Jason Cammisa has driven thousands of other people’s cars on camera, but his own garage tells a different story — a mix of oddball gray-market imports, a V-12 grand tourer, and at least one classic he’s crashed on the way to a shoot.
Bio Table
| Full Name | Jason Cammisa |
| Profession | Automotive journalist, video host, Hagerty |
| Known For | Personal collection of classic and enthusiast BMWs, plus rotating project cars |
| Garage Location | Marin County, San Francisco Bay Area, California |
| Confirmed Cars Owned | BMW 325i Touring (E30), BMW 850 CSi (E31), 1980 Rover 3500 V8, Volkswagen Scirocco |
| Collecting Style | Owns and drives daily rather than displays; performs his own maintenance |
| Content Platforms Featuring His Cars | Jay Leno’s Garage, Hagerty Media, his own YouTube channel |
Quick Answer Snippet
Jason Cammisa’s confirmed personal car collection includes a rare gray-market 1990 BMW 325i Touring (E30) he’s owned for 23 years, a 1994 BMW 850 CSi (E31) — one of just 13 U.S.-spec examples custom-ordered through BMW Individual — a 1980 Rover 3500 V8, and a Volkswagen Scirocco. He’s known for driving and wrenching on his cars himself rather than keeping them as static collector pieces.
| Car | Quick Fact | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| BMW 325i Touring (E30) | Gray-market import, owned 23 years | Never officially sold in the U.S. |
| BMW 850 CSi (E31) | 1 of 13 U.S.-spec BMW Individual cars | V-12, 372 hp, custom-ordered |
| Vehicle | Year | Key Spec | Rarity / Unique Fact | Owned Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMW 325i Touring (E30) | 1990 | 2.5L Inline-6 | Gray-market import | 23 years |
| BMW 850 CSi (E31) | 1994 | 5.6L V-12, 372 hp | 1 of 13 U.S. Individual | Recent |
| Rover 3500 V8 | 1980 | 3.5L V8 | Crashed en route to JLG | Unknown |
| Volkswagen Scirocco | Classic | Varies | Featured on JLG | Unknown |
The BMW 325i Touring (E30) — His Longest-Held Car
Cammisa has owned this 1990 BMW 325i Touring for 23 years, having found it living on a farm in Germany while on vacation and bought it for just $1,576. He’s since put roughly 35,000 miles on it, and he explains that whoever originally ordered the car specced every performance option available while skipping cruise control, A/C, and power windows. Because the E30 Touring wagon was never officially sold in the United States, this is a gray-market import — Cammisa was able to bring it into the U.S. legally under gray-market import rules. He drove the car onto Jay Leno’s Garage for a dedicated episode in December 2024.
The BMW 850 CSi (E31) — His V-12 Flagship
Cammisa’s 850 CSi is a range-topping E31 with unique front and rear bumpers, a lowered and firmer suspension, and a V-12 bored out from 5.0 to 5.6 liters, producing 372 horsepower with the help of a Bosch Motronic 1.7 fuel injection system. Just 225 examples were built for the U.S. market, and Jason’s is one of only 13 that were custom-ordered through the BMW Individual program. He brought this car to Jay Leno’s Garage as a follow-up to his E30 Touring appearance.
The 1980 Rover 3500 V8
Cammisa also owns a 1980 Rover 3500 V8 — a car that made headlines in its own right when he crashed it on a cross-country drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles, on the way to film a Jay Leno’s Garage episode. The accident stemmed from a blind-spot mishap involving a pickup truck, and the resulting episode documented the ordeal rather than skipping past it — consistent with Cammisa’s habit of using his own cars, mishaps included, as content.
The Volkswagen Scirocco
Cammisa has also brought a personal Volkswagen Scirocco to Jay Leno’s Garage, discussed in an episode covering the model’s rise to classic status. Beyond confirming ownership and the Leno appearance, detailed specifications of this particular car were not available in verified sources at the time of writing.
His Collecting Philosophy
Unlike collectors who keep cars static for display or investment, Cammisa refers to his cars as his children and is known for his obsessive maintenance routine — visitors to his Northern California garage describe it as reflecting his on-screen persona, complete with over-the-top lighting and even a disco ball. He performs and documents much of his own wrenching rather than outsourcing it, and several of his cars (the Rover included) see real mileage rather than sitting under covers.
Why His Collection Skews German
Three of his four confirmed cars are BMWs or German-market vehicles, consistent with a documented preference: Cammisa has a real soft spot for German brands, a leaning that also shows up across his professional video work, which frequently covers BMW, Porsche, and Mercedes-Benz history in depth.
Next In Your Reading: Jason Cammisa Biography: The Automotive Journalist Behind Hagerty’s Icons
FAQ
How many cars does Jason Cammisa own?
At least four are publicly confirmed: a BMW 325i Touring (E30), a BMW 850 CSi (E31), a 1980 Rover 3500 V8, and a Volkswagen Scirocco. His full personal fleet has not been publicly disclosed in complete detail.
What is Jason Cammisa’s rarest car?
His BMW 850 CSi is likely the rarest — it’s one of only 13 U.S.-spec examples custom-ordered through the BMW Individual program, out of 225 total U.S. cars built.
Did Jason Cammisa really crash one of his own cars?
Yes — he crashed his 1980 Rover 3500 V8 while driving it from San Francisco to Los Angeles for a Jay Leno’s Garage taping.
Where does Jason Cammisa keep his cars?
His garage is located in Marin County, in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Does Jason Cammisa drive his classic cars regularly?
Yes — he’s put tens of thousands of miles on at least one of his cars (the E30 Touring) rather than keeping it as a static collector piece.
Disclosure: This list reflects only vehicles Jason Cammisa has confirmed owning through Hagerty Media, Jay Leno’s Garage, or verified press coverage. It is not presented as a complete inventory of his personal fleet.
