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Jay Leno Drives a 1933 Hispano Suiza, Approves Its 89-Year-Old Silky Smooth Transmission

Luxurious vessels have been around ever since someone fixed a wheel to a carriage. If your total worth were anything close to $600 million in the 1930s, you’d want to ride in something less noisy but with a tremendous amount of kick. The 1933 Hispano Suiza J12 made a perfect choice. In his latest episode, Jay Leno of Jay Leno’s Garage featured this iconic 89-year-old luxury car.
Jay Leno's Garage 1933 Hispano Suiza 21 photos
Photo: YouTube Screenshot/Jay Leno's Garage
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Cameron Richards, vice president of Nethercutt’s collection, showcased a 1933 Hispano Suiza J12 in Jay Leno’s Garage. It’s a beautiful classic car that was well ahead of its time when it hit the road.

Mark Burkett designed the iconic model. Only 120 units of the J12 Type 68 were built from 1933 to 1938. The Nethercutt collection unit is a 1-of-9 J12’s done by Henry Binder. Their unit is the only one sitting on a 146-inch (3,708 mm) wheelbase.

According to Richards, their 1933 Hispano Suiza has a rich history. It was first owned by a French lady, an aviation pioneer whose father was the founder of Shell Oil in France.

After that, it had a couple of owners before a classic car hunter/agent found it in London in 1964 and sold it to Richard's great grandfather. Its restoration was done between 1966 and 1967, and it still holds up to date.

The 1933 Hispano Suiza J12 comes with a 24-spark plug (2 plugs per cylinder) 9.4-liter overhead-valve V12 under the hood, mated to a 3-speed transmission and making 250 hp (253 ps).

The Hispano Suiza could cruise up to 100 mph (160 km/h), which was remarkable considering the time and its weight.

Behind the wheel, it offers the same luxurious ride experience it did 89-years ago. Leno admits the transmission is so silky smooth it’s like driving a brand new car.

This car, believe it or not, actually was one of the fastest cars in the world, and it had a whopping 0-60 time of 12-seconds,” Richards confessed.

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About the author: Humphrey Bwayo
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Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life.
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