First Turbocharged Car: 1962 Oldsmobile Jetfire | Jay Leno's Garage 

This is how you know Jay is a true auto enthusiast. He seems more exited and appreciative of this car than some others I’ve seen on his episodes costing 50 times what this is probably worth. Maybe that’s why I like him. He’s such a down to earth guy…………not a pretentious bone in his body!

No wonder everyone loves Jay, he is the quintessential host. There isn't an ounce of jealousy in Mr. Leno all he did was honor Eric for the fantastic job he did, what a great wife he has. The world would be a better place if everyone treated others the was Jay does. Thank you

There will be a time in the future when Jay is gone that he will be a legend. There’s no doubt. He’s just a remarkable person and really a treasure. We’re lucky to be around at the same time to witness his passion for the automobile and the history behind it. He’s like a combination car enthusiast, historian and comedian, all wrapped up in denim.

I've been a car guy my whole life and this is the first time I hear of this car. This is an amazing part of car history.

Thanks Jay for doing this car! I have known Eric and his Dad since Eric was a wee lad. Great folks! He knocks it out of the park with every restoration he does. I am lucky to have ridden in that car but at the time there was something sticking and a month later Eric says you need another ride! I found the problem! And when he says his wife's car is just like it, well you do see double in his garage! Those 62-63 Olds were so totally ignored by car guys for so many years it was crazy! Eric has really turned that around and more of them are being fixed up now and that is only recently. Not like there was that many left floating around. By the way, that exhaust is all NOS original GM parts and they have the cutest little diameter tail pipes you ever saw! Makes for that nice crackle sound!

What a perfectly sized car, trim on the outside, roomy inside, no unnecessary weight.

My Dad retired from General Motors many years ago and this was the time when he was still working there. Dad said that Oldsmobile was dubbed the experimental car in it's day. Oldsmobile was the first in many features. The seat belt, cruise control, experimental engines amongst several other things. And yes the Oldsmobile was the first domestic vehicle to have a turbo.😊

Not only are we loosing these old classic pieces of history but we are also loosing the guys who know so much about them. I love sharing the passion for old cars with guys like this. Great work as always Jay! You are a true classic!

The dedication it took to learn all of this car's quirks and how to restore it is admirable.

I could listen to these two talk forever. Jay is so humble and can truly talk to anyone. His passion for cars comes through with every word and you can tell how much both of them love this car and how special it is. What a fantastic episode. It reminds me of my dad and his friends talking while turning wrenches on their old cars

Eric saved a piece of history that is WORTH saving. Most people today place little value on history, and that will be our demise. Great video.

I have seen a number of interesting cars pass through Jay’s channel, but I find this car to be one of the most interesting he has ever showcased. I love the styling of this car. And you have to appreciate the fact that this was the first turbocharged production vehicle. Just an amazing piece of history.

This is great stuff! I had no idea that GM had a water/methanol injection system or even a turbocharged car- in 1962. Hope to meet Jay Leno in person some day.

The styling of this car is totally underrated along with the Skylark and Tempest. Really wish their was more love for them.

Love seeing Jay talk to a real car guy they are both right at home (and would talk about cars if they lost or gained everything)

I remember my dad telling me about this car when he and his dad ordered a new super 88 and went to Krause Oldsmobile in Milwaukee WI to order his new 63 super 88 Oldsmobile. The owner and my grandfather were friends and he tried to get my grandfather to order one of these. The old man wouldn't budge. Super 88s for ever. Memories

I found one of those engines in a salvage yard... one cylinder full of dirt. Rebuilt it over the winter (minus turbo) and swapped it into a 71 Vega wagon. With an M20 Muncie it was a superb car. I fabbed everything including the oil pan.

What a great car, the owner was great too. Glad that people save and keep cars like these running.

An amazing rare piece of 60s automotive history.

this might be the coolest car i've ever seen! never even heard of it before, absolutely beautiful!

Hit me up if you'd ever like to feature a 1992 Pontiac Firehawk. We had to convince the dealer it was actually a thing that exists. The salesman said "No son, you mean Fire BIRD." I said "put RPO B4U in your computer." The salesman said "I'll be darned." Maybe that's why they only sold 27 of a planned run of 250. Oh, that and it cost more than a Corvette and took 9 months to get.

I love it when Jay finds a real car guy who is so unassuming as to have no reservations about the encounter.

Love how Jay really pays attention to this guy. When he has these people from big car manufacturers, he doesn’t seem as enthused.

I was 16 in 1962 and just got a job at the TEXACO next to the restaurant where I worked a month earlier. It was a part of town where freshly minted Boeing engineers lived. Saving rent money, they bought "exotic cars" - couple of MGAs, 2 Jaguars, a 356 Coupe, an Austin Healey 100, and a brand new Oldsmobile Jetfire. A crowd used to follow him around and each stop at "my" TEXACO he let ME service the "under hood". A year I later moved to a gas station owned by the same guy. My first day, I got a ride in a Chrysler Turbine ! !

Delightful episode Jay, and hats of to Eric for such a remarkable restoration of a remarkable car. I ran across a Jetfire back around 1970 when I was searching a junkyard for a power steering pump for my college Mustang. As I recall, there was a lot of talk about the engine being "fussy," requiring special Rocket Fluid (LOL), special anti-freeze, premium fuel, etc. And of course, the simple solution (in the sixties, anyway) was simply more cubic inches.

That, is beautiful; a true credit to its owner/restorer and wow, that paint! #Thank you Eric for saving her. Who else thinks Jay will now be in search of a Jetfire?

The owner is a class act. Love the simple shape and compact body on this Olds. GM truly had some of the most innovative designs in this 1960s. Some of them were half baked at the time, but many technologies that were explored reappeared in the 1980s and 90s thanks to advances in electronics.

Jay was visibly nervous and humbled, even intimidated by the light weight of this car. It weighs only about 100 pounds more than a stock eighth generation Honda Civic, but it's from 1962. With that incredibly thick, thick gauge of steel. Incredible. Absolutely incredible. Really impressive. Wow. Just wow...

Wow, Jay you hit a home run with this episode!

Geeze ... yeah, you don't want to get " sued up the ying-yang! " Jay always cracks me up. Great review of this car and Eric is one of those quiet, impressive dudes you only meet in special situations like this. Straight answers to every question you had for him. While you were talking in the garage I felt like just the 3 of us were standing there in the presence of his special car. Well done Eric & Mr. Leno and thanks for educating us. I am sure I am not the only one who had never heard of the Jetfire cars.

+1 .. Much admiration goes out to Eric Jensen. .. Man O Man he dogged this Oldsmobile Jetfire project; To the nines, I must say. .. Eric's level of commitment is bloody outstanding. .. A working case of the 1962 GM Oldsmobile division engineering & vehicle offerings. .. "15-inch wheel option" .. What-a hoot! .. Cheers, Vail, Colorado

Jay is right on point about how so many motorists refuse to do even the most basic maintenance. And I agree about over-restored cars that just LOOK good. They often don't adjust the lash in the steering box, they don't replace the window regulators if they are worn, they don't replace the seat springs, so that gorgeous car still drives like the old jalopy that it was before it was restored.

I had the sister car to this. A '62 Buick Skylark with the 215 cu in V8 (no turbo of course), with the 2-speed air-cooled Dual Path automatic trans. It was a wonderful car, but parts were super hard to get, even back in 1990. The level of dedication to keep this Olds running is admirable! Thank you, Eric and Jay!!

I would rather watch one show with content on cars like this, than ten shows on some unattainable 'super car' Jay this was a pleasure to watch... I know you show everything that rolls, go's and makes noise and I watch every one you do :-) but I sure enjoy this Jetfire. Thank you.

This is one of the best looking cars of this era. What a sharp looking car.

My God, This is one of my favorite cars and episodes. And if you want to hear the text book perfect Southern IN dialect, this is it. Lastly, you can tell Jay would LOVE to add this ride to his collection. Thanks for such a nice episode.

I had heard of these cars, and read that they were considered a failure. However this functional, streetable, and relatively affordable all aluminum turbocharged V-8 is an unqualified success. The styling is first class, too. You can tell Jay really enjoyed the thing on the road. I think the mistake was having to rely on a complicated anti-detonation system and that proprietary "rocket fire fuel'.

I'm thinking Jay would add it to his collection in a heartbeat if it became available. That exhaust note when the turbo kicks in sounds like nothing else.👍

That car looks amazingly shiny. The overall shape is also aesthetically pleasing to me. I like the look.

Jay's appreciation of others efforts is is wonderful. He is always so enthusiastic when someone brings in a cool car and excited to drive it.

What a cool car, and I always love that Jay features cars likes these owned by average guys (although clearly this guy is super intelligent and in that way above average). It’s really what makes Jay Leno’s Garage very special.

Eric you have done a beautiful job on this car, and I am so impressed with how much you know about how the entire turbo system works. You have done your homework for sure, and thanks for Jay for bringing it to all of us.

I got a ride in one of these - same color - when I was 15 years old. The local Olds dealer,, who was friends with my parents, gave me and my mother a ride in it and went out on a deserted road to check it out. Terrified my mom but I was in the back with a big grin on my face. I subscribed to all the car mags and knew all about it. Nice looking little car that went like hell when you punched it. Had a Corvair but not a turbo one. Back when GM was a good and adventurous company.

As a mechanic and car guy for 20+ years ive never heard of this car, pretty amazing, great episode Jay 👏

I wish my dad was still around to watch this. He bought a brand new 63 Jetfire with the 4 speed. I know he was drag racing it but I don't remember what times he was running. That was all before I came along. I know he was looking at a 57 Thunderbird that was for sale for $3500 so he decided to go with the new car for right around $3000. That's what I love about this channel!

Drove one the day of my high school graduation, compliments of my dad. Looking back, I think he may have been nuts! He still has a couple in the garage. He contributed a bit to this restoration ... Jetfire Guys are rare, and a close knit group; Dad is one of the originals (his first new car was a 62 Jetfire). Fantastic car, fantastic that it's getting some recognition!

My first car I bought was an 1962 Oldsmobile Cutlass f-85 in the summer of 1971. Same color as the one in this video 215 aluminum V8 with 4 on the floor. . Bought it for $200.00 Had a fire in the cabin and burnt the wiring. Spent the weekend rewiring her and worked like a champ. Ran her all over the San Joaquin valley Tulare and Corcoran CA. Had racing on the weekends out in the country then cruise main. Even got a week suspension for not parking her in the HS parking lot. Sold the girl the day before I left for the service. By the time I got leave out of boot camp she was totaled. Damn I had fun with her.

Yah baby! I think this episode is my new favorite-definitely outpaces the Chrysler Turbine jet car episode. I’d never heard or knew anything of the Olds jet fire. So cool. I’m hooked. Spinning at 90k rpms! Cra-zee cray engineering went into that car. Great owner/great refurbishment job from Eric. Sooo knowledgeable.

I'm in Sydney Australia. Jay shows he's a real decent guy, when he acknowledged this man's passion, along with his family, that restored this beutiful car.

I owned a 1963 Jetfire in 1966 and loved it. A totally unique car driving experience. I traded it for a 1965 Formula S four speed Barracuda in 1968. The weak link for the Jetfire was the three speed Hydramatic transmission which never shifted correctly. Of course me being a teenager at the time "might have contributed to the transmission problems.😁.

My Grandma had a '63 Jetfire. My Dad picked it out for her and he was into cars so it probably wasn't by accident. This would have been around 1970-74. I drove it many times as a teen and maybe until around 20 years old. The car had skinny little tires and an automatic transmission, white exterior and tan inside. It truly looked like a typical Grandma car. But damn...put the pedal down and it did feel like a rocket! Compared to other cars I had driven it was night and day. Having just learned about the special fluid, it surprises me now that the turbo even worked, but have no doubt that it did. Guess Grandma didn't put her foot in it much so I got to use all of that juice... Great video Jay!

My Dad swore by Oldsmobile! Bought several over the years even the last mid size van. My mom had a 78’ Cutlass Cruiser Wagon that she was not happy with but my three older brothers and Dad were super proud of! Thanks Jay and his gracious guest.

That system is basically a mechanical version of what modern turbo engines achieve with knock sensors and lower compression ratios. I knew about the Jetfire being one of the first "modern" cars to use a turbo, but I always imagined it was something like the one on the Corvair, just someone slapping a unti on the exhaust and running it that way. Suffice to say, this was very educational. Even though the technology is much older, I daresay more thought was put into this system and its fail-safes than what was done with the GNX in the 80s.

I was 15 when the Jetfire was introduced and even at that age, I was intrigued. I remember seeing a new one in an Olds dealership and I was so impressed. In 1962, this car was like a step into the future. The only other car that I saw as a kid the impressed me even more was the Chrysler turbine car. Jay Leno's car productions take me back to a time in my life that was magical.

I normally don't like 60's car designs, but this one is a looker.

i love how he says he likes the family restores over the big shops, and that you have to drive it , not look at it. Beautiful car.

That owner throughly knows his business, a very informative episode, thanks for bringing the car.

I have no doubt Jay made an offer for this car. You can tell he was holding back the drool this whole episode. Lol. I love Jay. He is the man

I haven't seen Jay so fascinated with a car like this for a while. What a beautiful car and piece of automotive history. Thank you sir for preserving it!

It's always fascinating to see a car I never knew existed, and that's just another reason why we watch Jay Leno's Garage.

This is why I love watching Jay Leno's garage. I remember reading about these cars back in the 60's as a kid. But, now we actually get to see one. And it's great that Jay asks the questions about the small details and nuances about these cars. The owners obviously know these details, which tells a story about the cars. Jay's passion for cars has deepened my appreciation about many different vehicles. Thanks for sharing Jay.

"Lot of cars are restored for auctions or just for show." Thank you, Jay. It drives me insane looking at restored cars running for $100k+ and people letting them sit in their garage under a cover gathering dust. It's meant to be driven. "But it will depreciate the value" Forget the value man. It's a car. Drive it while you still can.

Very Surprised his wife liked it ! She's a keeper♥️🤝

Never knew Olds was so innovative.

Beautiful car. Thanks to Eric for his loving restoration and Jay just for his passion in bringing these historical vehicles to everyone's attention. Loved this episode.

This is why I value JLG so much. I'm the same age as Jay and knew about this car when it was new. But even after spending 20 years in restoration and shows, I had never seen one of these. To hear/see it drive and listen to Jay's comments is priceless to me. My second car was a 62 Corvair Spyder, and I can tell you it didn't accelerate nearly like this one did.

The old's jetfire has always been my favorite car. Even when my brother had his Buick wildcat.

A Jetfire and Jay. A perfect match.

Saw one in my friend’s backyard when I was a kid back in the 80’s. He told me his dad told him about the rocket fuel that kicked in when you stepped on it. I remember the boost gauge and the woodchuck that had broke through the floorboards and set himself up with a real nice home.

I've never seen a Jetfire, but the first new car my father bought when I was very young was an F-85 Cutlass with the same 3.5L aluminum V-8. Dont remember what the compression was on the non-turbo version, but he would only run Amoco Premiun "white gas" . He drive it over 200,000 miles, which was quite unusual then. Pretty quick car for early 60s.

Love seeing people be respectful of each other.

I'm not even a huge car guy but I love watching these vids. On the cars I've always loved but I really like seeing so many cars that I had no idea existed. Like this one. And listening to Jay and his obvious passion for vehicle's. You can tell he loves what he does.

Quite inspiring, especially since my first car was a '62 Cutlass convertible with the rare 4 speed option. That was 1969, great times. I put a Craig 8 track under the dash and Pioneer speakers. Lots of fun in between repair jobs LOL. That car steered me into the art of auto mechanics and then auto restoration. So, after all these years, I am restoring a '63 Jetfire. Why '63? Because a kid in high school had a '63 and I liked the styling better than my '62. Jay sure is a great spokes person for our hobby, isn't he?

I think it definitely qualifies as a muscle car. Great job Eric, if it hadn't been for you, I could have lived a lifetime without seeing a Jetfire. Thank you.

Jay I'm only 72 for having owned and used many automobiles you learn every day something new. I never know that car exists, super show.

This guy is a classic car guy, he knows which won he loves, he knows every single thing about it, is completely hands on, low key, modest, and Jay probably made him an offer to buy it because he's clearly fascinated too. And he and his wife are a perfect match!

02:50 - "Why a '62 Cutlass?" "Because my wife is short." That, friends, is classic JLG dialog, and like the consummate pro he is, Jay takes the straight-man role and lets the other guy get off the laugh line. Comedy gold.

Jay this was a great Garage episode! A regular guy not some wealthy guy with a 100+ Ferrari collection. How did this episode come about? Did the owner approach you or did you hear about him and his rare car and invite him to your show. Either way thanks Jay. Such shows give credibility to your blue work shirt.

I don’t always watch the old muscle cars that Jay shows, but I’m glad I watched this one. What an amazing car, and a great person to listen to. Eric and Jay sounded like they could talk all day about this car. Thank you for this great episode.

Jay Leno drives like my grandmother reads the newspaper. Fantastic car this.

My first car was a 1961 Pontiac Tempest in the same colors - sure brings back wonderful memories :) ! THANKS Eric and Jay !!!

With the sophisticated technology, all the available options, and the premium price tag, you could say it's one of the earliest personal luxury cars.

Is this really the first turbocharged car ever ?! Hard to believe but that’s why we watch Jay Leno 😎😎 Lovely to hear the two guys chat about this… he seems to be into this one like Jay Leno talking about his steam cars…

My grandfather worked all his life at Buick. His father was Chief Chassis Engineer at Buick when the company was first founded and he worked on the 'Flint Buick' (Buick's first car). Great Grandpa used to drive home all sorts of prototype and experimental cars and my grandfather told me about a lot of them. I remember him telling me about Buick experimenting with turbochargers right after WW2 for cars. He said at that time they opted not to use them because the metals just wasn't good enough to handle the heat in a slower vehicle (as opposed to an airplane with air cooling). I remember grandpa did drive home a turbocharged Buick in the early 60s that was "going top be sold next year". I know Buick had a version of this car but not sure if it was turbocharged or not. I have several pictures of Grandpa in older experimental cars and in some cars a year before they were put into production. Also, my grandpa was the inventor of the floor mounted push button high beam headlights, although great grandpa got the official credit. To this day, my dream car is a 57 Buick two door.

My buddy had one back around 1972 also a four speed. It was hard getting the turbo to work right, and the car was only ten years old then. Parts were either hard to get or expensive, he eventually disconnected the turbo. When it worked, it was a blast, considered an unusual car even back then

Way to go, Jay! This is one of the most interesting cars of the post WW2-era made anywhere, and yet, even "enthusiasts" often don't have a clue they even existed. It's also one of those cars that triggered a retreat into engineering conservatism among many American automakers, because it seems every time Detroit did something interesting that required either a little extra maintenance effort on the part of the owner, or learning different driving techniques (Corvair) it backfired on the companies and the result was 25 years of playing it safe. Those cars of the GM Z and Y-Body platform, the 1960-69 Chevy Corvair, '61-63 Olds F-85/Cutlass/Jetfire, Buick Special/Skylark and Pontiac Tempest/LeMans were just full of innovation, some of which worked well, some not so much. Unitized, very lightweight construction, all-aluminum V8s, ultra-compact Roto-Hydramatic automatic transmissions, independent rear suspension with transaxle (Chevy and Pontiac), "rope drive" ultra thin joint-free driveshafts (Pontiac), turbocharging, etc. etc...there was just a plethora of engineering marvels in these, yet the marketplace did not reward it...people bought Falcons instead! I own a 1961 Olds F-85 4 door sedan in factory original 35,000 mile condition (even the paint is factory) and it's just a gem and ultra-rare. The styling is masterful. These cars were visually interesting and attractive without being gaudy or weird like some cars of the late 50s-early 60s. The Olds F-85/Cutlass is just charming and beautiful. But it is...well, let's just say "mechanically more finicky" than the typical run-of-the-mill American car of the time. And a tad on the too small side, which also hurt sales. By 1964 the F-85/Cutlass along with its Pontiac and Buick counterparts went onto a dead-conventional body-on-frame mid-size platform (the A-Body cars) quite a bit larger and far more acceptable to most buyers.

What an amazing and unique piece of history. Personally, i would get far more enjoyment out of owning and driving that old jetfire than a duesenberg worth 25 times as much. What a gem!

How can you not like a car guy like Jay? So down to earth. Someone you'd like to sit around the fire-pit and drink a few brews with.

When the turbo kicks in, my goodness the sound is heavenly. beautiful car!

This is definitely the most interesting car and episode for a long time. I must say too that it was well done leaving the owner behind for the test drive. We thus got all the driving impressions we wanted to hear instead of just chit chat. The aluminium 215 was sold to Rover after GM decided they didn't want it, and it went on to power a plethora of British cars for the next 30 or more years. On the notion that muscle cars started in the 60's Jay, you do Studebaker quite a disservice, given some of their very fast Hawks in the 50's. In fact I don't recall a Studebaker ever being on your show. How about it?

Jay becomes one with the car he feels the soul of the living machine he feels the gears turning - now that's real love for cars .

My uncle Jim owned Jim Graham Old's in Joliet so we were an Oldsmobile family, my father bought a 1962 Jetfire to commute to work in Chicago. He loved it for awhile but the thrill wore off soon as the car spent more time in the shop then on the road. It's still my earliest memory of a sports car I was only 8 at the time and still remember some of the details. His was an automatic on the council, again another first for us. I always wondered if anyone remembered these cars and I'm happy to see Leno's garage cover it.

Wow that is amazing. Love it. People forget that Olds was the leader in tech in its day. Manual V8 also. Rare gem. Thanks Jay.👍👍😎🤑🍾🤩

Check out the semi (31:47) that didn't want to wait on the chase truck that was behind Jay to ward off tailgaters. He got impatient and then blew his horn (32:00) after the chase truck (Ford F150) started moving with Jay. Party-pooper! Great car & episode Jay! Loved it!

This is amazing. I am an Olds guy but did not know these existed. GM's divisions were always competing against each other GM division. Every time the Olds engineers came up with an innovation, the GM exec's said we have to put it on the Cadillac first. What a kick in the crotch. I had a 1970 Toronado GT. Beautiful riding and driving car. Olds division did it right.

Jay Leno is the real deal. He owns a traction avant, a DS, a SM and a rare version of the 2CV, all visible in the background.

this made my top 10 list of episodes, i dont get excited about the new cars at all, its the old cars restored by one guy in his garage are the best, this car is amazing. im just hours away from finishing a 14 year restoration all done in my garage all by myself, probably why it took 14 years to complete, along being a perfectionist i guess. unfortunately mine isn't a rare and exotic as this one, live and learn, mine is just another mustang, but that was my first car

Love the details in this video. WELL DONE!

well thats what I really like about Jay Leno's Garage. He dont judge by price, he dont judge by horsepower or make. This is a REAL car guy! If something is cool, then its cool! No matter whats the price or make of it. Jay you really rock!

"You could hold a Christmas party in a Motel 6". hahaha Jay, always the comedian. Loved hearing Eric talk about his baby. thanks guys.