He is honest and appreciates a multitude of products and is not a snob. There are many self-righteous enthusiasts who can’t be bothered with real people. Jay is down to earth and a true auto legend. He preserves the love for future generations.
Leno is 100% correct about US Ferrari dealers. When I went in it was always the mentality that look but don’t touch or even breath in its direction. That all changed when I went to Ferrari in the UAE. I can say some of the nicest customer service and sales people. Lamborghini in the other hand was full of themselves. Even though I was a massive lambo fan I ended up with a Ferrari purely down to the customer service was 10/10. Porsche was also another one that it came down to the person but overall 8/10.
2:00 when he does the Italian accent saying that you need to buy these two before you can buy this, it’s actually true. I’m from Italy and there’s a local rich man in my town who is a multi millionaire because he has many factories and he’s known to have lots of Ferraris. One day he went into the Ferrari dealership asking for one (I don’t remember which one specifically) and the dealer told him that those particular models were reserved for people who already own at least 10 Ferraris. So since he had 8 Ferraris, he proceeded to buy two on the spot so he could get the third model… When you have that kinda money you buy 3 Ferraris like Hot-Wheels
I couldn’t be more on the same page as Jay about Ferrari. The dealers act like they are doing you a favor selling or servicing your car. I had them for 30+ years until I went over to McLaren and they actually treated me like a valued customer. Treated like a valued customer and a better performance car to boot!
As a Ferrari employee, I can state with absolute certainty, that his complaints regarding the “dealerships” can be exclusively referred to as the California dealerships. They’re a bunch all their own. Everyone employed by Ferrari in the states knows this. Try Florida, or even NewYork, and it’s a different experience.
The last Ferrari I worked on was owned by George Barris in the early 80s. A customer dropped off a brand new one to be customized and never came back, so George put a mechanic’s lean on it and got legal ownership. George hired someone else to do the custom metal work and they used a grinder to remove the paint and started welding custom fender flares on it. But they weren’t very sharp because the fenders and hood had a lot lead on them and when they tried to weld their custom sheet metal flares their welds didn’t stick to the lead. So I redid all that work. The point is the original factory metalwork on Ferraris was pure shit. We never used any fillers when making custom metal bodies. I learned how to form steel from my father who worked for and ran the shop at Barris Kustom for years. We formed steel and primed and painted it.
This isn’t the first time I’ve heard about the Ferrari buying/ownership process where you basically can’t buy one new until you’ve already owned a few used ones first. And considering this is Jay Leno – a guy with a lot of influence and reach especially where cars are concerned – you’d think Ferrari would be calling him and asking if he wants to buy one of their cars. Makes me wonder about that McLaren upgrade though – if it was free for everyone or just for select clientele.
Jay Leno doesn’t like snobs or a snobby car company that thinks they’re doing you a favor by “allowing” you to buy one of their cars. The more I see the real Leno in these garage episodes, the more I like him. He is a down to earth individual. A fabulously wealthy, down to earth individual – and that’s rare.
Only ever driven one Ferrari – a 328. It was round Goodwood circuit, I was entirely underwhelmed. I had a Jag XJR at the time, which was way better in every single way – faster, better handling, better brakes, better put together. Oh and worth about 1/10th as much so I never worried about pranging it. Never wanted a Ferarri, don’t think I ever will.
This is sort of the same way I felt when I had an opportunity to buy a Ferrari F40 but the customer service just wasn’t there and on top of that, it looked too much like a kit car to me (this part is true – I think the F40 doesn’t have an attractive design by a long way – whereas I think the for Enzo is one of the most beautiful cars ever built) so, I decided to get the Yugo I have, instead…. At least it doesn’t have that stupid wing on the back 🙂
I hope Ferrari is perusal this article. While it is definitely not necessary for Ferrari to change its behaviour based on this article, it definitely need to self reflect to see if something can be improved. I am an ardent fan of Ferrari. All the cars I drove are absolute piece of art and Engineering. I think Ferrari should have full support from petrol heads like Jay Leno.
I have an Italian friend who spoke often in times past of an EXTREMELY wealthy uncle in Calabria. This guy was “on the list” for new Ferrari models and sometimes dipped a toe into the market when his appetite was whetted. It was quite apparent to me that in certain social circles in Italy, it was a matter of immense prestige to be “offered” the chance to buy a newly announced Ferrari. I’m not sure we have an equivalent in the UK. There are UK Ferrari customers in a similar position, but somehow the social cachet works in Italy, while in the UK it simply seems a bit flash, a bit gauche, a bit needy. Ferrari is Italian.
Jay Leno hasn’t discovered yet you can buy used Ferraris…I just bought one from a salvage auction for $2,600. Some guy named “Harley” showed up in a pickup truck with a flatbed trailer from Utah and dumped it in my driveway by reversing and then unstrapping the car from the trailer and flooring it, which flopped the car on the pavement, and left.
I don’t get why Ferrari is so stuck up. Sure they make really awesome Sports and Super cars, but they act like they are better than everyone else when in reality they have been getting their asses handed to them in Motorsports basically forever. Ferrari has never done anything that other companies haven’t. Combine that with the fact that they think they are levitating above everyone else because “They say so” and they can go to hell as far as I’m concerned. I’m broke as a joke, but if I had a lot of money, I’d be just like Jay.
This is huge. I have never been to a dealership because I don’t want to be made a fool of. So many companies nowdays treat you like a fool for buying their product. “Hah look at this sucker lets screw him”. Not many men enjoy being treated like that. Why do you think everyone prefers Japanese products now? At least they treat you with SOME respect and don’t completely try and fleece you. I will pay more for a product, I will buy a smaller product, just don’t treat me like a fool, don’t try and assert your dominance over me and try to make me feel small. That will make me hate you. That’s why I don’t eat fast food, it’s a product that inherently disrespects me and treats me like a pig or an animal. I am just so sick of it I guess. It’s also why I don’t rent, most of these landlords and apartment complexes don’t treat the relationship as someone offering a service, instead they toy with their renters. It’s disrespectful and I refuse to be treated like that. Offer me a product at a fair price. If for whatever reason you have to make the product cheaper at least have the decency to explain WHY. I obviously know nothing about Ferraris and will never be able to even LOOK at one let alone buy one, but even for common guys like me we still want to be treated fairly. A lot of companies will charge you just to spit on you, as if I am some creature who should be so lucky….. Kinda like OnlyFans tbh, I don’t get these men who debase themselves so…. Who pay to be treated like trash.
Hey Jay, that snippet at 1:37 about ‘Rich Guys and dominatrixes kicking the crap out of them’ was quite the unexpected turn! While I can’t say I’ve dabbled in that kind of thrill, my recent experience with a local Ford dealership and buying my new 2022 Metallic Blue Ford F-150 XLT Crew Cab FX4 Offroad edition truck has been oddly fetish-like. It’s been a mix of demoralizing, humiliating, and downright bizarre—a different kind of ‘kink’ in life, I suppose!
You made my day because you told the exact truth about Ferrari ! Amazing cars but they don’t want to sell their top cars to people not owning some basic crappy models ! But we are lucky because we have a lot of better choices, like McLaren, Porsche, Lamborghini, Aston Martin or a beautiful Mercedes AMG GT-R which is also very nice for people knowing what’s really good !
Back in the day I was in Houston, the McLaren dealer is just so cool to their potential customer. I drove down there, say i would like to have a test drive, and they grabbed my insurance and license, looked it up, and pointed to a desk on the other side by a window and said, there are a bunch of keys on the desk, labled, and take whatever you like on it have it a go…5 keys there, for a 720, 570s and gt, a spider 570 and a 600…Crazy…
Jay is so right. Back in the 80’s rich people were buying Ferraris to flip to make money. They didn’t drive them. Ferrari wanted owners to enjoy them so they made a policy that to buy a new Ferrari you had to own an older Ferrari. Ford does the same thing with the Ford GT. You can’t sell it right away,you sign a contract that you can’t sell it for a certain amount of time.