Sammy Hagar Sells His Ferrari Everyone Laughs: How Much?
Sammy Hagar provides just another example of how there's only one way to rock.
His recipe: Have a ball but keep the speed limit in life, go easy on the drugs, heavy on the rock 'n' roll, and – above all – make smart business decisions.
His latest score? LaFerrari sells his prize 2015 Ferrari at auction Saturday at the legendary Barrett-Jackson Rally in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Hagar purchased the supercar – customized in a rare creamy cappuccino color, among other things – from the iconic Italian automaker for about $1.4 million new MSRP. He passed the car on to its next happy owner for a hammer price of just $4.25 million. Not a bad gain. At press time, the name of the buyer was not available, as is often the case with multi-million dollar car sales.
“Quite frankly, it was exhausting being part of the auction war,” Hagar told USA Today shortly after the auction ended. “The whole time I was thinking, do I really want to do this? Seller's remorse and all. When that gavel came down and they said 'Sold!', I wasn't sure if I was heartbroken or relieved. What an experience.”
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Hagar flew in from his longtime escape pad and performance venue, Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, for the showcase auction. And he promptly hopped back in his jet, painted in the same color scheme as his (former) LaFerrari, to fly back to Cabo for his annual birthday party after the sale closed. Hajera is 13 years old in October 77.
But despite his busy travel schedule of late, the trip to Arizona was more than worth it, he said.
“I was very happy after meeting the person who bought my car,” Hagar said. “He was great, he looked at the car the way I looked at the car. Which is we're just custodians of something special, and then you pass it on to another custodian. So you're looking in every case for someone who has this level of perfection to preserve and preserve the legacy of the car. Take care.”
Craig Jackson, CEO of Barrett-Jackson, said he was “honored and excited to sell my friend Sammy Hager's stunning LaFerrari.” We had no doubt we would find it a good home. Sammy and the new owner connected after the sale and it felt right. We found the LaFerrari a good home.”
Sammy Hagar's Ferrari LaFerrari has broken a sales record for its model year, the auction house said
Hagar's car, one of a dozen or so exotics the “I Can't Drive 55” singer has collected, was supposed to go up for sale in January of this year. But the temperamental stallion — its 950-hp hybrid engine could rocket the car to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds — needed a replacement for its special battery.
The LaFerrari not only has a rip-roaring V12 gas-powered engine, but also (a first for the Maranello factory) a powerful electric motor. The battery that helps keep the car in top shape carries a five-figure price tag and had to be sourced from Ferrari, which built the LaFerrari model a few years ago.
Hager's LaFerrari surpassed the sale price of other cars for sale at Barrett-Jackson on Saturday. These include a 2019 Ford GT for $880,000, a 1971 Ferrari GTB/4 Daytona Coupe for $506,000 and a 2023 Rolls Royce Cullinan Mansory Edition SUV for $396,000.
A quick search for other LaFerraris for sale this year includes little information about sales prices, making Hagar's sales a new benchmark for the type. According to Barrett-Jackson officials, the highest bid for a 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari prior to Hagar's sale was $3,910,000 at a Broad Arrow Group auction in August 2022.
In recent months, another major auction house, RM Sotheby's, had two LaFerrari models on the block in both Monterey, California and Paris, respectively, a 2015 black edition sold for an undisclosed sum “after auction” and a white LaFerrari. It had an estimate of between $4 million and $5 million when it didn't sell, and bidding probably didn't meet the buyer's reserve price.
Fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Rod Stewart recently connected with Hagar over their shared passion for cars, especially Ferraris. Stewart was on the hunt for his own unique-spec LaFerrari, and bought one just like Hagar's, albeit in white, not cream.
Sammy Hagar says his Ferrari LaFerrari is 'a Libra'
Most Ferraris are red, or Rosso Ferraris. Yet this model's unique color scheme was inspired by Hagar's jet. When he and wife Kari traveled to the fabled factory in Maranello, Italy, to design their custom LaFerrari, that jet took center stage.
Hagar's cars are truly personalized in other ways. Beyond his cappuccino-vibe color scheme, the carbon fiber steering wheel also bears his initials and his date of birth. A longtime fan of numerological alignment, Hagar was shocked at how things lined up for the sale.
“I got the car on my birthday, October 13, 2016, and there's a small silver plaque on the steering wheel that says 'SH1013.'” After the sale, I'll celebrate my birthday, knowing that the lucky person who gets to this land is just as happy. “Oh, PS, it's a Libra.”
While those millions on a LaFerrari are impressive, they actually pale when compared to other savvy business decisions made by Hagar during his lifetime of driving and trading. His highest score to date has to be the $100-million sale of Cabo Wabo tequila to Grupo Campari a decade ago. And Hagar never looked back, starting another liquor business, Santo Tequila with celebrity chef Guy Fieri, followed more recently by Red Rocker Brewing Company.
There's no telling what Hagar will do with her newfound profits. But the rocker recently made some interesting noises while receiving the keys to the city of Las Vegas.
“I have plans. Cabo Wabo Resort and Casino,” Hagar said while in Sin City for the honor and a concert (Hagar's Cabo Wabo Cantina has been a fixture on the Strip for years). “I really plan to do it, and I want to do it in this city. If not here, I'll find another one. Hug me on this one, folks!
Hagar and his band The Circle have been on the road for most of the summer, and Hagar is set to make a solo appearance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. She will perform alongside Chad Smith, Slash and Demi Lovato in a segment honoring 2024's Foreigners.