If you don’t love the Autozam AZ-1, I’m guessing you’ve either never heard of it or you’re a soulless monster who hates fun. But don’t worry, there’s still time for redemption. Tuck into this deep dive on all things Autozam, as explained to Jay Leno by mechanical engineer and Autozam owner Ashley DeLuca.
Leno’s obviously a well known car enthusiast and collector, but his charming befuddlement at the sight of the diminutive Mazda-Suzuki lovechild is pretty funny. So too is the idea of him fitting inside the thing’s cockpit.
That’s not a knock on the comedian’s body type, but I’m a scrawny boy, I’ve driven an Autozam, and I can say with certainty that Leno could not have been too comfortable in there.
As for DeLuca, she sounds like she definitely knows the ins and outs of her Autozam. And having also owned a Miata and RX-7, it seems pretty obvious that she has great taste.
There are a lot of interesting Autozam facts in this video, and even if you have to watch it on mute at work, the studio images of the car sitting static in Leno’s garage are downright gorgeous. I think this is the most an Autozam has been pampered since the vehicle was launched in the ’90s.