Jay Leno: “One day, internal combustion engine cars will share the fate of horses.”

Imagine hearing Jay Leno, the king of American TV and car collector, say, “One day, internal combustion cars will go the way of horses.” Not that they will disappear—rather, they will become a passion for a select few, no longer the way the world gets around.” This idea turns our thinking about classic cars on its head: they are not the mainstream that we are defending, but rather a niche segment destined to remain the preserve of those who truly love them, much like those who own a horse today. Leno, who has hundreds of cars and motorcycles from every era in his California-style garage, dreamed of Mustangs and Harleys as symbols of freedom when he was a boy. Today, however, he sees electric vehicles as the new frontier, and he says that those who insist on defending traditional engines are making the same mistake as those who, a century ago, thought the horse would never be surpassed. There is one anecdote that illustrates this better than any theory: when the Tesla arrived, Leno started driving it around Los Angeles. At first, he looked at it skeptically—it was quiet, strange, and lacked the smell of gasoline that he associated with strong emotions. But after a month, he says he never wanted to go back: “It's like switching from a rotary phone to a smartphone. At first, you miss the noise, but then you realize that what matters is speed and simplicity.” Behind this vision, there is also a specific criticism of Elon Musk: Leno says that Musk made a mistake by promoting electric vehicles as a religion, something for purists or to save the planet, rather than as a technological breakthrough that improves everyone’s lives. The fact that struck him is this: today, in California, more electric cars are sold than diesel cars. It's no longer a matter of fashion or ideology—the market has changed, and those who don't see it risk being left behind, like those who bet everything on horses in 1910. And there is one striking personal detail: Leno still keeps his first car, a 1955 Buick. He takes it out every now and then, polishes it, goes for a drive, and has fun like a kid. But he knows it's a personal pleasure, not the answer to the future. Here is the perspective that is often missing: nostalgia is not a strategy. You can love classic cars, but you can't expect them to be the solution for everyone. According to Leno, the real revolution lies in accepting that change doesn’t erase the past—it places it in a different context. Today, Leno's words echo in my mind: “One day, combustion-powered cars will be like horses: admired, loved, but no longer indispensable.” If you think this idea has changed the way you see the future of cars, on Lara Notes you can press I'm In – it's not a like; it's the gesture that says: This perspective is now part of you. And if you find yourself talking about it with a friend, perhaps sharing the story of the ’55 Buick or the Tesla in Los Angeles, on Lara Notes you can mark that moment with Shared Offline—because the conversations that truly change us deserve to be remembered. This story comes from Der Spiegel and saved you several minutes compared to the original interview.