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Jay Leno Drives the Old-School Ford Mustang Shelby GT350-H

In 2010, David Letterman made a cheek-in-tongue comment on Jay Leno, highlighting that the man with the big chin “has more cars than Hertz.” Six years later, Hertz dropped by Jay Leno’s garage.
Jay Leno next to the 2016 Shelby GT-H and Ford Mustang Shelby GT350-H 1 photo
Photo: screenshot from YouTube
I know what you’re thinking right now. “Oh, so they gave him the keys to rental? Hahahaha, that sucks!” Well, let's put it as it is: the original GT350-H is an out-and-out masterpiece, whereas the 2016 Shelby GT-H doesn’t even share its internals with the Voodoo V8-engined Shelby GT350. When all is said and done, it’s just a GT Fastback with a six-speed slush box, some nice badging, and a cat-back exhaust system.

To be brutally honest, $399 a day to rent a Mustang that tries to trick you into believing it’s a Shelby is not OK, not OK at all. A period leaflet from Hertz, titled The Difference Between the Shelby GT350-H and the Mustang,” makes it crystal clear that there are many bits and bobs which draw a dramatic distinction between a regular Ford Mustang and the 1966 rental special.

Hence, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Jay Leno prefers the 1966 model over the 2016 could-have-been. After the former host of The Tonight Show finishes his talk with the man from Hertz about the Shelby GT-H, he gets down to business with the owner of the Shelby GT350-H. Before the two get in for a spin, the car-loving gentlemen have a talk. I don’t know if it’s me, but the way the owner speaks about his car makes this of the best Jay Leno’s Garage episodes I’ve ever watched. To be honest, I could listen to him talk for ages.

Other than the slithering serpent from days gone past and its Mr. Clean-alike owner, Jay Leno also adds some flavoring spices with a story regarding girls who didn’t make it to their prom because of a Mustang.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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