Widow tried selling Jay Leno her husband's Ferrari 275 for $350,000 so he helped her sell it for $3,750,000 instead in return for some cookies
Published on Jul 31, 2026 at 2:20 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Jul 31, 2026 at 2:20 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
This Massachusetts widow tried selling her late husband’s Ferrari 275 to Jay Leno for around $350,000 but instead of taking the offer, Leno did something incredible.
The thing is, her husband had passed away in 1986 and, back then, the 275 was worth ‘only’ around $350,000.
But Leno is a car guy, and he knew the car was worth a more than that now.
A lot more than that, actually.
Jay Leno is a serious car guy
People often say that Jay Leno is a serious car guy, by which they mean that he knows his cars.
He certainly does, but more importantly, being a ‘car person’ also means knowing what cars mean to people.
When it comes to his collection, Leno doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all strategy.
Instead, he operates on a case-by-case basis.
In the past, he has admitted that people occasionally just give him cars for free, including very expensive ones.
On this occasion, he did the exact opposite of that.
Pictured below: a 275 GTB/C at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans.
This Ferrari 275 was a special car
Being a renowned car lover and collector, Leno often receives phone calls from around the country from people asking for advice.
A while back, a woman from Massachusetts got in touch with him because she wanted to sell her late husband’s Ferrari 275.
When the woman’s husband passed away in 1986, the 275 was worth ‘only’ around $350,000-$375,000 so she believed that was a fair price.
But 1986 was a long time ago, and a 275 is now worth between $3 million and $4 million, depending on several factors.
Leno knew this, and so legend has it he made her a bet.
“If I can get you close to $4 million for that car, will you bake me some cookies?”
This is what Leno reportedly asked the widow.
Leno then contacted David Gooding of the Gooding & Company auction house, and eventually got $3.75 million for the car.
So the widow walked home with seven figures and Leno, well, walked home with some chocolate chip cookies.
Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.
