Vintage Car Insurance – 5 Common Restrictions on Collector Auto Insurance Policies

Article by Keith Farren









There is no doubt about it, if you own and drive a collector car, there are many advantages to getting your insurance from a specialty insurance provider. They can offer you much better coverage for less money than a standard insurance policy from the company that insures your commuter car. However, the way that the vintage car insurance companies are able to offer better coverage for less money is that they place a number of restrictions or limitations on the policyholder and how the car is used. Some of these limitations may disqualify you from being able to get specialty insurance, or may be too restrictive for how your car is driven.

The first restrictions to consider are your age, driving experience, and driving record. Most vintage car insurance companies require that you be of a certain age or have a certain number of years behind the wheel. All of them that I have researched require a good driving record, and have a limit on the number of accidents or moving violations that you have had within a specified time frame.

The second restriction to consider is that most if not all specialty insurers require that you have a currently-insured daily driver vehicle in addition to your classic car. Some companies require that you have a daily driver vehicle for each licensed driver in your household. They will not offer a specialty insurance policy if your collector car is your main mode of transportation.

The third restriction to be aware of is that many vintage auto insurance policies have limits on how many miles the car can be driven each year. This may be a concern if you drive to a number of distant car shows or take it on vacation. Most will not allow you to use your collector car for your daily commute or for running errands, even if you meet the previous criteria of owning a daily driver. If you drive your car quite a bit, there are some antique car insurance companies that offer unlimited mileage policies, but the number of providers you have to choose from will be limited.

Fourth, you will likely be required to store your muscle car in a fully enclosed, locked garage when not in use. Some classic auto insurance companies even require that you send them photos of the garage where the car is stored! If your car is kept outside or even under a carport, you may have trouble getting a specialty insurance policy.

The fifth restriction you may run in to is that some collector auto insurance companies will only insure vehicles that are valued above a certain amount. If your vintage car happens to be a rusty four door sedan, your number of choices for specialty insurance providers will be somewhat limited.

Each insurance company is somewhat unique in their limitations and restrictions, but the above points are common to most collector car insurance companies. As long as you can meet the qualifications above and can live with the mileage limits, a specialty collector car insurance policy is most likely your best choice. It will save you money and provide you better coverage than using a conventional auto insurance policy and provider.

For more detailed information on what to look for in a vintage car insurance policy, visit American Classic Car Insurance. For a directory of the top collector auto insurance companies, take a look at Classic Car Insurance Companies.



About the Author

Keith Farren is an ASE Certified Master Technician with a BS in Business Administration, an Associate degree in Automotive Technology, and over twenty years of experience in the automotive industry.










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