It’s not out of the ordinary for a carmaker to ask Jay Leno for a little face time in his web segment, Jay Leno’s Garage. That’s how much clout the comedian has in the auto industry. The latest brand to bring their new vehicle – it's actually a new car based on an old brand – is Scarab.

Ever heard of that brand? We can’t blame you if you haven’t. Scarab was originally a race car that was built for Lance Reventlow, an obscenely lucky heir to the Woolworth fortune who also happened to be an avid race car driver. During his time on the track, Reventflow raced using the Scarab, achieving remarkable success in the process. Unfortunately, the car’s lifespan was shorter than expected and for years the car – and the brand – was covered up in the garage.

It wasn’t until two years ago when Scarab Motorsports was brought back from the ashes in an attempt to re-introduce the car to a whole different generation of auto enthusiasts.

Fortunately, Leno is old enough to remember the original Scarab, a knowledge that proved to be useful when he was talking to Dick Kitzmiller, the new owner of Scarab Motorsports. The two white-haired fellows talked about the car in detail before the comedian was given the keys to take it out for a spin around the block.

A base model of the Scarab retails at $79,750, but if you add some optional items on the vehicle, you can expect the price tag to skyrocket.

Check out the video to see what Leno thinks of the Scarab.

.