Jay Leno’s Murphy Roadster Bugatti: the American-built body behind Hepburn’s legendary ride
Jay Leno owns the Katherine Hepburn Bugatti—the Murphy Roadster, a 1920s Bugatti Type 38A with an American-built body by Murphy Body Co. after a swap with Miller Specials; it appeared in Christopher Strong (1933) driven by Hepburn and was later heavily modified for Remember Last Night (1935). Leno acquired the car in the early 2000s after finding it in an Orange County lockup, had it restored, and had its original wired wheels re-fitted after a prior owner swapped them for alloy wheels. He has shown it at Pebble Beach and continues to add to his vast collection, noting he avoids celebrity-owned cars for valuation reasons.