In one of those “it seemed like a good idea at the time” moments, Jay Leno handed over the carburetor from a 1967 Buick Riviera to Carol Burnett as a “gift” during the CBS broadcast of a special to commemorate Burnett’s 50th anniversary of her iconic variety show that ran from 1967-78.
The automotive-minded Leno presented the ungainly carburetor to the distinctly non-automotive-minded Burnett as a recognition of something from the same year Burnett’s show began, but the automotive gesture was lost on Burnett, who politely accepted the gift as one would accept a holiday fruitcake and then moved on without further ado.
