Ragen '40 Ford

Rock stars don't always live on the road, but some have a love for it, especially if they own one really righteous street rod, like guitar bassist Michael Anthony of the rock group Van Halen. He bangs out a whole different kind of beat in his private life, the kind heard from the exhaust pipes of his Ragen '40.

Ragen Tunes
Anthony's hot red-pepper ride is a custom-built Boyd Coddington convertible that took seven workers nine months to assemble. It features a Corvette LT4 engine, automatic transmission, independent rear end, power windows and leather interior. And it's no show queen, either. The morning after he picked up the car, he promptly drove it from Los Angeles to Springfield, Illinois with a convoy of fellow street rodders. "That was the break-in for it," he says. "It proved that a Boyd hot rod isn't just for show. The only problem we had on the entire trip was a slight leak in one of the brake lines."


Not surprisingly, Ragen '40 cranks out tunes from an over-the-edge audio system. Michael mentions offhandedly that it has "about 1.000 watts" of power, but the only indicators are the custom amps hidden in the trunk. "A lot of people like the stereo to be a focal point, but I don't like stuff like that to be real obvious on a car," he says. "I prefer a more low-key, traditional look, but when you turn it on, there it is."

LT4 Power
Ragen '40 is not Anthony's only ride. Actually, he has 11 cars in all. "That's 10 too many," he confesses. "My cars are a way to unwind from the music business, though. I like to listen to tunes with the top down, haulin' ass. I get a certain feeling from it. And I can go to a car show with one of my hot rods and just blend in, like just another hot rodder."


Boyd Coddington confirmed this trait of Michael. "He's a real hot rod guy, not just a rock and roller," Boyd says. "Michael loves the cars and really enjoys them. He's very concerned about having a car he can drive. During the buildup, he often stopped by the shop and worked with us on the design." Michael's other hot rod is a '33 Ford, and both have hidden touches that reflects another one of his many interests: the polished cover for the differential has a chili pepper milled into it, reflecting his taste for spicy Southwestern food. (One of his bass guitars has the same imagery on the neck, too.)