Appraiser says the Lamborghini Miura Jay Leno got for free is the biggest winner in his collection after its major value surge

A few years ago, somebody gave Jay Leno a free Lamborghini Miura.

That sounds like the beginning of a Hollywood movie, but it really happened.

The reason why he got this supercar for free still sounds strange, even when you contextualize it.

And wait until you hear how much this car is worth now.

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Jay Leno occasionally gets free cars

Jay Leno occasionally receives cars for free.

It’s a thing, and people know about it.

Even James May made that point when he visited Leno to check out his favorite Lamborghini.

“It’s just that people often give you cars. I know that. [They negotiate a bit] and then they say, ‘tell you what. I’ll [just] give it to you’,” May said.

It’s hard to say why, but this sort of thing happens relatively frequently.

And, clearly, it’s not like he’s getting free clunkers, either.

He gets free Lambos.

This is how Leno got his Miura for free, and here’s how much it’s worth now

Leno owns a vast collection of cars, including some truly rare gems, and even one that he co-designed.

But the story behind this 1967 Lamborghini Miura is unique.

For a crazy combination of reasons, Jay Leno actually got his car for free.

Leno explained how this happened in an episode of Jay Leno’s garage.

According to Leno, Dean Martin’s kid damaged it and Martin couldn’t really be bothered to fix it so he sold it on.

The guy Dean Martin sold it to thought he’d struck gold, but then he found out there was no way to fix it cheaply.

“Back in the late 70s, there was no internet. Where are you going to get Lamborghini parts? And the phone call to [Lamborghini in] Italy alone would cost $100 for the first five minutes,” Leno explained.

The owner, who just so happens to be a friend of Leno’s, left it in his garage for years and eventually asked Leno if he wanted it.

Leno said yes, and then he spent a significant chunk of change to restore it.

It was worth it, though.

Fast-forward to 2025, his Miura is worth at least $2.6 million.