It is nearly impossible to number the insurance companies and agents who serve the car insurance needs for brand-new vehicles or cars that are only a few years old. The individuals who own such cars comprise the vast majority of drivers, but there is a large group of automobile owners who possess original Model-T Fords, '70 Camaros, and other classic cars. Because of the value and money invested in buying and restoring these cars, standard car insurance will not suffice to pay for damages or loss. Instead, these drivers need what is called either classic car insurance, collector car insurance, or antique car insurance.
What is Classic Car Insurance?
Classic, collector, or antique car insurance is a specialty form of auto insurance that provides adequate coverage for older vehicles. Definitions vary as to what qualifies as an antique, classic, or collector car. One insurance company says antique cars are vehicles that are more than 25 years old. This same company puts the age of classic cars at 20-24 years and collector cars at 15-19 years. Regardless of the precise definition, all of these cars are older than what most people drive, and for a variety of reasons may cost more to replace, as will be noted before. Car insurance designed for classic cars will pay more than standard insurance for a claim. Many classic car insurance companies will also insure new vehicles that are extremely costly. These are normally referred to as exotic cars and include such autos as the Lamborghini.
How is Insurance for Classic Cars Different than Standard Insurance?
The chief difference between classic, antique, or collectors car insurance and standard car insurance is in the amount that will be paid out in the case of a claim. Standard car insurance normally pays out the car's value less any depreciation or deductible. This is almost always sufficient for the most recent cars. Classic cars, however, may have had thousands upon thousands of dollars invested in them for restoration and maintenance. Standard insurance would by no means cover this investment in the case of a loss, but car insurance that is designed for classic cars will. Typically, it operates according to an agreed value model. When the policy is initiated, the car owner and the company determine a value for the car that will be paid in case of an accident. Whatever amount is agreed to is what the driver will receive, so the driver can include repair costs and more in the policy's value.
Antique Car Insurance Online Quotes,
As is the case with standard car insurance, classic car owners can get coverage quotes online that can be compared with quotes from other insurers to find the best coverage at the lowest price. For United States residents, at least, there are few if any one-stop sites to get quotes from several different insurers. There are, however, dozens of insurance companies for classic, collector, and antique cars, and visiting each one of them can give the driver a quote specifically for that company. Canadian drivers are largely in the same boat, but there are at least a few one-stop quote search sites for drivers in Great Britain. Listed below are some of the best places to get a car classic insurance online quote for drivers in these three countries.
Canadian Classic Auto Insurers
UK Classic Auto Insurance Comparison Sites
U.S. Classic Auto Insurers - Coverage Quotes Online
Car insurance is a necessary expense both for acquiring a drivers license and to guarantee protection from financial ruin in the case of accidents and injury, whether or not one is at fault. It is therefore important to find quality, inexpensive auto insurance in order to have this protection without breaking the budget. Since the advent of the Internet, finding good insurance at an affordable price has been easy because of the many sites that allow drivers to compare car insurance online.
Advantages to Comparing Car Insurance Online
Though some people might be tempted simply to buy insurance from the first company they find or from the company that has been insuring them for several years, this is not necessarily the best way to go about it. There is no way for drivers to know if they are getting the best coverage at the most competitive price unless they compare auto insurance quotes. In fact, it is possible to pay a premium for coverage that is not really the best for one's insurance needs if no research into different companies is performed.
Aside from possible cost savings, an online auto insurance comparison also has the advantage of making the driver aware of the multitude of options that are available in each particular locale. It is easy to think that only one or two companies serve the drivers in a certain area because of the strength of their advertising. Yet there are actually dozens of companies that serve customers all across the United States, even if they are not seen on television all that often. Finding out these options goes a long way toward saving money on auto insurance, and it allows drivers to get to learn about quality companies that they may not have otherwise known.
One final advantage of comparing car insurance companies online is the ease of research that the Internet makes possible. In the past, drivers had to call several different companies and insurance agents in order to get a decent car insurance comparison. Today, all one needs to do to get a good quote comparison is to visit a site that specializes in comparing several different companies, enter one's zip code, and fill out a form. The comparison site will then forward the driver's information to several companies who will contact the driver directly, or it will perform the comparison itself and return results within seconds. Either way, the driver who is looking for insurance only has to perform one action. Several good insurance comparison sites are listed below.
Quality Auto Insurance Quote Comparison Sites
Conclusion
Drivers should not be afraid to take advantage of the many online sites that allow them to compare prices for auto insurance. Money and time will be saved when drivers go through the online research process, and they will also learn of many different car insurance companies that they might not have otherwise known. Anyone who wants to get the best coverage for the lowest possible price should visit one or more of these sites today.