Gooding
& Company will auction off for charity Emmy
Award-winning comedian and The Tonight Show host
Jay Leno’s Fiat 500 Prima Edizione at its Pebble
Beach Auction next month.
In an effort to raise
money for and awareness of an important cause close to
his heart, Mr. Leno has selected Fisher House Foundation
as the beneficiary of his sale proceeds. Fisher House is
a nationally praised, four-star, non-profit organization
that provides a wide range of services and support to
the families of wounded American soldiers.
“I’m thrilled to
present our friend Jay Leno’s first edition Fiat 500,
one of the most talked about modern cars in our
automotive industry today,” says President and founder
David Gooding. “We have great admiration for Jay and
hope that the sale of the 500 attracts a great deal of
support for Fisher House, an extraordinary humanitarian
organization that generously champions our soldiers and
their families.”
“We're grateful to Jay
Leno for his exemplary and unwavering support of our
military families, to help them when they need it the
most,” said Ken Fisher, Chairman and CEO of Fisher House
Foundation. “Knowing Jay's passion for cars, and what
this one represents to him, we recognize that he is
sacrificing something special for what he believes is a
greater good. All of Fisher House and the families we
serve thank him deeply.”
To celebrate Fiat’s return to the American market in
2011, 500 Prima Ediziones were sold off to Fiat
enthusiasts in the American automotive community.
Delivered to Mr. Leno earlier this year, this particular
example, car number 00002, is the second new 500
produced for American consumers and the first example
ever delivered to a customer. As a Prima Edizione, this
Bianco (white) car is distinguished by a black side
stripe with “500” detail and a badge on the dash. During
a feature segment on his Emmy Award-winning web series,
“Jay Leno’s Garage,” Mr. Leno describes this car as
“incredibly fun to drive.” As a special offer to the
winning bidder in Pebble Beach, Mr. Leno has extended an
invitation for the new owner to visit his garage and car
collection near Los Angeles, California. The Fiat’s
estimate is $25,000–$35,000 and will be offered without
reserve.
Founded in 1990,
Fisher House is best known for its national network of
5,000 to 16,800 square-foot, multi-family comfort homes
built on the grounds of major military medical centers
to house families while their loved ones receive
treatment during medical crises. Since its inception,
the program has saved military and veteran families an
estimated $192 million in out-of-pocket costs for
lodging and transportation.