When you’re looking for the best way to insure an older car, you should think about it the same way as when you choose a standard insurance policy regarding both your own needs and your state’s laws. Here we cover the many factors at play and why the age of your car is not a major one.
Is Your Car a “Classic”?
The insurance industry’s bar for what counts as a classic car is pretty high, and the beloved 1980s hot rod that you’ve driven into the ground might not meet the mark. When one thinks of a “classic” car, what comes to mind is a car that gets looked at a lot (maybe the envy of collectors), stored in a garage (or another safe manner), driven rarely (even then only by very safe drivers), and is not used as your main way to get from here to there. In other words, it’s a car you own more for show than for any useful purpose.
The Risks of Owning a Classic Car
Your classic car may hold a lot of value, and it may be costly to replace, but is it risky? In other words, how does it compare to other cars on the road in terms of risk? Since it’s not driven too often and is kept locked up most of the time, the amount of time it is on the road is pretty small, which works in your favor. What about theft? There’s a chance, but it’s a pretty small chance if your car is kept in a garage at home. Now you start to see why the age and value of your car are only two pieces of the puzzle. The risk to insure the value behind a classic car is balanced by these other factors that limit exposure to risk of damage.
How Much Does It Cost to Insure an Older Car?
The first thing most people think about when gauging the cost to insure an older car is the actual amount they would pay an insurance company each month. While this is far from the only factor at hand, it is at the top of most people’s minds and worth looking into. The simple answer is that car insurance premiums do not go down or up just because a car is older. There is very little correlation between the age of the car and the cost to insure it on a monthly basis. You can always adjust your coverage levels if you would like to lower your monthly payment. Simply put, premiums tend to be higher when your car presents a greater risk of loss. For example, maybe you have a car that is beloved by thieves. Maybe you’re an unsafe driver, or maybe you don’t have the best or the most modern safety and anti-theft features. Older cars tend to fall into some of these categories, and so your premiums may be higher for any of these reasons, but not because your car is old. The rest of the factors that go into the price of your premiums, such as your age, location, and driving history, will affect rates for old and new cars alike.
The Cost of Repairs and Sourcing Parts
If you own a car for long enough, the chances that you’ll have to repair it at some point are pretty high. If you have an older car, the chances are even higher. If you need to make a repair, and your car is an older model, it will most often be harder to find the proper parts than it would be for a newer model. They might even no longer be routinely made. When you can find parts, they might need to be specially ordered, shipped from some distant retail store (or private owner), or found in a salvage scrap yard. For all of these reasons, older parts that you do find can be costly. The cost of repairs is an important piece of any prudent car budget, especially for an older car.
Comprehensive and Collision Coverages
In many cases, and for most drivers, springing for comprehensive and collision coverages is a smart idea. Whether or not they suit your older car’s needs is up for debate. First, it’s important to know how they differ and what each covers. Comprehensive insurance pays for repairs to your car from damage due to a number of events that are out of your control, but not for crashes. Think theft, bad weather, a cracked windshield, or a deer running out onto the road. Collision insurance covers the costs of any damage done to your car as a result of a crash. There are many nuances to each, but this is the rough breakdown.
Do You Really Need the Extra Coverage?
Dropping coverages from your policy is a quick way to save on the cost of premiums. Collision coverage only kicks in to cover your car if you cause a crash, such as with a car, pole, tree, or railing. The older your car is, the less money you are likely to get back should you crash and damage it. If you are a safe driver and can set aside the cost to replace (not repair) your car with savings, then dropping this coverage is almost always a good idea, but if you’re prone to accidents or strapped for cash, it may be better not to. If you’re still paying off your car loan, dropping this coverage is not an option. Comprehensive coverage is more of a bonus, but the only drawback of skipping it is that you won’t be able to protect against a wide range of types of damage that come with a wide range of costs.
How to Choose a Policy
If your car is really an antique, you may be bracing yourself to pay a lot, but that’s not always how antique auto insurance works. Data provided by Progressive found that classic cars cost about 36% less to insure than a common modern car, because policies must be tailored to your car’s specific needs.
Don’t Pay More Than You Need To
Put in the groundwork to make sure you have coverage that fits your car’s needs without much extra. Get the best coverage you can afford, and speak to a trusted professional. When you’re dealing with a classic car, you’re not talking about something that you can easily (and cheaply) replace, so finding the best policy is critical. There are many insurance providers for classic cars, such as Grundy Worldwide, Hagerty Insurance Agency and Heacock Classic. You can also find classic car insurance through traditional providers like Hartford, Farmers, Allstate, and Geico, or their partners.
