Jay Leno drives rare 1968 Dodge Dart GTS from Mannix and says it feels like a modern car until you hit a tree
Published on Mar 23, 2026 at 4:25 AM (UTC+4)
by Molly Davidson
Last updated on Mar 19, 2026 at 7:19 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Jay Leno recently drove a rare 1968 Dodge Dart GTS from the American detective television series Mannix, and it’s not quite what you’d expect.
This one comes with real TV history baked into it.
It looks every bit like a late-’60s muscle car.
But once he gets behind the wheel, he realizes it’s not what it seems.
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Jay Leno drove a Mannix Dodge Dart that is pure TV history on wheels
The car appeared on Jay Leno’s Garage, where Leno took it out around Los Angeles with its current owner, ABC reporter Dave Kunz.
This isn’t just any Dart, either.
It’s the one used in the second and third seasons of Mannix, back when TV detectives apparently needed V8 power and a built-in phone.
That phone is still there, mounted inside alongside a handful of custom touches from George Barris.
He didn’t go overboard, but you still get a ducktail spoiler, hood scoops, and those oversized Lucas lights sitting up front.
Originally red, the car was repainted in British Racing Green for filming to cut down glare and make it feel less flashy on screen.
It worked.
With all the badges removed, it still leaves people guessing what it actually is.
Under the hood sits a 340-cubic-inch V8 producing 275 horsepower, paired with a TorqueFlite automatic.
It was chosen at the time because not everyone on set could drive a manual, and even now, it makes the car feel surprisingly easy to just jump in and use.
It feels modern… right up until it doesn’t
Out on the road, the Dart doesn’t behave like something built in the 1960s.
The ride is smooth, the steering is light, and the power brakes take away a lot of the effort you’d normally expect.
For a moment, it almost feels like it belongs in a much newer era.
Leno even compares it to his own Dart GTS, pointing out how approachable it is in everyday driving.
It’s light, it moves well, and it doesn’t fight you.
But, Leno points out, the car’s safety has yet to catch up with the comfort.
It feels like a modern car, he says, ‘until you hit a tree’.
There are no airbags, no safety systems, nothing stepping in to save you if things go wrong.
That’s the trade-off.
It might feel easy and familiar at first, but underneath, it’s still a raw, old-school machine.
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With roles at TEXT Journal, Bowen Street Press, Onya Magazine, and Swine Magazine on her CV, Molly joined Supercar Blondie in June 2025 as a Junior Content Writer. Having experience across copyediting, proofreading, reference checking, and production, she brings accuracy, clarity, and audience focus to her stories spanning automotive, tech, and lifestyle news.
