Last weekend’s Gooding & Company Auction at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance saw all kinds of exotic and collector cars cross the block. None, however, was more important than a 2012 Fiat 500 Prima Edizione donated by comedian and uber-car-guy Jay Leno.
While the Fiat’s low serial number and second-in-the-country delivery status add to its collectibility, its the charity supported by Leno that was the big draw. Proceeds from the sale of the car went to Fisher House, an organization that houses families of wounded soldiers during the often-long recovery process.
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Guests at the auction included Leno, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Army Chief of Staff Ray Odiero. Bidding opened at $50,000, but immediately jumped into the six-figure range. Perhaps more significantly, donations for Fisher House began pouring in to the auction; when the hammer dropped, the car sold at $350,000, but a total of $600,000 was raised for the charity.
Let’s hope that Leno’s actions remind others in show business that it’s not about how much you earn or how much you spend: instead, it’s about how much you give back.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
