UK Classic Cars Blog

Car insurance options for classic cars

2008-11-20T16:38:00-00:00

The term classic car is often used to describe vehicles built post World War II but no later than 1973, however definitions do vary and the term often refers to vehicles that are over 10 years old and classed as worthy of being collectable.

Five of the most famous classic cars of all time are:Car insurance options for classic cars

The term classic car is often used to describe vehicles built post World War II but no later than 1973, however definitions do vary and the term often refers to vehicles that are over 10 years old and classed as worthy of being collectable.

Five of the most famous classic cars of all time are:

Jaguar E Type (1961-1974) - Probably the most famous British sports car of all time, 70,000 were made over a 14 year production run, including a V12 version.

Aston Martin DB5 (1963-1965) - With just 1,000 made, the DB5 found fame as the transport of Sean Connery`s 007 in the film Goldfinger, making it probably the best known of all Aston Martin models.

BMC Mini (1959-2000) - The original Mini was a revolutionary small car that allowed much increased passenger space within a small body and influenced a generation of car makers.

Volkswagen Beetle (1935-1985) - The original VW Beetle is a cult classic that enjoyed a 50 year production run and once held the record for the most produced car in history, with 21 million sold by the late Seventies.

Ford Capri (1969-1986) - A true cult classic, the Capri`s enduring popularity is reflected in the huge volume of parts still available and the sheer volume of owners clubs. Over two million were sold during a 17 year production run.

What car insurance options are available for classic cars?

In car insurance terms, classic and vintage vehicles are generally divided into four categories:

-Veteran: Vehicles manufactured up to and including December 1904.
-Edwardian: Built from January 1905 up to and including December 1918.
-Vintage: Manufactured between 1919 and 1933.
-Classic: Typically pre-1973 but there are exceptions.
-Cherished: Collectable or rare cars aged five to ten years old.

Classic car insurance is not available from every insurance company, but if you have a conventional car that you use more regularly it`s worth asking your existing insurer for a quote as it may have a specialist department designed for classic cars and, depending on the insurer, you may qualify for a multi-car discount. Bear in mind that definitions of classic cars can vary between insurance companies.

There are also a number of specialist classic car insurers that offer quotes specifically for classic cars including:

- Adrian Flux
Offers limited mileage policies, agreed value cover, laid up policies to protect classic projects, track and rally cover and wedding hire cover.

- Heritage Motor
Benefits include agreed valuations, multi-vehicle policies, club member discounts, limited mileage discounts and historic rally, sprint and hill climb cover.

- Footman James
Policies include agreed valuations, limited mileage discounts, multi-vehicle insurance and laid-up insurance.

- Lancaster Car Insurance
Offers limited mileage discounts and discounts for members of classic car clubs.

- Performance Direct
Coverage available for vintage to modern classics.

- Hagerty International
Offers a range of benefits including agreed value, restoration coverage, event and rally cover, limited mileage discounts, salvage options and cherished plate cover.

These specialist insurers offer unique features that may not be available on standard car insurance policies. For example, an agreed valuation guarantees the sum your car is insured for at the start of the policy rather than insuring it for `market value`.

With a limited mileage discount you could slash premiums by as much as five per cent if you agree to drive less than 12,000 miles in your vehicle each year - and there are further discounts available if you set the mileage limit even lower. It`s also important to check you are suitably insured for any classic car rallies or races you may attend.

How to make a classic car insurance claim

Contact your car insurance company as soon as you can after the damage or theft has occured - most insurers have a dedicated 24 hour claims helpline. Typically you`ll be required to complete an accident report form and you should ask your insurer what other documentation or supporting evidence they`ll need.

If your classic car has been damaged, don`t book it in for repairs without consulting your insurer first and obtaining authorisation to do so. If you use your insurance company`s approved repair centre then you may find that the claims process is quicker and simpler

Cathies Cars

2008-10-27T13:11:00-00:00

"The private hire minicab service covering all journeys in and out of Epsom/Ewell and surrounding areas.

All airports/seaports (Dover, Southampton) plus pickup and drop off to and from all railway stations are covered.

Female drivers are available and can be supplied on request."

This is a nice little website which states quite plainly who they are and what they do.

They work from fixed price rates which are clearly stated on the site and they also have a facility to book your journey on line. They use a VW Transporter Shuttle, 2 Citroen C8 7 seaters and a Renault Espace 6 seater. So plenty of room for the family or luggage. Hmm wonder if they could fit a Ford Zephyr engine??

Airports covered: Gatwick, Heathrow, Stansted, Luton and London City Airport, they also serve the seaports of Southampton, Portsmouth and Dover.

All in all, a good content website if you need a private hire minicab service around Epsom or London airports. Everything seems to be up front on the site and all the important information is there. Google page rank of 3 as well!

Cathies Cars

AC Cars - J Bradburn a review

2008-10-18T00:57:00-00:00

The website www.jbradburn.co.uk/ is without doubt, dedicated to AC cars. Jonathan Bradburn has, for many years, been involved in racing and restoring AC cars with some real success.

He races his cars quite regularly, weather permitting, and has ensured that the cars have been restored to the best specifications possible. Quite the perfectionist is Mr Bradburn! If you take a look at his site and browse the cars available you will see that wherever he can, he has the total history of the car, from delivery to first owner, through modifications - updates, to the present day.

With an impressive range of AC cars available to buy, and many parts for AC's, Jonathan is a most impressive collector and dealer of almost anything you need to restore your AC car to its original state. Need advice or information on who owned an AC car? Ask Jonathan. This has to be one of the best sites on AC cars around. Give it a whirl and let me know if you think different.

Visit his website http://www.jbradburn.co.uk/ direct or check his listing on http://www.uk-classic-cars.com/

Car Shuttle - Get your car there on time.

2008-10-17T23:25:00-00:00

Car Shuttle

http://www.car-shuttle.co.uk/ what do they do?

"We have found a large proportion of the private customers we have, have purchased their vehicles from Ebay, and as such have the extra worry of transporting the vehicle from the point of sale. Usually, having no previous experience with arranging transportation services."

Well, that says it all really. If you have bought a car and need it transported home but are not really sure of how to get it there, give Car Shuttle a call and they will take all of your worries away. They will advise you on the best method of getting the car home or will give you a quote on the costs of them doing it for you. Just remember, this car that you have bought is perhaps going to be your pride and joy, don't have it written off before you even get it home!

Car Shuttle also sponsor the Acorn Racing Team and because of this, fully understand the importance of getting your car to the circuit and the importance of your racing vehicles. They offer a "race day" service to deliver you vehicle to the track and away again afterwards, at a price to suit you and your budget.

Classic Cars:

Car Shuttle have a "real world" large amount of experience in transporting your prized possession and are fully aware that some cars require their own special needs. Ask Car Shuttle for a quote and, if you can go for a seven day delivery slot, you will benefit from a 25% discount! Let them know that you saw them either on http://www.uk-classic-cars.com/ or on this blog.

All new UK Classic Cars Blog

2008-10-17T20:07:00-00:00

Welcome to the new UK Classic cars blog. Our intention here is to highlight and review random websites which are listed in the main www.uk-classic-cars.com directory. What we will be doing is:

Random reviews of Classic car websites.
Site of the week where you the user can suggest a site to be reviewed.
Perhaps we will post pictures of users cars or restoration projects?
Um... any suggestions?

And, of course: Have fun with this blog!

Info ...

2008-10-18T00:38:00-00:00

Here we will place links and info on a variety of things, keep checking back!