Jay Leno convinced to buy 1965 Pontiac Grand Prix from Navy vet after car saved the life of his son
Published on Mar 11, 2026 at 2:31 AM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Mar 10, 2026 at 5:32 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
A Navy veteran convinced Jay Leno to buy the 1965 Pontiac Grand Prix that saved his son’s life.
The former Late Night host is no stranger to a nice car, as his vast collection demonstrated.
But this is a car with a difference, as it held a lot of sentimental value for Taylor, a retired Navy attack pilot.
In fact, he credited the car with saving his son’s life.
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How Jay Leno ended up buying this 1965 Pontiac Grand Prix with a special backstory
This story began years ago, when Leno received a call while he was working on a Pontiac Firebird.
Taylor was looking for a set of original 14-inch wheels, and Leno was able to help him out.
Years later, Taylor called up again and offered up his 1965 Grand Prix for free.
He’d gotten overwhelmed restoring it – in a physical and financial sense – and knew that Leno would do the restoration justice.
And this car had played a pivotal role in Taylor’s life.
When his son was two-years-old, he accidentally swallowed a bottle of aspirin, and Taylor had to use the Pontiac to rush him to the hospital.
He pushed the car to speeds of 120mph in order to get there.
It turned out that time was really of the essence here – doctors told him that if he’d arrived five minutes later, his son would have died.
It’s no wonder that this car holds a special place in Taylor’s heart.
Leno got to work restoring this car to its former glory
Leno switched out the original 389-cubic-inch engine for a modern 400 V8 paired with a three-speed automatic transmission.
It also got a repaint in the original 1965 factory color.
Now that the Pontiac Grand Prix was finished, Leno wanted the now 88-year-old Taylor to visit the workshop and enjoy one last drive.
Hopefully, a more relaxed drive than the one to the hospital.
The drive would be one of many that Leno has undertaken over the years.
He’s previously stepped into the driving seat of a hypercar created as an ‘anti-EV statement’, the ‘most American’ Ferrari, and what could be the world’s first supercar, to name just a few.
But a car with a sentimental story behind it? That’s extra special.
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Following stints at LadBible, The Sun, The New York Post, and the Daily Mail, Ben joined the team full-time in February 2025. In his role as Senior Content Writer, his sparkling copy, the ability to sniff out a good story at 100 paces, and a GSOH quickly led to him becoming an integral and invaluable member of the writing staff.
