Jay Leno is probably one of the biggest names in the automotive industry and has been a car guy for decades. His car collection consists of roughly 200 vehicles from all makes and all decades. He has a collection so eclectic, that most car guys have never even heard of them. However, he does dabble with the more mainstream cars like Firebirds, Mopars, Corvettes and other forms of American iron, including Mustangs.
A while back, he spotlighted a selection of classic and modern CHP vehicles on his YouTube channel, Jay Leno’s Garage. One standout that piqued our interest was the ’82 Mustang, one of the first Mustangs used for highway patrol duties. It would pave the way for highway patrol Mustangs for years to come, and evidently, leave a lasting impression on Jay that would inspire him to recreate the car, using a brand new Mustang.
In order to do so, he would team up with Galpin Auto Sport (GAS), who plucked a dark blue manually-shifted 2021 GT from the local inventory to use as their canvas. The first order of business, obviously, was a respray; painting the car in the traditional and iconic California Highway Patrol black and white colors. In addition, modern CHP-spec onboard computer systems and a CB radio went into the recipe as well, just so it could theoretically be put into use for patrol duties. In-car LED lights bring things up to snuff, too.
In an attempt to throw it back to the original, retro A-pillar mounted spotlights and a cloth interior went into the fray. They’re period correct pieces for the Fox-era Mustang, but they look oh-so-cool on the modern S550 car. The build was spotlighted for GAS’ “What’s on the Rack?” YouTube series, and both cars made an appearance in Jay Leno’s Car Care booth at the 2021 SEMA Show. They really did leave a lasting impression on your author, who witnessed both cars in person. Recently, Jay did a closer review on the ’82 Mustang. Enjoy the clip!
Rick Seitz is the owner and founder of AutoCentric Media, and has a true love and passion for all vehicles; GM, Ford, Dodge, imports, trucks — you name it! When he isn’t clacking away on his keyboard, he’s building, tuning, driving or testing his current crop of personal projects!
