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With an Aston Martin, a Chevy El Camino, and multiple Ferraris in his impressive car collection, it’s no wonder rocker Sammy Hagar can’t drive 55!
Sports Cars for the Rock Start
He’s a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, a singer, songwriter, guitarist, and was the overall frontman of Van Halen for a time. He’s also a big-time car enthusiast. In case you can’t already tell, I’m talking about Sammy Hagar. The rock-and-roller has kept a steady rotation of classic and modern cars in his collection since he rose to fame in the 1970s and 80s.
While he likes to buy the cars that he likes, Hagar also isn’t afraid to let go of those same cars if it means swapping it out for a different vehicle. As you’re about to find out, the “Red Rocker” has had plenty of impressive vehicles roll through his garage, most of them built for speed and power. It’s hard to pick one standout, but you’ll notice a few modern and/or surprising additions, so keep your eye open for those!
1984 Ferrari 512 BBI
OK, we have to start with this because it’s maybe the most pivotal car Sammy Hagar ever purchased. First, a little background. The ‘84 Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer was the last model year of the vehicle, and just 2,323 of them were produced over the 11-year production period. It took a lot of convincing Enzo Ferrari himself to get the mid-engine road car into production in the first place.
Now, onto the importance of it. Hagar bought it new and ended up driving it in the “I Can’t Drive 55” music video. Since the roads were blocked off for the filming of the video, Hagar was able to actually drive the ‘84 Ferrari at top speed. The clutch blew out when he hit 180 miles per hour, so Hagar had to take it in for repairs after that.
Fate continued when Eddie Van Halen walked into the same repair shop, asked the owner whose car that was, and was told it belonged to Hagar. The owner also told Van Halen that he should get in touch with Hagar about joining the band. When David Lee Roth parted ways with the group, Eddie knew who to call.
1972 Ferrari Daytona 365 GTB
One thing you’re going to notice right away when looking at this list is that Sammy loves a good Ferrari. He’s owned at least 20 of them over the years and he once said, “When it comes to thrills, the Ferrari ain’t cheap, but there’s nothing else like it.” That hasn’t changed over the years, either.
This particular Ferrari is a gorgeous glossy red, equipped with a 4.4-liter V12 engine that’s good for 180 miles per hour. Sammy had heard about this Ferrari while he was in Van Halen and decided he needed one. It was confiscated by the police at one point, but it ended up with a new owner and, eventually, Sammy bought it from him.
1970 Chevrolet El Camino
Sammy likes the super cars, but he also likes the muscle cars. Hence this custom 1970 Chevy El Camino. A normal 1970 El Camino with a 402 cu in engine was good for 350 horsepower, but this one has a 454 cu in engine that makes 450 horsepower with the help of a three-speed automatic transmission. As awesome as this car looks, the black and the chrome together, I wouldn’t sell it, but that’s what Hagar did. Hagar put 59,288 miles on it before putting it up for sale. That’s the thing about Sammy Hagar. He’s a car enthusiast who loves to buy cars he likes, use them, and then sell them to make room for new acquisitions.
2006 Lotus Elise
This is one of the newer cars I was talking about. He needs to switch cars out every now and then because, as he says, he loves cars! Hagar picked up this aspen white 2006 Lotus Elise CX in 2012 when it had 58,422 miles on it. The convertible came with a 1.8-liter inline-four engine and six-speed manual transmission good for 190 horsepower and 138 lb-ft of torque. Hagar didn’t hang on to this long, though. He sold it a few years later so he could free up some cash and garage space for the next car on this list!
2015 Ferrari LaFerrari
OK, we’ve covered a couple of Hagar’s Ferraris already, but this one takes the cake! It’s one of only 499 ever built, and it cost Hagar $1.3 million! It’s the only one of the 499 that was custom designed as a full hybrid car. Along with the naturally aspirated 6.3-liter V12 engine is an electronic motor. Together, they make a combined 949 horsepower with a speed that maxes out at 217 miles per hour. Oh, and that cappuccino color? It was a color Hagar saw on another vehicle at the Ferrari headquarters and subsequently requested for his LaFerrari. It’s one of the handful of vehicles Hagar owns that’s not in a red, black, or white color scheme.
The rocker has put just over 1,000 miles on it since 2015. He was going to sell it in 2024, but a mechanical issue pushed those plans back a little bit. Once the issue is fixed, the car should be up for sale again so that Hagar can add a few more cars (probably Ferraris) to his collection.
2005 Aston Martin Vanquish S
Another of the newer cars that Hagar added to his collection was an ‘05 Vanquish. Not one to keep his cars to himself, Hagar put it on display at The Quail in 2013 for an event celebrating 100 years of Aston Martin. The Vanquish was a notable vehicle for Aston Martin, so it was an appropriate addition for the event.
The grand tourer debuted in 2001 as the new flagship of the automaker. With a V12 engine, it was the most powerful Aston Martin engine available. Even though Hagar says he doesn’t actually speed that much, he likes his horsepower, and the Vanquish S had more of it. The Vanquish S was a mildly revised version with a more powerful 362.2 cu. in. V12 engine. That increased the Vanquish S to 520 horsepower compared to the 460 horsepower on the regular Vanquish.
1974 Jaguar XKE
Sammy Hagar hasn’t had the most luck with his Jaguar. In fact, he’s maybe had some bad luck with the car. After just rebuilding the engine due to an oil leak, Hagar’s XKE caught fire back in 2008. Firefighters saved what they could, Hagar paid for more months of restoration, and what’s the result? It still leaks oil. Despite the upkeep, bad luck, and continued required effort on this vintage coupe, Hagar likes the Jaguar enough to keep it in his collection.
2008 Ferrari 599 GTB
OK, it’s time for another Ferrari. This one, perhaps the best looking Ferrari on this list. Sammy’s cars, so far, are surprisingly tame in terms of looks. The colorful rocker who is loaded with personality generally opts for solid colors. He doesn’t mess with the classic look of his cars. They don’t have a lot of personality in terms of exotic colors or special interiors, so this one stands out. It’s got red, carbon-fiber seats. In addition to the yellow trademark Ferrari logo on the black paint color, a red stripe runs down the car’s center.
Of course, when you’re buying a Ferrari, they don’t need to have a bunch of personality. The performance does the talking instead and perform is exactly what this Ferrari does! After all, it does house a 6.0-liter V12 engine and six-speed transmission to make 612 horsepower and 448 lb-ft of torque. Ordered new from the factory, this birthday gift was the fastest V12 599 the automaker had ever built at the time. If a former rocker is looking to capture some excitement in the form of an adrenaline rush, this car and its high-performance engine can get the job done!
1956 Chevrolet Woody
Not every car in Sammy’s collection is a super car or muscle car. Take this Chevy Woody. Now, it’s plastered with advertisements for Hagar’s beachwear and other merchandise, so it’s probably more of a promotional vehicle than a daily driver, but it still gets some cool points for the yellow body color, the wood paneling, and the laid-back vibe that it gives off.
Aaron Hagar, Sammy’s son, had a hand in customizing this custom wagon back in 2014. A car enthusiast himself, Aaron runs a garage out of Lake Tahoe, California and works on customizing and modifying vehicles. Case in point: this woody wagon. The wood on the side is all hand carved, and there’s even a roll-out rum bar when the split tailgate is opened up! It was a passion project and gift from his son, so this vehicle will probably be in the Hagar garage for quite a while.
1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
The Red Rocker with a red mustang? That’s not too surprising. Sammy Hagar bought this 1967 Shelby GT500 in 1989 and, over the years, modified it with a lot of Ford parts. He had it painted red and added a 427 cu. in. tunnel-port motor. It has a dual quad manifold. It also says, “Red Rocker,” on the rear of the Mustang and even has an autograph on the dash from Caroll Shelby that reads, “To Sammy, Thanks. Your friend, Caroll Shelby.”
So, why did Hagar part ways with it in 2006? It’s a story as old as time: not enough space in his garage. He bought three new cars in 2005, didn’t have enough room to store this one, and he didn’t use it regularly because it was too powerful for any of his friends or family to handle. Hagar ended up selling this custom for $250,000 at auction. It’s OK, though, because Hagar has plenty of other Mustangs, like a red 1967 GCM-R and a white and blue 2007 GT500.
1967 Chevy Corvette
What better way to round out this list than with a classic? Sammy has a few 1967 model vehicles, and this ‘67 Chevy Corvette is one of them. It doesn’t get as much attention as some of his other cars, but nothing beats a classic, especially if it’s a second-generation Corvette. You could say, “it’s a Corvette thing.” The ‘67 ‘Vette came standard with a 300-horsepower 327 cu.-in. V8 in it. Though it’s unknown if Hagar has modified the engine, it doesn’t really matter. A cherry red 1967 Corvette with the original engine is a sweet enough ride as it is.
