Jay Leno | A Love of Cars and Comedy

DRIVE with Jim Farley

Jim is joined by comedy legend Jay Leno, who takes him on a journey through his early life, his storied comedy career, and his love for cars. From revealing why pirates wore eye patches to reminiscing about Leno’s teenage summer jobs at car dealerships, their discussion spans a wide array of topics and laugh-out-loud moments. Among Leno’s intriguing stories and insights are his views on modern automotive technology, reflections on memorable guests from his time on “The Tonight Show,” and tales from his early days doing stand-up.

Note from Jim Farley: In this episode, you'll hear Jay and I discuss Ford’s Mustang GTD and our goal of setting a record as the first American automaker to achieve a sub-7 minute lap at the historic Nürburgring track. In the time since we recorded this interview last fall, I'm pleased to say we did exactly that! And in April 2025, we returned to the track and beat our own time by shaving off more than 5 seconds. This was an incredible achievement and I’m so proud of our team!

00:00 Introduction

00:14 Pirate Eye Patch Explanation

03:08 Lessons from the Dealership

03:08 Falling in Love with Cars

04:30 Working at Foreign Motors in Boston

08:41 Motorcycle Enthusiasm

13:25 Technology and Historical Insights

18:22 The Art of Stand-Up Comedy

19:21 Memories of Chris Farley

20:39 Making Guests Comfortable on “The Tonight Show”

22:37 Unexpected Paths to Success

26:06 Favorite Guests and Stories