Jay Leno drives a rare 1913 Mercedes Double Phaeton Torpedo, calling the 9.6L chain-driven car “automotive royalty.”
Jay Leno, longtime car enthusiast and host of Jay Leno’s Garage, recently got behind the wheel of a remarkable piece of automotive history: a 1913 Mercedes 3795 Double Phaeton Torpedo. Equipped with a massive 9.6-liter engine and chain drive, Leno believes the vehicle may qualify as the world’s first supercar.
The drive took place on public roads in Southern California, where Leno showcased the engineering marvel on video for his YouTube channel. “This is automotive royalty,” Leno said while navigating the coach-built antique through traffic. “It’s unlike anything you’ll find today, yet it still feels at home on the road.”
The car, built more than a century ago, is powered by a 580-cubic inch (9.6-liter) four-cylinder engine producing approximately 95 horsepower—an extraordinary figure for its era. Capable of reaching speeds near 100 miles per hour, the Mercedes shattered performance expectations at a time when most cars barely exceeded 30 mph.
What makes the car particularly special is its exquisite coachwork by renowned French designer Henri Labourdette, known for crafting bespoke bodies for elite automobiles. The Double Phaeton’s sweeping lines and torpedo-shaped tail reflect the opulence and ambition of pre-World War I motoring.
Despite its immense size, Leno described the drive as smooth, noting the car’s ability to keep pace with modern traffic. “The steering is heavy, but it tracks straight and the ride is surprisingly comfortable,” he said.
The Mercedes 3795 is one of the rarest surviving examples of early high-performance motoring—a time when supercars were born not in labs, but in the minds of ambitious engineers and master craftsmen.
Leno’s experience serves as a powerful reminder of how far automotive innovation has come—and where it all began.
