Classic Car Insurance Basics for Dummies

Classic Car Insurance - A Beginners Guide For New Classic Owners
By 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.

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 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 Classic Car Insurance 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 specialist Classic 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 your model type classic car insurance.

Original Article:

Porsche Classic Car Insurance

You can now compare over 100 specialist porsche classic car insurance schemes when you visit specialist car insurance website Car-Insurance.TV

Specialist schemes are available for all post war Porsche classics, guaranteeing exceptional cover at the cheapest rates. Additional benefits include valuations and member discounts.




When you compare Porsche Classic Car insurance using our scheme comparison system you can obtain instant online cover for the following Porsche classics -

Porsche 64 , 356 , 360 Cisitalia , 550 Spyder , 718 , 787 , 804 , 904 , 906 , 907 , 908 , 909 Bergspyder , 910 , 911 , 914 , 917 , 934 , 935 , 936 , 924 , 928 , 930 , 944 , 956 , 959 , 961 , 962 , Porsche-March 89P , RS Spyder (9R6), 928, 959, , 968, boxsters and all road versions of the 911 including Carreras.

BMW Classic Car Insurance Comparison

Compare over 80 BMW Classic Car Insurance schemes for the following classic beamer models at Car-Insurance.tv

BMW Isetta, BMW 501/502, BMW 3200 CS, BMW New Class, BMW New Six, BMW 3 Series, BMW 5 Series, BMW 6 Series, BMW 7 Series, BMW M Series, BMW Z Series, BMW 8 Series and BMW Compact



Large online discounts ensure you only pay for minimum for the best BMW classic car insurance cover in the UK. Compare BMW Insurance scheme policies and bespoke covers from specialist BMW classic cover providers.
Enjoy the group benefits of lower premiums and specialist claims help for your BMW should you require it!

Test Drive an Aston Martin and you dont need Insurance!

Not just anyone can walk into an Aston Martin Dealership and demand a test drive and even if you were thinking of buying a new one there's a long waiting list!

So how do the likes of us mere mortals get to experience the thrill of getting behind the wheel of an Aston Martin DB9 or V8 Vantage?

Well for just GBP99 you can!



Well as long as you hold a valid UK driving licence, are aged 17 or over, don't weigh more than 16 stone and are between five foot and six foot four tall!

There are centres run by Virgin Experiences, all over the country, including Silverstone where you can put the pedal to the metal for just 99 quid!

For more information on Test driving an Aston Martin click!

For information on exclusive Aston Martin Insurance Schemes for new models at the cheapest UK rates, visit Aston Martin Insurance where you can aslo compare over a hundred independent schemes for Classic Aston Martin Insurance









Car Insurance and Cheap Car Insurance

The Austin Healey 3000 is Fifty Years Old! - Classic Car Insurance

Austin Healey Celebrates Fifty Years

Donald Healey the designer of the Austin Healey range led an amazing life.
He was born in Perranporth in Cornwall in 1898 and worked for a while with Tommy Sopwith on early aircraft development such as the Sopwith Pup. During the First World War, he became one of the first pilots to join the newly formed Royal Flying Corps, the forerunner of the present day RAF, and immediately saw action over France.



He became the first person to make a wireless broadcast from a plane and later designed the first aircraft radio made by his own Perraphone Company. Between the wars he returned to his beloved Cornwall and started to develop hand built cars in his Perranporth garage, before moving up to new premises in Warwick in the heart of the UK car manufacturing region, The West Midlands, where 20 hand built cars were produced. Donald became a prolific racing driver and in 1931 he won the Monte Carlo Rally.

He took a prototype of what was to become Austin Healey 100 to the 1952 London Motor Show in Earls Court where Leonard Lord the then boss at Austin Motors, took one look at the beautiful Austin Healey 100, and said to Healey, "We can make them!" The rest is history and the Austin Healey 100 was born. They were called 100's because they could exceed 100mph and a six cylinder version was produced - the Austin Healey 100/6s.

Austin started production of the first Austin Healey 3000 with their distinctive grills, exactly fifty years ago in 1959. They were sleeker and much more powerful than the 100’s and became an immediate hit with UK sports car fans and became a best seller.

The 3000 eventually became the MkIII which had the luxury of wind-up windows, a convertible top, 124 bhp and was capable of 120mph.
The Healey 3000 became world famous as a competition car, and two women drivers, Pat Moss and Anne Wisdom were amongst those who won many trophies driving them.

The Austin Healey 3000 was produced from 1959 up until the model being discontinued in 1967, Over 40,000 cars were made with the cost of the final production car in 1967 being GBP 1,106. today a similar car in good condition will set you back in excess of GBP 35,000!

Car-Insurance.TV is honoured to be able to offer the cheapest Austin Healey Car Insurance available in the UK through the official Austin Healey Classic Car Insurance Scheme. We are proud to help keep this car on the road for at least another fifty years!

For more information on the excellent insurance covers offered for classic Healeys visit:
Austin Healey Insurance
Sports Car Insurance

Cheap Classic Car Insurance?

If you own an older motor you may qualify to have it covered under a specialist classic car insurance policy. But what are the cover restrictions and is it cheaper in the long term? Our expert Dave Healey Investigates.....

Cheap Classic Car Insurance Cover
By Dave Healey
Do you own a car over fifteen years old? 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.
Shop around for specialist car insurance and 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

Car Insurance and Cheap Car Insurance

World Car Insurance Market Shrinks!

The world car insurance market is shrinking as fast as global warming is melting the ice caps
All around the world thoudands upon thousands of new cars sit idly rusting away while the economies sink further into recession, awaitng new owners who are not forthcoming!
Under the old registration system, March and April would normally be manic times for new car registrations and car insurance in insurance brokers and companies offices up and down the country. today those same brokers are reporting that new car business is quiet! Hardly surprising since many of the workers from the car industry that would normally buy these cars are on short time or laid of for months!

The evidence..............

A very quiet Honda plant in Swindon





Ello John Gotta new motor?


Sheerness for Export?


All over the UK cars are sitting in holding areas getting older!
By the time they are sold they will be eligible for our Classic Car Insurance Schemes!

Classic Car Insurance For Young Drivers

Classic Car Insurance For Young Drivers
By Dave Healey

In the past we were all used to seeing young and first time drivers around town in beaten up old jalopies or rust buckets, that looked like they were not going to pass the following years MOT test of road worthiness.

Today many of these cars are eligible to be covered under a classic car insurance policy, and due to the low cost of acquisition, many are being driven by young drivers.

With the advent of new paint technologies in the nineteen eighties and robotic construction techniques introduced to mass car assembly production in the nineteen nineties, cars are staying on the road much longer than their predecessors and way beyond the lifetime of their depreciation value.

In the past classic cars tended to be things of rarity, and consequently the resale value tended to be outside of the normal depreciating rate, as demand kept the prices up. This is just as true today for cars from sought after and prestigious marques and the recent recession has led to a resurgement in investment for the scarce collectors or vintage classic car.

Conversely the number of standard family cars that are now defined as eligible for classic car cover buy being over a certain age, has risen dramatically. These are the very same cars that are being bought by the majority of young drivers when they first pass their driving test. Although technically classic cars they can be picked up from used car dealers at next to nothing. Young driver favourites such as the VW golf and Ford Escort hatchbacks are now considered classic cars and reasonable models can be bought for under a thousand pounds.

Car insurance for young drivers is often prohibitively expensive due to the nature of the risk and this is no different if a young driver applies for classic car insurance. Young drivers are further hampered in purchasing this type of insurance as most will not have accrued any substantial no claims bonus or discount for safe driving years experience.

Most car insurance suppliers will not insure anyone under twenty five under a classic car policy, however some of the better more specialist classic cover providers have recently lowered this age to twenty one, in some cases.

Although classic car insurance schemes are widely renowned to be much cheaper than standard cover, even if offered to a young driver, they should be aware that many of these polices have limitations to the amount of time and distance that can be craven in the classic during any period of insurance. As young people tend to use their cars more in pursuit of their lifestyles, this type of policy may include cover restrictions which are not be suitable for a young driver.

Young people looking for cheaper car insurance should shop around on the Internet to investigate a classic policy if the car they own really necessitates it and all the additional covers it offers, with the caveat that the classic cover might not be all they require of a policy should they be unfortunate enough to make a claim.

Cheaper cover can usually be obtained online from a comparison site or a car insurance for young drivers specialist providers website.

Young drivers can compare young driver car insurance schemes and classic car insurance schemes at Car-Insurance.tv the UK's largest online specialist car insurance portal with over 150 schemes available

Original Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_Healey http://EzineArticles.com/?Classic-Car-Insurance-For-Young-Drivers&id=2453555

Car Insurance and Cheap Car Insurance

Government Car Scrappage Scheme Has Serious Flaws

New for old! New for old!

You hear the expression a lot in the UK Car insurance Industry, but in the case of the recently announced car scrappage scheme we'd like to inform Mr Gordon Brown, that there is no Genie in a Lamp!

The Government sponsored car scrappage scheme has in our opinion been inadequately thought out and is seriously flawed, the result of which will have a long term detrimental affect upon the classic car market and consequently upon specialist and classic car insurance. More importantly it's going to cost you the public!

All vehicles that are over ten years old, both cars and vans, are eligible for the scrappages scheme which starts next week.
Under the scheme, if you trade in your old motor for a new one, the government puts GBP 1000 of taxpayers money in, and the already struggling UK car industry foots another GBP 1000 of the price of the new car.

So how does this help the UK Car Industry? We think it is seriously flawed for a number of reasons:

We cannot see that such a small percentage amount, even off the price of the cheapest of FOREIGN import cars, of say 25%, will stimulate demand from an already indebted UK public.

Besides why would anyone think of buying a new vehicle when there are so many good deals to be had with pre owned or lease cars?

How would the majority of people who drive 10 year old cars, be able to afford a new one even if with a couple of grand knocked off the price?

How would the majority of people who drive 10 year old cars, be able to afford the car insurance premiums on the new ones?

Why is the scheme going under the green banner when it is going to create more waste?
In case the government haven't noticed the bottom has fallen out of the second hand scrap metal market since China stopped buying.
Are we going to see England's (and Britain's) green and pleasant land turned into fields piled high with scrapped cars. What's so green about that?

The scheme is vunerable and open to fraudulant use by unscrupulous motor traders!

On the good side there should be more spare parts available and the prices should drop for classic car replacement parts.

So what's the Impact of the scrappage scheme on the UK Car Insurance?

Many of the standard all risks car insurers are rubbing their hands in glee at the prospect of the scheme as they see immediate vast profits to be made from the change, at the cost to YOU the British public!

Essentially the car insurers stand to make vast sums of money in two ways when you cancel your policy and take out a new one:

1. When you cancel your car insurance contract mid-term, in the majority of cases you will get short period rates, which means you won't get six months of your premium back, if fact you'll be lucky to get four months!

Bingo Car Insurers!

2. Car Insurance premiums for new cars are going to be more expensive per se.
If the policyholder only had third party cover on his ten year old car, then fully comprehensive car insurance on the new car is going to be possibly five or six times what they were previously paying!

Bingo Car Insurers!

The car scrappage scheme has also posed the insurance industry some very tricky questions when it comes to the question of write-offs or total loss claims.
At the moment claims payouts are usually based upon the value of the vehicle before a write off occurred. But the majority of 10 year old cars which are not sought after classics, are worth less than GBP 2000.
Are we going to see the majority of write-off claimants retain the salvage, as it's worth more than what the car insurance company is offering?

We'd advise all owners of 10 year old cars to think seriously about the personal cost to themselves of entering the scrappage scheme. If you are looking to save money on car insurance you would be well advised to keep the older car, and if you do limited miles each year, check out specialist car insurance and classic car insurance schemes to save hundreds of pounds on premium costs.

Classic Car Insurance - kewego
Classic Car Insurance at the cheapest UK rates from over 100 schemes at http://www.car-insurance.tv

Keywords: classic car insurance cars autos classic cars car insurance insurance finance money

Video from classiccar

Classic Car Valuations - What's my classic car worth?

A useful guide to classic car valuations for insurance by our resident classic cover expert Dave Healey

How to Value a Classic Car For Insurance Purposes

Before you go hunting around for classic car insurance it is a worthwhile exercise considering the actual value of what your beloved cherished motor is worth. The cost of these specialist car insurance polices is often determined by the sum insured or declared value. Unfortunately your opinion of the value of the car and that of the insuring company may differ widely. How do you value your classic car for insurance purposes?

Unless you approach this potential problem from inception, that is the day you take the policy out, if the worst happens and you need to make a claim where your car is written off, you may not get the full market value for your classic. This problem is exacerbated if your particular classic is rare, vintage or a historic collectors car.

With a standard car insurance policy on a replacement like for like basis, the value of the vehicle is often set by the market value of the time, typically taken from one of the large publications such as Glasses guide to motor vehicle prices. The amount you will be probably be paid for a write-off will be at the current market value of your car, an annual depreciating price given to all cars and vehicles.

This works fine in the majority of those claims, however with the classic car market there is no such reliable guide, and problems can arise when a classic car has been involved in a total loss accident.

It is highly unlikely that an owner will know the actual value of their classic car at any point in time beyond when the bought it, and this applies equally to an Insurer who has to calculate a price for the risk. A decision that also has to be made by the insurer in pricing his classic car insurance policy is the cost of repairs. Specialist tools and replacement parts might be required and it important for a prospective purchaser of a classic car insurance policy to understand the levels of repair cover offered, and whether you are bound to take your car to an approved repairer in the event of a damage claim

To avoid the above problems that may occur, most specialist car insurers of classic and other collectors vehicles have devised a cover option or policy element called an 'Agreed Valuation'. The purpose of the Agreed Valuation cover is that in the event of a total loss claim where the classic car is beyond repair and written off, the underwriting company will guarantee to pay the claim in full to the agreed value of the classic car, less any excesses that may be applicable. In most cases the agreed value of the car is guaranteed for certain period of time. If the value of your motor changes significantly at any time you will need to inform your insurance company who will arrange for a revaluation. Many specialist car insurers offer the valuation service as part of the basic policy cover and it is included in the cost, others will charge a small fee and offer it as optional cover. The valuation process is fairly easy with most classic car insurance companies requiring a set of photographs and accompanying purchase or restoration documentation by post.

If your classic car is valuable or difficult to value you should consider taking out a policy where agreed valuations are included as part of the scheme to avoid problems with the insurance company in the future. Usually an Agreed Valuations Certificate is issued by and often only valid for, the participating insurance company. If you are planning to switch classic car insurance to take advantage of the many offers that are currently available from specialist companies on the Internet where the market is softer and premiums cheaper, be sure to first check that a certificate issued by your previous company is accepted by the new insurer or that the new company offers an agreed valuation service.

If you own a classic car it is not worth trying to save money on premiums today when it may cost you much more in the future in the event of a claim. Safeguard yourself by purchasing classic car insurance from a specialist car insurance company which has the experience of dealing with cars like yours, and can offer you cover where the value of your classic car is guaranteed.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_Healey