Comedian Gabriel Iglesias – aka Fluffy – went to a Las Vegas Barrett-Jackson auction hoping to sell a car, but ended up buying this 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396 and sending it straight to the Garage Jay Leno’s without even driving it.
As he explains in the episode, Iglesias sold two cars at auction and had some cash on hand as a result. In the end, he went home with six cars – including a Chevelle.
When it comes to enticing purchases, this is a pretty good choice. It’s a clear example of one of Chevy’s most legendary mid-century muscle cars, complete with a matching engine, a 4-speed manual transmission, and lots of material. Some even re-apply the original factory chalk stains.
As the name suggests, the Chevelle SS396 is powered by a 396 cubic-inch V-8 that makes 325 horsepower when new. That was considered pretty powerful at the time, even though Chevy offered a larger engine throughout the Chevelle SS’ run. Short for “Super Sport”, the SS badge traditionally denotes performance versions of regular Chevy models, and it will return on Chevy Blazer EV.
Gabriel Iglesias’ 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396 on Jay Leno .’s Garage
Although it has a powerful engine, this Chevelle lacks comforts like air conditioning. That brought the car’s price down to $3,638.35 in 1969, when the original owner purchased the car from an Aurora, Colorado dealership. The bid is not disclosed, but you can bet it’s a lot more than that.
Iglesias didn’t drive the car before shipping it to California for the episode “Jay Leno’s Garage,” so this video covers his first impressions. While Chevelle is running a bit rough, it doesn’t look like he has any buyer remorse.
