With a collection of cars that run in the hundreds, maybe even thousands, it’s no surprise that Jay Leno also has a few oddball vehicles in his garage. We’ve seen a few quirky ones in past episodes, but this one might have just taken the cake. It’s a Mercedes-Benz race transporter and besides the obvious function of being a car transporter, this vehicle is arguably one of the weirdest cars I’ve seen in Leno’s collection.
Leno admits that the car isn’t an original model, but a replica of the high-speed transport truck that Mercedes used in the past for its racing programs. It even served a pretty stressful function as it was tasked to carry grand prix race cars on its back if the racer needed to be sent back to Mercedes’ factory. Imagine having to drive significant distances to the factory where mechanics could work on it and have to drive back to the track so the car can compete in the races. That’s quite the responsibility for any car, let alone a transporter. Fortunately, Mercedes gave the transporter the same 3.0-liter straight-six engine that was used in the Mercedes SL, allowing it to hit the road running and make it back in time with a race car in tow the whole way.
As far as Jay’s model is concerned, it’s not an actual Mercedes, but rather a replica that was first created by a Swedish man named Sergei who didn’t get to finish his work before his untimely passing. Leno took the project off of his hands and finished it, turning it into a transporter that shared the same functions as the real deal. It may not have the SL’s straight-six engine (it comes with a Mercedes truck engine from the 80’s, according to Jay) but it does have the iconic sports car’s dashboard, right down to 300SL badge on the storage compartment. And, to his credit, Leno made sure to let everyone know that his transporter is a replica courtesy of a small decal on the driver-side door.
I have to say this is an all-timer of an episode from Jay Leno’s Garage. It’s a unique car with a unique history and, if nothing else, those who watch it can spend the time wondering what it must feel like to drive a car with the front wheels sitting at the back of the front seats. Pay close to attention to when Leno drives the transporter and watch the front end literally bounce up and down as it goes.