Originally launched as a collector boats insurance company back in 1985, Hagerty now offers a diverse set of options for those who are looking to insure their vehicles. Back in its origins, the company founded by the Hagerty family exclusively insured collector boats, until 1991 when they began covering classic cars.
Successful music artists are seen in all kinds of luxurious stuff, clothing, houses, accessories, but when it comes to cars the following artists opt for the classic, most elegant vehicles. Shown below, Hagerty’s selection puts on display the chosen cars of some of the most relevant music artists of the past decade.
We chatted with James Mill, Editor at Hagerty UK, and discussed the curated list of music artists and their collector cars, and the overall connection Hagerty felt between this selection and their brand. Now, we want to showcase some of Hagerty’s featured, with extracts of the descriptions curated by the brand.
Lady Gaga’s Lincoln Continental
According to Hagerty, Gaga’s most impressive ride thus far has been this “1965 eggshell white Lincoln Continental, complete with custom red leather interior and oversized multi-spoked rims.” Today, this model is valued at roughly $21,000 USD // $25,400 CAD.
Elvis Presley’s De Tomaso Pantera
Back in 1974, Elvis bought a used De Tomaso Pantera for his girlfriend Linda Thompson. The car didn’t last long in their possession, however, since the couple broke up a couple of years later. Today, the De Tomaso Pantera is valued at $80,800 USD // $97,500 CAD.
Aerosmith’s lead singer Steven Tayler’s Hennessey Venom GT Spyder
Steven Tyler collected the first convertible version of Hennessey’s Venom GT in 2012, a car that was acclaimed by the public for being faster than a Bugatti Veyron. In 2017, Tyler’s Venom GT was sold at an auction in 2017 for $800,000, with all its proceeds donated to charity.
Janis Joplin’s Porsche 356
After Janis Joplin became the owner of a used Porsche 356 Cabriolet gave the car over to Dave Richards, a roadie with her band Big Brother, and the Holding Company, for them to give the car a makeover with a unique paint job. In 2015, Joplin’s Porsche 356 was sold at an auction for 1.76M USD. Nowadays, a regular Porsche 365 is valued at $75,500 USD // $91,200 CAD.
AC/DC’s lead singer Brian Johnson’s Lola T70
It is widely known that Brian Johnson’s passion for music was as great as his passion for racing cars. He used to say “If there’s anything that’s gonna scare you in life, it will be this”, as he raced his 1965 Lola T70 racing car powered by a ferocious 640-hp Ford V-8 engine.
Eddie Van Halen’s Lamborghini Miura S
The centrepiece of Van Halen’s extensive and varied car collection was a 1972 Lamborghini Miura S, a car he drove for nearly thirty across California. The sound of 1972 Lamborghini Miura Seven’s engine made an iconic appearance on Van Halen’s 1984 album in “Panama”. Today, the 1972 Miura S is valued at $2,750,000 USD // $3,300,800 CAD.
Read our interview with John Wiley, Hagerty’s Manager of Valuation Analytics, below.
How was the idea to curate a selection such as this one born?
Who doesn’t like to see what successful musicians have spent their royalties on? Men and women of a certain age will get nostalgic about cars of their past and music from their youth and beyond. We put the two things together so our readers could decide whether rock stars had or have as good taste as them!
What drew you about the cars chosen in particular? Why these artists? Or, why these cars?
Simply put, these are some of the best-known and most successful artists in the world who have a thing for cars. The artists may well own a small fleet of other vehicles but we felt the ones showcased in our piece had the best story to tell and would resonate with car enthusiasts.
What would you say has been the role of classic cars in the history of music?
Cars and road trips are a cultural touchpoint, and sometimes a euphemism, for many musicians. Experiences shared behind the wheel or on the road have made it into song. The Rolling Stones sang about Route 66; Billy Brag sang about the A13. Grace Jones instructed us to Pull Up To The Bumper, Iggy Pop recalled journeys on the back seat of his car with David Bowie, listening to cassettes, in The Passenger. Recently, Ed Sheeran sang of driving home and made the headlines for a reference to “Driving at 90 down those country lanes,” on Castle on the Hill. Cars, the journeys of discovery they enable and the memories they create have proved an enduring subject for artists.
What differentiates Hagerty from other car companies?
We began as a niche insurance agency offering coverage for collector cars and have since become a global automotive enthusiast brand and the world’s largest membership organization for car lovers. And it’s all driven by our love for cars and our mission is to save driving and preserve the automotive culture for future generations. Hagerty offers integrated membership products and programs with unique experiences that bring together automotive enthusiasts across the globe. We connect people who love cars through our Hagerty Drivers Club (over 620,000 members), entertainment and events such as the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance, the California Mille, and the Concours d’Elegance of America as well as valuation capabilities, DriveShare (a peer-to-peer car-sharing service), media, and Garage + Social (vehicle storage and social clubs).