A 1980 Briggs & Stratton hybrid six-wheeler has been in Jay Leno's garage.

Briggs & Stratton is best known as a manufacturer of lawnmower engines, but the company has also experimented with automobiles. One of the company's vehicles was recently featured on the Jay Leno's Garage program.

Decades ago, Briggs & Stratton built a one-of-a-kind six-wheeled hybrid. Development of the vehicle began in 1978 and was completed in 1980, before hybrid powertrains became mainstream. However, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, fuel economy was still a key issue. According to Jay's guest, Briggs & Stratton manufacturing engineer Craig Clarbut, the car was built to show that Briggs & Stratton engines could power cars on the highway.

The car can be powered by an air-cooled gasoline engine (essentially a lawnmower engine), an electric motor, or both, similar to the Toyota Prius and most other modern hybrid cars.

Unlike the Prius, however, the Briggs & Stratton Hybrid can travel relatively long distances on electricity alone, says Klibaut. He worked on the car when it was new and is now its caretaker.

According to Cleabout, the car has a range of 40-60 miles on electricity. It's important to remember that Briggs & Stratton used lead-acid batteries, not the lithium-ion batteries used in most modern hybrid and electric cars, or the nickel-metal hydride batteries used in some versions of the Prius. Even with the latest battery technology, a plug-in hybrid setup is usually required to achieve this kind of range.

Twelve 6-volt batteries add to the weight of the vehicle. The rear axle is not driven, only distributing the weight of the batteries over a larger area. Yet, according to Clareabout, the car's weight is only 3,200 pounds.

The gasoline engine was a 688cc Briggs & Stratton two-cylinder opposition engine with only 18 hp, mated to a Ford Pinto four-speed manual transmission. The suspension and steering rack were also taken from the Pinto. The doors, dashboard and windshield were taken from a Volkswagen Scirocco.

The car has also been linked to celebrities. The exterior design was based on suggestions from Brooks Stevens, designer of the Jeep Wagoneer and Excalibur. The car was also tested by Richard Petty and posted a top speed of 68 mph on the track.

The car has not left the Briggs & Stratton Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin since 1988.

The Briggs & Stratton Hybrid left an interesting mark on the history of hybrid cars. Read more about it in the video above.