TOP STORY OF THE DAY: Jay Leno Meets the Jensen Family

Owning over 181 exotic cars, a famous television host was interested in a local man’s car: The Oldsmobile Jetfire. So he was invited to come to California to be on a YouTube show, “Jay Leno’s Garage.”

Eric Jensen, and a few family members, took his Jetfire all the way.

“At the Oldsmobile Nationals in Tennessee, this car won best of class and the best post-war car of the show. It also caught the eye of a YouTuber called Uncle Tony’s Garage,” said Jensen just before taking his car to the World of Wheels show in Indy recently. “Tony was impressed with the car and did a video on his channel with a friend and I and our Jetfire cars. Shortly after we got home, I got a call from a guy that asked if I would mail a couple of printed pictures to an address in Jay Leno’s attention, so I did.”

A few days later, Jay called Jensen up and asked about the car and possibly doing the video.

“Sadly, I am not sure who it was that called me the first time that gave me the address. I can only guess that it was either at the Olds Nationals or someone who had seen the Uncle Tony’s Garage video.”

Jensen still is not clear about the details of how it got started. He was so happy to be involved he didn’t want to take the time to ask.

“Jay is down to earth; He is more like us small-town people than Hollywood,” Said Jensen about meeting the famous comedian and television host. “I feel like Hollywood never changed him. He is a full-blooded car guy, and if you didn’t know better, you would think he is one of us local guys you see at all the car shows.”

Leno, according to Jensen, happens to have a job that makes him famous and provides more funds to do the projects that car guys “dream of.” Jensen says Leno enjoys all things that “roll, explode or make noise,” as he calls it, but he is a real sucker for the odd and unusual cars, motorcycles, and mechanical things that are rare or nearly extinct.

“He likes...) something with an older mechanical technology nearly forgotten today,” said Jensen, adding the Jetfire fills all that very well. “The Jetfire is the first-ever turbocharged production automobile. On top of that, they had a ‘fluid injection’ system only found in some World War 2 aircraft. All this at a time before computer-controlled ignition and electronic fuel injection systems were even thought of.”

Jensen said Leno finds Jetfire’s interesting and remembers reading about them, but had never seen one in person till Jensen’s.

“I figure that is saying something for how rare they are if Jay Leno had never seen one in person before,” said Jensen, who recommends that anyone interested in learning more watch a YouTube video that explains it.

The Jetfire model was only made in 1962 and 1963, and between both years, they only made 9,607, with roughly 100 of them known to exist at this time.

Jensen’s Jetfire is a 4-speed, of which only 203 were made in 1962. It made the trip to California with Jensen, his wife, and kids - Melissa, Renee, and Hailee - to California to film the video in Leno’s garage.

Jensen said the family is pretty strict that the kids go to school and not miss days unless they are actually sick. However, Jensen recognized right off that this was “a huge opportunity for the family.”

Yet it was going to be an expensive endeavor. So Jensen sold some old Honda three-wheeler parts and some other Oldsmobile parts lying around to supplement the journey.

“I ended up selling a truckload of three-wheeler and Oldsmobile parts that we could deliver along the way.,” said Jensen. “The parts covered the

cost of renting the truck and about half the fuel cost.”

The children took advantage of eLearning to keep up with “most” of the school work during the 4,800 miles of road.

Jensen said the journey involved a few stops, “After the filming, we took our time coming home with stops in Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, Oatman AZ, Grand Canyon, and even several old Route 66 stops.”

Cruisin’ is in the family blood. Jensen came up with the grassroots idea to organize the well-known and attended “Cruizin Brazil.”

“The cruise here in Brazil did not get discussed,” said Jensen. “I nearly brought it up when we were in Leno’s restoration shop, but then we got on steam-power, and I was hooked on that subject.”

Jensen admits he would enjoy getting involved in early 1900’s steam power, but, “Sadly it is just too expensive for me even to consider. It also requires fabrication skills and equipment that I do not have. I am more of a restorer, not a fabricator. Most steam engine parts have to be replaced in a restoration today and require major fabrication skills.”

Jensen was about to bring the cruise up again when taking the family out for a drive in the 1907 White steam car.

“Of all things, we broke down when I was about to bring it up,” said Jensen. “I actually think working on a 1907 White steam car on the side of the road with Jay Leno was the trip’s highlight for me. Far better than filming the Jetfire!”

Within 15 minutes Leno and Jensen had the car working again, well enough to limp back to the garage under really low steam pressure. Jensen said Leno insists his garage is not a museum garage: He drives everything he has. According To Jensen, Leno said, “A museum has cars that sit and do nothing, and he is not very interested in that.”

It made Jensen think of his grandparents, Art and Bonnie Jensen. The couple loved the “Cruising Brazil” events, attending all four. The couple was sort of the “unofficial” King and Queen at 91 and 92 years old with Jensen’s aunt driving them at the last event.

“They really enjoyed my passion for restoring cars and the places that the hobby had taken me,” said Jensen, who said their memory, especially his grandfathers, was with him in February. “We had traveled all over this side of the Mississippi with buying, selling, and enjoying the cars. When I got the call from Jay, I was not telling many people at first but knew I had to tell them.”

The excited couple knew a trip was being planned in September that

we were going to Leno’s for his channel and “at that time” was scheduled for November. However, a small miscommunication delayed the November trip. Plans were being made for mid-January.

But Jensen’s grandparents became ill. Jensen hoped the news of the upcoming trip on the first of the year would cheer them up.

“I had got to their house and was able to tell them, and it sure made their day,” said Jensen.

Within a few days, Jensen’s grandpa told him he felt like he wouldn’t be able to see them leave for California. On January 7th, Arthur and Bonnie Jensen of Brazil both passed away within hours of each other at their home with their family by their sides.

After one mix-up, Jensen knew he could not cancel again.

“They were so excited about our trip, and I thank God that he gave me that wonderful moment with them in their final days,” said Jensen, who felt his grandfather’s presence on the journey to California. “Growing up, Grandpa always had a little bell on the rearview mirror of his truck. He told us it was something he found in his father’s stuff after his father - my great-grandfather - had passed away. He had given that bell to my sister many years ago. I had not seen it for nearly 30 years, but it looked exactly like I remembered.”

Jensen put it on the mirror of the rental truck, and it rang with every bump, just like the priceless family heirloom used to so many years ago.

“My grandfather was with us,” said Jensen.

The next Cruising Brazil event will be on May 7th, and the bell might be there too. Look for flyers around town that will announce the times.

Jensen said the attendance appeared to be slightly down at the last one, but there were school events, the Cory Apple Festival, and other big events in Indianapolis that same day.

Even with the lower attendance, Jensen believes it will still be a packed house in Brazil.

“I believe there will be a large car club from Avon coming this time,” said

Jensen. “It’s great to see people getting together like this and getting along. This is turning into a big event in our town.”