Auto insurance: how to properly insure a vintage car?
No, just because your car is “old”, “special” and well maintained does not mean that it is automatically a vintage car. In any case not necessarily in the eyes of insurers who use specific criteria to qualify a given automobile as a collection. If it does fall into the classic car category (more than 600,000 classic cars are listed and registered in France), you can then apply for tailor-made car insurance to benefit from guarantees specific to the use you make of it. done on a daily basis or on an exceptional basis.
To know everything about dedicated auto insurance to classic cars and to know the differences between traditional auto insurance and classic car insurance, it’s now!
Legal definition of a classic car and criteria used by insurers
The status of a classic car is governed by the Highway Code, and more precisely by its article R 311-1. A vintage car:
- Must be a vehicle over 30 years old
- Does not meet the technical requirements of modern vehicles
- Has a specific registration certificate and number plate
- Passes the technical control only every 5 years
Some insurers go further than the Highway Code by also taking into account the rarity, genre, model, make or history of the vehicle (regardless of its age) to qualify it as a vintage car. Please note, in these cases, cars less than 30 years old remain subject to the obligation of technical control classic every 2 years.
Insuring your collector’s vehicle is compulsory. Are you sure ?
The Highway Code is clear: all land motor vehicles (yes, your car is a land motor vehicle) traveling on public roads must be insured. And a collector’s car that fits well in the category land motor vehicle, you must therefore assure it before participating, for example, in a public meeting behind the wheel.
With most of the major companies in the market, you can take out car insurance collection if and only if:
- You are over 21
- You have successfully completed your driving license for at least 3 years
- You have not had a responsible traffic accident for at least 2 years
- You have another older vehicle for your daily trips
And in some, the insurance company may even commission an expert to attest to the particular character of the car.
Auto insurance for a classic car: 2 solutions
Even if your vehicle is officially stamped a collector’s car, you do not have to take out specific insurance. You can choose to insure it at all risks, third party or extended third party in the same way as a classic car.
Obviously, given the often high value of vintage vehicles, it is strongly recommended to opt for comprehensive insurance, the only one able to guarantee reimbursements up to the level in the event of claims, even those responsible.
You can also decide to prefer an insurance designed to measure for the automobiles of this type of collector’s vehicle, and in particular for the particular use which you make of it, daily or exceptionally.
Usually, a classic car is actually used less often than a classic car. Concretely, it rarely leaves the garage! This is not the case when you want to insure a professional car, for example.
And as you often hold on to it like the apple of your eye, you drive it more carefully (statistically, the risk of loss is down) and you maintain it perfectly (statistically, the risk of breakdowns likely to be covered is well below average).
Direct consequence: by choosing a specific collector’s vehicle insurance, its owner will see himself globally propose adapted offers at very competitive prices, often cheaper than for classic cars. In addition, in the event of a claim, the insurance will compensate according to the official rating of the collector car, often higher than the classic Argus rating!
Whatever your choice (classic insurance or classic car insurance), check the amount of deductibles offered by insurers. In the case of a vintage car, it is indeed to be feared that deductibles are higher, taking into account the repair and parts prices that are often out of step with those generally observed for general public vehicles.
To obtain an official registration certificate collector car status of your vehicle (allow 4 to 8 weeks), you must make a request to the French Federation of Vintage Vehicles (FFVE) specifying the characteristics of your vehicle:
- Mark
- Model
- Year of circulation
- Power
- Serial number
- Chassis number
- Number of seats
Without forgetting to provide proof of identity and address, 2 photos of your vehicle, the old registration card or a sales certificate attesting that you are the owner. And a check for payment …
Be sure to compare all collector’s car insurance contracts to be sure to decide!
Do you want to insure your vintage car or are you planning to purchase it in the short or medium term? Use an online auto insurance comparator without delay. Free and without obligation, an auto insurance simulation will allow you to carry out all the simulations you want in a few minutes.
You will then obtain tailor-made quotes precisely corresponding to the characteristics of the collector car to be insured, depending on the insurance and guarantees you have chosen.
From there, you can opt for cheapest insurance and / or the most complete in full transparency. Most often, with substantial savings. You will also have black and white access to the amounts of the franchises offered. You can then carry out the classic insurance / classic car insurance comparison to compare the pluses and minuses of each of the two formulas.
