There is a collection of goods and services that are often sort of hand-me-downs. For example, in my case I used the same barber, mechanic, dentist and doctor that my parents had, and I did so for years because I just didn't really think about it. That’s just where you went when you had to have your hair cut or transmission checked. I also used the same car insurance.
When I started to drive I was bundled into my parents’ family plan and when the time came I just switched over to a personal plan with the same provider.
That is- until I began restoring a classic Corvair (the one deemed “unsafe at any speed” by Ralph Nader). I found that the classic/antique/specialty insurance offered by my company wasn't that great. It just didn't fit for me. I was right on the cusp of shrugging, biting the bullet and signing up when I had a revelation: I didn't have to use the insurance I always had!! I could shop around! It opened a whole shining world of personal shopping scenarios for me and changed my life forever! OK, maybe it wasn't that dramatic but it was certainly a convenient realization for my wallet and insurance coverage.
Anyway, like me, I have the feeling car insurance isn't really something people spend loads of time contemplating. It’s understandable- car insurance isn't exactly the most mind-blowingly thrilling topic in the world to consider but it’s an important one. And it suddenly becomes an all-important topic when the car you've put dozens of hours and thousands of dollars into is blindsided by a bar-hopping party animal.
When I started looking into insurance options for a specialty car my experience was that the big three insurers (the ones with commercials featuring a bubbly, streak-haired, price-gun wielding hipster woman; a British talking gecko and disaster/mayhem personified) didn't have the greatest specialty policies. That too is understandable- they’re huge and accordingly have a huge cut of the market, which means millions of customers, the great majority of whom have convenience and transportation vehicles and the generalized coverage to match. So it’s just not a system that’s really set up to accommodate more personal, specialized policies.
After the shortcomings of the big three became apparent to me, I focused my search for good specialty insurance on the less well-known providers. What worked best for me was to hunt among the companies that weren't so obscure I’d never heard of them, because that made me a little nervous, but weren't so huge that their focus was necessarily on standard insurers. The best bets were reputable and established insurance houses that weren't known for their car insurance and as such offered great policies to compete with the big three monoliths.
The example that comes to mind is a place like
the Hartford. They meet the criteria- reputable and established but they don’t pop to mind for car insurance despite the fact that in 2012 they topped JD Power and Associate best car insurance provider list, came in at number three on MSN Money’s ranking and ranked among the top five on pretty much every other list of the kind. They also have a personalized antique/classic/specialty package that’s specifically tailored to a specific car and its owner.
Not that I’m suggesting necessarily that you run out and sign up with them immediately or anything, just that it’s those sorts of places where the best deals are found. In fact, after the research I've done, my advice is: the insurance-provider ranking lists I mentioned above are a great source for finding a great provider. They usually work with data that’s been culled from surveys that involved thousands of customers giving feedback. Once you've narrowed down a list of places that sound good and rank well, look over their specialty policies, get in touch with their agents and find the one that’s right for you! Good luck and good driving.
Author Bio
Edward Oberg is a writer who blogs on everything he finds interesting. While that covers a pretty broad range of possible topics, his writing focus often finds its way to anything automotive, water sports and fishing-related, travel and entertainment. He has a wonderful wife, a beautiful daughter and a friendly, rotund pug named Wallace.
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