Jay Leno knows Duesenbergs, and here he takes one of the grandest examples ever built for a test drive.

Unveiled in 1933 at the Chicago World’s Fair, the Twenty Grand is considered by many to be the grandest Duesenberg in existence “This is one of, if not the most, famous Duesenberg ever built,” says comic and car nut Jay Leno, and he would know. Not just annother pretty face on television, Leno is a leading Duesenberg authority with several in his collection. The Twenty Grand, named for its original selling price and now valued at over $40 million, has been part of the Nethercutt Collection in Sylmar, California since 1979. The collection recently sent the Twenty Grand to Leno’s shop in Burbank for a test drive and an appearance on his show, Jay Leno’s Garage. 

As Leno notes, even though the Twenty Grand is now nearly a century old, it can easily cruise at modern highway speeds, pushed along by the 320 hp of  its supercharged SJ engine. (See our feature on the Duesenberg straight eight here.) Leno also conducts an informed tour of all the car’s remarkable features, including the opulent cabin, the SJ carburetor, and the aircraft-style instrumentation. “This is the crown jewel,” says Leno. Here’s a trip to Duesenberg school, if you will. Video below.