Jay Leno's '55 Roadmaster Buick
Written by Keith Fudge

Anytime Dennis Gage has the chance to go to the West Coast, he embraces the opportunity to talk to fellow auto enthusiast, Jay Leno. It is always a treat to visit Jay's garage because one never knows just what Jay will have in store. On this visit, Jay gave Dennis a look at one of his personal favorites. It is a car that he has owned for quite some time: a 1955 Buick Roadmaster.

Jay told Dennis that he purchased this car in 1972 for $350, and that it holds quite a bit of sentimental value for him. After all, he drove it to his first Tonight Show ! He said that the car sat in his mother-in-law's driveway for approximately sixteen years, and then it became a labor of love to make an old car “new.” Inspired by the new performance equipment offered by GM Performance Parts, Jay started to work to create his “new-old” Roadmaster.

On the surface, the car appears stock (almost), although a closer inspection reveals that those wheels are anything but stock as this baby is riding on seventeen-inch rims! Underneath Harley Earl's legendary design is a suspension comprised of C-4 and C-5 Corvette parts including a Corvette rear end! Under the hood lurks the heart of a beast with a 572 cubic inch GM Performance Crate Motor. Pushing 620 horsepower and 630 ft/lbs of torque, this Road master is all business! There are also some neat tricks under the hood as well including handmade stainless steel headers and a set of valve covers that sport, “Leno 572.”

When it came to the interior, Jay stayed with the vintage feel using original style fabrics, but he also modernized the interior with adding air conditioning from Vintage Air, and he improved the “tunes” from the original AM radio by installing a Secret Audio system. The coolest thing is that the interior remains stock in appearance while it has been updated significantly. Concerning the stunning silver and black paint scheme, Jay said the car was originally white and black, but in 1973 or 1974 he changed it to the current color scheme.

Soon it came time to “take to the streets” and Dennis was all about that! While they were driving, Jay revealed the awesome power of the car as he smoked the tires and accelerated hard on more than one occasion. Dennis even got a turn behind the wheel and while they were driving, Jay told Dennis that the thought behind his building the Roadmaster in this fashion was to simply make it a modern car. With all the GM Performance Parts that were available, he created a car that in his own words is more “socially responsible” in that it burns cleaner and is safer to drive. The fact that it has more than 600 horsepower doesn't hurt either, right Jay?

It's always a pleasure to visit with Jay and this time may have been the best of all. Harley Earl would be proud—socially responsible and 600 horsepower! What a car! Thanks, Jay! We look forward to seeing you again soon!