Posted on 04/13/2026 6:04:05 AM PDT by MtnClimber
California’s war on cars knows no bounds, which is far out of step for the state that launched America’s car culture. While policymakers haven’t yet outlawed the classics, their failure to act responsibly has added to the burden of owning them. Famous classic collector Jay Leno aims to change this.
There are almost 36 million vehicles registered in California, according to the Department of Motor Vehicles. While the number of classic cars is difficult to determine, Sen. Shannon Grove says there are 320,000 automobiles made from 1976 to 1991 in the state.
That’s an almost imperceptibly thin slice, less than 1%, of the total. Yet they are treated as if they are new when it comes to smog rules. Comedian and long-time late-night TV host Leno believes that’s the wrong way to treat vintage car enthusiasts.
Standing in his garage before his 1982 Ford Mustang, once “used by the Highway Patrol to catch speeders,” Leno says in a recent video, “It’s kind of a California-only classic car.”
It can be driven in every other state, he says, yet it can’t be legally driven in California, because “it no longer meets California emissions” standards.
Current law exempts from smog testing only cars made before 1976. A proposal in the Legislature would change that. Senate Bill 712 would, starting Jan. 1, 2027, “fully exempt from the smog check requirements” any car that was “manufactured prior to the 1981 model year.”
Beginning on Jan. 1, 2028, SB 712 “would expand this exemption by one model year, every year, for 5 years.” It “would be known, and may be cited as, Leno’s Law.”
Or maybe “Leno’s Law 2.0” because similar legislation was stalled in committee last year.
For most car owners, the smog test is a hassle, though it’s not the tightest hoop that California makes drivers jump through. Especially for those who own older cars, it can be an enormous headache. Vintage vehicles have to be checked with older equipment, and many smog testing stations “don’t have that anymore,” says Leno, “because there aren’t enough old cars to keep it going.”
“So when you have an older car like this, you sometimes have to drive literally hundreds of miles just to find a gas station or smog station” that can do the job. “It’s a lot of work to try to do the right thing.”
As a retired entertainer, Leno is acutely aware that “we drove the movie industry out of Hollywood” and pleads with Sacramento to not “do the same thing with car culture.”
“Let’s keep car culture right here where the whole thing originated.” Yep, California, now getting rid of many of the things that, well, made California California.
It’s another symptom of California’s tragic decline.
The former Golden State’s kill-joy leftists who now control the levers of government and the courts are destroying all the home-spun joys of California one by one, and replacing them with their mirthless, woke culture and radical climate control policies.
So it really isn’t just about cars.
Sadly, lawmakers are as likely to reject the legislation again as they are to pass it. Even worse, they might find out that far-left Minnesota is considering a law that could “limit the use of ‘collector class’ vehicles to the weekends” unless they are traveling to a show or similar event. They might rush to pass their own version first, which would cause a traffic jam of classic cars fleeing to other states where their carburetors can breathe freely.
|
Click here: to donate by Credit Card Or here: to donate by PayPal Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794 Thank you very much and God bless you. |
The carburetors can’t breathe.
It would be a good thing if Jay leno packed up his cars and moved to a state that is not run by traitors to the United States of America.
Been expecting the woke tree hugging libs and the car enthusiasts in cali have to clash.....I guess this is it.
The woke are all about killing anything that people have fun with.
Unhappy people want others as unhappy as they are.
The Godless Religion of
“Global Warming” Fools
must be served at all
costs without questioning
Praise St. Greta the
Blessed Frowny-Face!!
not many to pick from, even the reddish states have issues with leaders. Also Jay’s cars may not do well outside the south west, though I suppose he could build climate garages in other states and just not take them out much.
What the tree buggers know but refuse to admit is as long as russia, china and north korea couldn’t give a crap about the environment it doesn’t matter what we do here.
Which means as usual with the left, it’s all punishing people they don’t agree with.
How about just declaring emulation from neo communist politicians to be toxic and sending them in annually to have their exhaust approved
I don’t understand what keeps guys like Leno in CA. I know, the weather is good, they may have family ties, but how much abuse will they take before they pick up and move out?
A couple of possible reasons why Jay Leno is still in California:
1. Leno is still involved in “show biz”.
2. Leno is caring for his wife of 45 years, who has advanced dementia.
California, now getting rid of many of the things that, well, made California California.
Liberals have a high kill rate of good things it’s an addiction with them.
You new this was coming in California. Just wait until they outlaw classic cars outright. You will be able to trailer them to and from shows and that is it.
What am I saying? This is California. They will probably outlaw cars outright and make you take the bus.
So if you’re a rich guy with cars as toys, you can defy the emissions standards. Just a regular guy with a very used car—and you’re out of luck?
Liberals eventually run out of other peoples’ money.
They do not change, because they always have people to tax. Someone is left owning what is in or going through their state lines…
That's a mathematical given. He has too many to take to the road "much."
Actually Jay Leno has a house in Newport, Rhode Island but his car collection of about 180 cars is housed in California. Why? Simple but expensive solution: move the cars over to the Nevada line.
“So if you’re a rich guy with cars as toys, you can defy the emissions standards. Just a regular guy with a very used car—and you’re out of luck?”
Why do you think that?
IIRC—_THE ORIGINAL LAW HAD A 25 YEAR EXEMPTION RULE.
AFTER THE LAW WAS PASSED, THEY CANCELLED THAT 25 YEARS RULE.
MY TRUCK IS 50 YEARS OLD.
MY CAR IS 47 YEARS OLD.
I LEFT CALIF IN 2004. NOW IN N NEVADA HIGH DESERT
But if you recall, Leno often poked fun at Republican policies and ideas, but not Democrat ideas. That was more subtle, and perhaps more effective, than current late night comedians obtusely poking fun at all things Republican and cheering all things Democrat. Leno was way more popular than today's late night comedians. Combine Leno's popularity with his subtle shifting his audience to accepting Democrat ideas, and us conservatives probably don't recognize how much Leno worked against us.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.