Jay Leno’s 1975 Plymouth Duster has a story as powerful as its 1,000-hp engine

Jay Leno's garage isn't some Hollywood creation. First, it's in Burbank. Secondly, the cars, motorcycles and steam monsters housed there represent some of the greatest examples of their kind anywhere in the world, cared for by a staff of mechanics who know their Voisin inline sixes from their Hispano-Suizas. This 1975 Plymouth Duster doesn't have a classical provenance like much of Leno's collection, but it does carry an amazing backstory.

The Duster came to life thanks to Paul Annunziata, a Boston-area mechanic who wanted to build a drag racer that could also work as a street car. His project started with a 1975 Duster purchased with $10,000 Annunziata won from a scratch-off lottery ticket. The real challenge was squeezing a massive 426-inch Hemi V8 into the Duster -- and then supercharging it up to 1,000 hp.