Jay Leno, the former late night host most people know for comedy but we all know for his abundant and generous love of cars, was injured while working on a vehicle in his garage reports TMZ. Details are scarce at this moment, but Leno was reportedly taken to the burn ward at the Grossman Burn Center for a serious injury to his face that occurred when “one of the cars erupted into flames without warning.”
Leno is known for having a great collection of cars in his facility in Los Angeles, which he also uses for his show “Jay Leno’s Garage.” Here’s a clip of him recently driving around with President Joe Biden:
“It’s the new hot rodding.”
President Joe Biden goes for a ride with Jay in an electrified 1978 Ford F100 on an all-new episode of @LenosGarage on TONIGHT at 10pm ET on CNBC. pic.twitter.com/DtYaQLoW1C
— CNBC (@CNBC) October 26, 2022
We’ve reached out to friends and colleagues with the show to see if there are any details beyond what TMZ reported, which makes it sound like a serious, though non-life threatening, burn.
Update: “Variety” has a statement from Leno, who confirms that he was burned in a gas fire but is otherwise ok:
“I got some serious burns from a gasoline fire. I am ok. Just need a week or two to get back on my feet.”
Image: NBC/Leno’s Garage
Hope he recovers faster than, one of his Muscle Cars…
The gears in my brain,keep turning from curiosity. I didn’t know a Steam Engine car,uses gasoline. I thought a steam engine used steam. If it uses both, it would be a Hybrid..
Nice to hear, he’s gonna make a full recovery
I hope Jay’s doing well, he’s already made a comment from the hospital.
According to TMZ, he was working on a 1907 White Steam Car, and a gas line leaked and sprayed gas on his face and hands, then caught fire when there was a spark.
https://www.tmz.com/2022/11/15/jay-leno-car-fire-friend-saves-life-flames-burns/
Here’s a video of Jay with the same car, he almost burned his hand when there was a small fire, which he calmly blew out. It looks like he may have had that experience before.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lf8miprLH60&ab_channel=JayLeno%27sGarage
A part of me is really going to just plain get teary eyed… if he doesnt bounce back. That dude is so respected, so knowledgeable…
Every single car… he knows.
Respect that dude
Jay always felt like a sarcastic friend checking out a car with you, after you both snuck out to the garage or driveway. Hope he gets well soon and back to doing the fun stuff.
I’m going to assume it was one of the cars made way back when being badly injured by machinery was a common, everyday occurrence.
Glad you’re going to be ok Jay.
Next time let that priceless car burn.
Yeah,TBH i’d do the same in your shoes! Skin can grow back (sorta).Rare old cars aren’t being made anymore.
-Comments based purely on supposition and bear no relation to facts imagined or true
Now that we know he’ll recover… were any of the cars hurt??
Know a few people that have met him and talked cars and they speak very favorably of him and how he acts even when the cameras aren’t running. Love the garage show, stuff happens if you are doing something other than sitting on the couch all day, but still better to enjoy what you love with some risks rather than wearing out the seat cushions.
My thoughts are with St. Jay and his amazing Temple of Transportation. Those vehicles in there are powered by the breath of Satan himself. And sometimes, like the Serpent, they will bite.
–Prayers and Exhortations–
I’ll bet that when he’s mended he’ll go back to the very thing that blew up in his face. “Oh, there’s the problem. I should have seen that.” Get well, Pal.
Nooo not the money maker!
Ok, bad taste, sorry. I hope he recovers quickly.
My first thought is that it was one of his steam cars – I remember a video of him using a blow torch to light the pilot on a Stanley and a fireball blew back at him, he seemed to pull his head away from it just in time, and brushed it off like it was no big deal, happens all the time.
It might have been a Jay Leno’s Garage segment, but I seem to remember Dennis Gage being there, so it might have been for My Classic Car
But, he’s saying gasoline fire – you can burn gasoline in steam cars, but he seems to run his primarily on kerosine, so who knows what vehicle was involved.
Great, now I have the mental image of Dennis Gage with soot on his face screaming “MY MOUSTACHE! MY MOUSTACHE!!
There’s a short interview on You Tube with one of his long time shop guys as he leaves the facility. Apparently he was working on a steam car and got a spray of fuel which ignited.
Say what you will about him professionally, but I can alway s admire an enthusiast who is in it for the love of the cars. He always seems to be less “look at what I have” and more “isn’t this cool?”
I hope he heals up well and gets back to the garage with a smile.
Burned almost as badly as David Letterman was when he didn’t get the Tonight show 😀
sorry, I had to! No really though, glad he’s recovering
He voluntarily made his collection available for all to view. He’s on the Mount Rushmore of “car enthusiasts”.
Jay’s collection will one day become one of the premier automotive museums in the world.
The fact that he and his staff strive to keep the entire collection in a ready to drive state is true passion.
Well put. I really enjoy that he keeps his Chrysler Turbine car operational…that can’t be easy.
Though I do hope they occasionally prank the local Autozone. “I’m not seeing this model in the computer. 1963 you say? Which engine? Wait, what?”
“I am sorry, I don’t have any kerosene lanterns in stock for that year of Stutz Bearcat. Let me check the warehouse…”
“Yeah, but I need to know, is it rear wheel drive or not? And does it have AC and does it have the automatic?!”
I have… on purpose.. set this situation up perfectly, so the dealer parts guy wouldnt have to ask me questions. (Backed her in right in front of Parts Dept.)
“No, it doesnt have the automatic”.
“Yes, it has the red seats”.
“No, its not the EX model. That is the LX”.
“Yes, its the 92”.
“No, it didnt have the 6cyl”.
He was staring right at my car.. and couldnt figure things out…
I hope he has an endowment set up to continue things after him.
Paul Allen didn’t plan for that and his Flying Heritage Museum and Living Computer Museum both had to close after he passed. Stratolaunch also ran into issues when he couldn’t bankroll it any more.
Wow, that stinks. Glad to hear he is one the mend and not letting this stop him from his love of all things automotive.
Hope he gets better soon. He’s a special type of enthusiast who has pushed the boundaries of 3D printing and other technologies to reproduce parts and keep rate cars on the road. It’s benefited all of us. I enjoy his restoration videos the most.
I’m guessing it was one of those steam cars with the hand pump for kerosene that did the deed and burned his face.
Hope he is okay. I cant say much on his acting ability but a tremendous comedian and car guy.
One thing that i have notice even witb experts the more they know and the longer they go without little issues the more confident and careless they get.
“One thing that i have notice even witb experts the more they know and the longer they go without little issues the more confident and careless they get.”
Maybe just speculating that he was careless isn’t great since that would make his injuries his own fault?
He’s probably forgotten more about cars than I’ll ever know in my lifetime. he’s def one of a kind. Hope he recovers quickly.
Creatively, I feel like his stint as Tonight Show host was a low point in his career. I remember seeing his stand-up bits that were funny as hell. Jay Leno’s Garage really showed how cool, funny, and approachable he could be. I hope all is well with him and wish him a quick recovery.
but the Tonight Show is probably what paid for most of his collection. Nothing wrong with doing what you have to do in order to finance what you love.
Actually, I saw an interview with him several years ago in which he said he used only the money from doing stand up to buy his cars, he saved the Tonight Show money. He also purchased some of the cars relatively cheaply, he’s said he bought his first Miura when it was a $15,000 car. I would imagine the Jay Leno’s Garage episodes fund the collection, and the staff it takes to run it. He is a car guy through and through, and I hope he recovers soon and fully.
Hope he is ok. Goes to show….even the biggest car enthusiasts still have to consider safety at every possible step when working on a vehicle. So happy my dad ingrained that in me early on.
Shit. I love Jay. He’s very down to earth, he’s generous with his knowledge and collection, and he’s passionate about cars. Believe it or not, my mom had bought his autobiography, which I read as a teenager. I remember all his stories about ferrying around Rolls Royces and other exotics.
Get better soon, Jay.