Insurance Blog

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Classic Car Insurance for Newbies

A Beginners Guide to Classic Car Insurance

By Insurance blogger Dave Healey

If you've just bought your first classic car you will need to consider not just where, but also how you are going to insure it. If you are new to classic cars you will probably not even be aware that specialist car insurance policies for classics exist, which are peculiarly different from standard car insurance policy covers as offered by those seen on TV.

As a classic car owner it matters not if you drive a perfect condition Ford Capri 3 litre from 1970, a beat up old Morris Minor from the Sixties or a sleek E-type Jaguar in British racing green, it is essential that you find the best classic car insurance cover for your cherished motor, that covers your individual risks at prices that won't break the bank!

If you have not owned a classic car before it is important to realise that there are basic differences between what is known as a standard car insurance policy and the cover offered under one defined as classic, from a specialist car insurer.

The first thing to establish is whether your car is eligible for cover under a classic policy. One way you could do this is ask the previous owner whether it was covered under a classic car insurance policy and with which insurance company.

Different car insurance companies have different definitions of the age and type of vehicles that can be covered under this type of cover.

What might be easily covered with one provider may be excluded by another. Fortunately most online classic car cover providers provide this information on the first page of their websites, so it is fairly easy to surf around and check your eligibility with different insurance companies.

You should check that both the eligibility of the age of the car in question and also whether there are policy restrictions for your individual driving circumstances, such as your age that would prevent you from applying for cover.

The major variation between a standard policy and those offered by the classic car specialists is in the way that you use your classic vehicle, and in particular, how much you drive it. The large mainstream insurers and price comparison sites will offer cover for older cars but will charge an additional premium because of its age. They will also load the premium if replacement parts for the vehicle type are known to be expensive.

More importantly you will only be offered the current market value replacement if the car is covered under a mainstream policy and is deemed to be a write-off when you claim.

With a standard car insurance policy on a replacement like for like basis, the value of the car is often set by the market value at the time of a claim, typically taken from one of the car price magazines such as the UK's Glasses Guide. The amount you will be probably receive for a write-off will be at the current market value of your car which is an annual depreciating amount. Inevitably, if you own a classic car and insure it under a standard policy contract, this leads to under valuation and under insurance of the true value of the car. You will also probably not be offered the salvage and a repairable classic car may often be deemed a write-off because the cost of repair is uneconomic to the Insurer.

If you purchase a specialist classic car insurance policy you will be offered a choice of either an agreed valuation of the classic cars worth or a policy based on market value.

An agreed valuation amount is the amount that the insurance company will pay out in the event of a claim that results in a write off. This is a major benefit of insuring classics under specialist policies because it ensures that you are not just properly covered but will also receive the specialist repair services that your classic will require should you claim. It should be noted that even agreed valuation polices can change and you should ensure that the value is guaranteed for a certain period of time to avoid fluctuations in market values.

Classic Car insurance polices are therefore tailored to the needs of cars considered to be collectable and effectively the valuation is a rating factor for the condition of the car.

The other major difference between standard and classic policies is in the way that you are allowed to use your car under the terms of the agreement. Originally this type of vehicle insurance was designed for drivers who do not use their classic cars much.

All classic car policies have a limited mileage clause which only covers the vehicle for an agreed amount of miles per year. Depending upon which specialist car insurance company you use, there will be a limit to how far you can drive your classic. Some providers will only cover a couple of thousand miles per year under the policy, but many specialist providers are now offering cover up to ten thousand miles per year. These policies reflect the fact that many drivers now use modern day classic cars as their main form of transport.

As with all car insurance it is important to compare both covers and prices when shopping around. There are many specialist classic insurance providers available online today and many specialist schemes that are targeted at particular classic owners. Compare the premiums offered by these with those from the price comparison sites, but if you want to avoid disappointment if you need to make a claim, be sure to understand the difference in policy covers.

The Internet has made it very easy to Compare Car Insurance that was previously only available from specialist car insurance brokers on the high street. You can find those offering special deals and bespoke schemes for your particular classic by searching for schemes to compare for your particular model or vehicle type classic car insurance.

Article first published: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_Healey http://EzineArticles.com/?Classic-Car-Insurance---A-Beginners-Guide-For-New-Classic-Owners&id=3280405

Labels: car insurance, classic car insurance, compare classic car insurance, compare specialist car insurance, specialist car insurance

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Cheap Classic Car Insurance Cover

Cheap Classic Car Insurance Cover
By car insurance specialist blogger and expert Dave Healey

Do you own a car over fifteen years old?
Do you own a car which could be considered a classic?
If you do you may well be entitled to cover it under what is known in the industry as a classic car insurance policy. In the past there were many more restrictions on cover under this type of policy and specialist motor insurance brokers and insurance companies were very particular about the type, age make and models of the cars they wished to cover on their books.

Times have changed and technology has led to many more cars now fitting into a bracket that was once reserved for the glamourous, collector and vintage car owners. It is now possible to obtain both cheap quotes and classic car covers online from many providers including the majority of those famous high street brands, who have realised that nearly fifty percent of the cars on the road now fall within the strict underwriting parameters for classic car policies. Consequently premiums in this market, which were always cheaper than standard cover, have become much more competitive in recent years, with the entry into the market of many of the larger insurance companies.

When searching for the right covers it is wise to get a range of classic car insurance online quotes from various different sources. Not all motor companies are the same, and neither are all classic policy conditions.

When applying for a classic quote you should be aware of the varying limits of cover and restrictions that may be put on driving the vehicle. For example many of these policies will only allow you very limited road mileage each year, sometimes as little as 3000 miles per annum. This is fine if you have an expensive collectors car that is garaged throughout the year and only taken out for the odd cruise or rally. The problems occur much more frequently when non valuable classic cars are insured under this type of policy when they should really be covered under a more embracing standard motor insurance. Unfortunately, restrictive policy conditions often only come to light after an accident and a claim is made, rejected by the insurer and leaves the policyholder feeling missold and abandoned.

If you have decided that a classic car policy is right for your car, then when applying for quotes online always check that the policy is right for you, the owner as well. Many policies are designed to charge by the lifestyle of the insured and as with all car insurance there is a tendency for cover to be cheaper for older persons and women drivers. Many companies will not issue classic motor insurance to persons under the age of twenty five, although this is changing as well, and there are some very good providers out there who will cover drivers as young as twenty one.

If the value of the car is not particularly high and the replacement costs of parts and repairs does not warrant a specialist policy, you may well be better advised to seek out quotes from a mainstream insurance company. They often have additional online discounts and offers which the classic policy providers are not in a position to offer.

As with all car insurance, what may initially appear cheap at policy inception could cause some unpleasant surprises when it comes to making a claim. After all you only buy car insurance to protect yourself in the event of a claim and a policy is only as gfood as it's claims service!

Shop around for specialist car insurance and Compare Classic Car Insurance. Compare prices and insurance covers from both major high street brands and the smaller insurance specialists to ensure you not only get a good deal, but get the adequate levels of cover you require for your classic car, as well.

Original Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_Healey http://EzineArticles.com/?Cheap-Classic-Car-Insurance-Cover&id=2613741

Labels: car insurance, cheap car insurance, cheap motor insurance, classic car insurance, compare classic car insurance