Jay Leno checks out the outrageous Pink Panthermobile
- Jay Leno has seen a lot of quirky cars in his time
- The Pink Panthermobile is a real eye catcher
- Made in 1969, its a perfect nod to the decade
Published on Oct 06, 2024 at 2:00 AM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Oct 03, 2024 at 7:08 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Jay Leno has seen a lot of wild cars in his time, but the Pink Panthermobile may just take the cake.
As the name suggests, this car is pinker than the set of the Barbie movie.
It’s not got speed on its side but it does have character.
At the end of the day, who doesn’t like a car that turns heads in the street for the right reasons?
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What is the Pink Panthermobile?
Released in 1969, the Pink Panthermobile is a fitting tribute to a decade defined by exuberant colors.
Built to promote the cartoon series starring the pink feline, it is decked out in varying shades of the Pepto-Bismol shade.
With a driver’s seat up front, the bulk of the vehicle is taken up by a cozy nook.
Better known as the ‘pleasure capsule’, this compartment is filled with cushions and silky seating.
There’s even a Princess Phone back there for you to make calls.
A novel idea back in the 1960s, but it’s somewhat dated in this era of smartphones.
However, smartphones could become dated within 10-15 years according to Meta’s chief AI scientist, so what does it matter?
Admittedly, making a call on a pink telephone has something about it that a modern phone couldn’t quite replicate.
As Leno lies in the car, dressed in a matching suit himself, he looks very comfortable in the footage from CNBC Ambition‘s YouTub channel
With a compartment for alcohol on hand and enough room to stretch out, who wouldn’t be?
How did this unusual car come to be?
This car was the creation of Ed Newton in collaboration with Ed ‘Big Daddy’ Roth.
Speaking to Leno, Newton said: “I was into racing and [the Panthermobile] has a racing front end.
“And I was also into very swoopy customs that were very sleek.
“So, therefore, I combined the two elements and it just so happened that it was 27 feet long.”
It’s pretty in pink, but with a value of $500,000, you’d be seeing green if you ever sold it.
Pink seems to be an increasingly popular color for supercars these days, with soccer players like Ronaldinho and YouTubers like Jeffree Star opting for it.
