Leno’s story is a beacon of hope

BURBANK, CA—Jay Leno—comedian, car collector, and the only man who still wears denim with a vengeance—has proven that staying true to your passions can pay off. After decades of making cars his entire personality, Leno is now spearheading a legislative effort to exempt vehicles older than 35 years from California smog checks—a move that would benefit roughly 97% of his personal fleet.

“People always told me to get a hobby,” said Leno, casually polishing the bumper of a 1906 Stanley Steamer with a microfiber towel made from recycled Tonight Show contracts. “So I picked cars. And now look—I have thousands of them. It's all I own. Besides this clean denim, of course.”

The proposed legislation, backed by Leno and introduced by California Assemblymember Tim Grayson, seeks to exempt pre-1990 vehicles from smog inspections, expanding the current exemption from the 1975 cut-off. Critics claim it’s a niche bill benefiting a wealthy minority of classic car owners. Of course, Leno disagrees.

“This isn’t about me,” Leno said from the steps of his private warehouse, flanked by 2010 running vehicles and 7 more currently being resuscitated with parts from a helicopter. “This is about the working man. The guy with a '78 Trans Am who just wants to cruise without getting sent to the state referee for smelling like freedom.”

Auto enthusiasts across California are split. Some see Leno as a champion of heritage and hot rods. Others note the timing suspiciously aligns with his recent purchase of five more vintage V8s, all conveniently built before 1990.

“It’s admirable,” said longtime fan Melissa Powers. “Jay made cars his identity, stuck with it, and now he’s changing state law. Meanwhile, I made cars my identity and all I got was a bad Instagram account and credit card debt.”

The law, if passed, would be a monumental victory not just for Leno, but for anyone who has ever argued that older cars should be cherished, not tested. “Let’s be honest,” Leno added, “If your car’s older than 35 years and still running, it deserves a trophy, not a smog check.”

So for anyone considering giving up on their weirdly specific niche passion that makes up their identity—be it cars, trains, or collecting VHS tapes of ‘Knight Rider’—Leno’s story is a beacon of hope.

Because sometimes, if you double down hard enough, and are rich enough, the government might just say, “Yeah, okay. You win.”