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Jay Leno 1953 Cadillac Series 62 Ghia: A Rare 1-of-2 Classic

Jay Leno has driven some of the most incredible cars on the planet, but his latest feature is truly special. In a recent episode of Jay Leno’s Garage, he showcased a car so rare that only two were ever made. The Jay Leno 1953 Cadillac Series 62 Ghia spotlight reveals a unique blend of American engineering and Italian style that most car lovers have never seen before.

A Cadillac With Italian Flair

Usually, car manufacturers ask coachbuilders to design special models. However, the story behind the Jay Leno 1953 Cadillac Series 62 Ghia is different. In the years after World War II, the Italian coachbuilder Ghia wanted to rebuild its reputation and break into the American market.

To impress General Motors, Ghia shipped two Cadillac Series 62 chassis from the United States to Turin, Italy. They redesigned the bodywork with elegant European lines in hopes that GM would approve a full production run. Unfortunately for Ghia, the project didn’t go forward, leaving only two prototypes in existence. Today, one belongs to the Petersen Automotive Museum, and the other belongs to Lee Carr, the guest on Leno’s show.

The Story of Lee Carr’s Restoration

Lee Carr purchased this rare vehicle at an auction in Scottsdale after it had spent years as a static display piece at the Imperial Palace collection in Las Vegas. While the car looked good from a distance, it was not ready for the road.

The restoration process was massive. Carr explained to Jay that it took two years just to fix the body and paint. After that, it took another five years of mechanical work to get the Jay Leno 1953 Cadillac Series 62 Ghia running smoothly again. It was a seven-year labor of love to save this piece of history.

Specs and Driving Experience

While the car looks like a streamlined Italian sports car, it still has the heart of an old-school Cadillac.

On the road, Carr admits the performance is a bit “dull” by modern standards. It handles like a heavy 1950s cruiser, which is expected. However, the real value isn’t in speed; it is in the reaction it gets. Carr shared a funny story about a police officer who pulled him over not to give him a ticket, but just to get a closer look at the stunning design.

The Jay Leno 1953 Cadillac Series 62 Ghia is a reminder of a time when automotive design was about daring experiments and cross-continental collaboration. Thanks to dedicated owners like Lee Carr, we can still enjoy these rolling works of art today.

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