Jay Leno

Living with the genius of Gordon Murray

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I really enjoyed the Gordon Murray issue (Octane 267) for a couple of reasons. One, he's one of my heroes; two, I own a number of the cars he was principally responsible for; and three, he visited me at my garage, which was one of the thrills of my lifetime.

Over 30 years ago I bought one of the first cars he developed, the Rocket, built by the Light Car Company along with Chris Craft, and powered by a Yamaha Genesis five-valve 1000cc motorcycle engine that produced 147bhp and weighed only 835lb. Amazingly, it came with a 12-speed gearbox. Actually, it’s a six-speed sequential with a two-speed (plus reverse - bikes don’t get one) final drive.

It debuted in 1991 and cost as much as a Porsche 911. You see the problem right there, trying to convince the wife to get an impractical car or a really impractical car. The Rocket was for nothing other than having fun - and what great fun it is.

I believe I own the only one in America - I had to import it in pieces and put it together and register it as a home-built automobile. Remember, there’s no airbag or any safety equipment of any kind and no way it could pass either emissions or crash tests. I had to import it in six crates and then show photographs of myself and my guys building it.