Comedian Gabriel Iglesias brought his 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS to Jay Leno's garage.

Posted on September 24, 2022
Muscle cars
Comedian Gabriel Iglesias brought his 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS to Jay Leno's garage.

Comedian Gabriel Iglesias, a.k.a. Fluffy, went to the Barrett-Jackson auction in Las Vegas in hopes of selling a car, but ended up buying this 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396 and sending it straight to Jay Leno's garage without even driving it.

As he explains in the episode, Iglesias sold both cars at the auction, thus netting him some cash. He ended up coming home with six cars, including the Chevelle.

As impulse buys go, this is a pretty good one. One of Chevrolet's most legendary mid-century muscle cars, it's a clean example with a numbers-matching engine, 4-speed manual transmission, and plenty of documentation. So much so that someone has reapplied the original factory chalk marks.

As the name suggests, the Chevelle SS396 is powered by a 396 cubic-inch V-8 engine with a claimed maximum output of 325 horsepower when new. Chevrolet offered a larger engine during the Chevelle SS's marketing period, which was considered quite powerful at the time. Short for "Super Sport," the SS badge traditionally signifies a performance version of the regular Chevrolet model, and it is making a comeback with the Chevrolet Blazer EV.

While it has a powerful engine, this Chevelle lacks comfort features like air conditioning. This kept the price down to $3,638.35 in 1969 when the original owner purchased it from a dealer in Aurora, Colorado. The auction price was not disclosed, but it was undoubtedly much higher than that.

Iglesias had not driven the car before transporting it to California for this episode of "Jay Leno's Garage," so this video includes his first impressions. Chevelle ran a little rough, but it doesn't look like he has buyer's remorse.

You may also like

Interior of Callum Sky EV Off-roader Unveiled
Interior of Callum Sky EV Off-roader Unveiled

Callum, named for veteran Jaguar designer Ian Callum, has unveiled the interior of its planned electric off-roader.The first vehicle to bear the compa...

Dec 14

Ride the Prototype: The 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA EV is About to Right the Wrongs
Ride the Prototype: The 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA EV is About to Right the Wrongs

I gripped the door handle of the CLA EV prototype in the blowing Austrian Alps. I heard a click and felt a firm sensation in my hand. A good impressio...

Dec 13

Electric Mercedes-Benz G-class will serve as the latest Popemobile
Electric Mercedes-Benz G-class will serve as the latest Popemobile

Mercedes-Benz Ceo Ola Källenius personally greeted Pope Francis and headed to the Vatican on Wednesday to hand over the keys to the Pope's new Popemo...

Dec 05


Trending

Theme for 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed Announced
Theme for 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed Announced

The Goodwood Festival of Speed is the preeminent event on the automotive calendar, held each summer on the grounds of scenic Goodwood House in souther...

Dec 13

Nissan to Unveil Electric GT-R at 2025 Tokyo Auto Salon
Nissan to Unveil Electric GT-R at 2025 Tokyo Auto Salon

Nissan will unveil the electrification of its R32-generation Skyline GT-R sports car at the 2025 Tokyo Auto Salon next month.The project has been unde...

Dec 13

Hypercars focused on trucks in Praga Bohemia will start delivery
Hypercars focused on trucks in Praga Bohemia will start delivery

Many performance cars are billed as race cars for the road, but few deserve that claim more than Praga's Bohemian Hypercar.Praga is a historic Czech c...

Dec 06