Classic Car Insurance FAQs
Are you trying to find the best insurers for older drivers? Or have a specific question about an aspect of classic car insurance cover. At Heritage, we want to make the search for your UK classic car insurance as easy as possible.
So, we’ve listed some common classic car insurance questions and queries, to make sure you understand all the criteria and key rules to get you the exact protection you need.
Our classic car insurance frequently asked questions also look at how to make a claim, what is free agreed value, and more. If you have any further questions, please give the team a ring on 0121 248 9229 or click on our contact form below.
CLASSIC CAR COVER FAQs
If your car is over 20 years old, being driven as a second vehicle and not doing more than 5,000 miles a year, it should qualify for classic car insurance.
There are plenty of exceptions to this rule – for instance, modern classics, performance cars, or modified vehicles for off road use which can all be newer than 20 years old. But generally speaking, a combination of the age, mileage and usage are what qualify a vehicle for classic car insurance.
We cover all these guidelines and potential exceptions in much more detail over on our guide on what age does a car qualify for classic car insurance.
If your car doesn’t quite meet the age criteria for classic car insurance yet, we’d love to refer you to the vehicle insurance services of our partner brand Norton Insurance, who can offer personalised cover for now, then refer you back to us as soon as your car qualifies for classic car insurance.
Although a classic car insurance policy is generally cheaper than a standard car policy, you will need a different type of cover for your daily drive. Typically, the rules of a classic car insurance policy mean that your daily drive cannot be insured as a classic car.
In most cases, our insurers set a minimum age of 25 and a maximum age of 79 for a classic car insurance policy. In some circumstances we may be able provide cover for drivers 21 and over, subject to strict terms and conditions. For existing clients there are no upper age limits.
This level of cover is not available for classic car insurance. We do provide laid-up/SORN insurance, which includes cover for accidental damage, fire and theft.
We don’t include this with our classic car policies, although you will usually already have this with your standard car insurance. If you are unsure, check your Certificate of Motor Insurance for the ‘Driving Other Cars’ wording.
Our multi car insurance does cover you to drive other cars if you are over 25 and your everyday cars are on cover with Heritage. The other car you wish to drive must be insured in its own right, not owned by the policyholder, and for emergency use only.
Yes, we offer a discount of up to 15% for classic car club members. Just let us know which club you’re a member of when you request your quote. We also offer a discount to members of the Green Lane Association, the Military Vehicle Trust, and NHS staff.
Yes, a policy is available for your restoration project. Providing the car is garaged we can insure it on a ‘laid up’ basis, which covers your car for accidental damage, fire and theft.
If you’re looking for an insurance policy for your classic, Heritage has a reliable panel of specialist insurance policies to cater for most ages. You can read more about the best car insurers for older drivers here.
No, you won’t earn a no claims bonus (NCB) for your classic car if insuring with Heritage. Although we can provide a proof of claim free driving experience letter.
Multi car insurance allows you to put all your vehicles on the same policy together, with one renewal date and one premium. In the first year that you set up your multi car policy, you would simply add each of your vehicles as they come up for renewal on their current insurance.
You would pay a pro rata rate for each vehicle you add, based on the time left to the multi car policy renewal date. Then, on the renewal date for your multi car policy, all your vehicles would be renewed together with one premium, with a discount of up to 25% depending on how many vehicles and how many drivers you have on your multi car policy with us.
To explore this policy option in more detail, visit our page on multi car insurance.
Heritage multi car insurance can cover a wide range of vehicles as well as classics, including modern cars and daily drivers, motorcycles, campervans, vans and motorhomes.
The only requirement for Heritage multi car insurance is that one or more of your vehicles is a classic or specialist vehicle.
You can cover as many vehicles as you like under a multi car policy, as long as they are registered to a person at the same address i.e., your spouse, common law partner, parents etc. You can also cover up to 5 drivers.
You can get a discount of up to 25% depending on how many vehicles and how many drivers you have on your multi car policy with us. The best way to find out how much you could save is to give our multi car team a call on 0121 248 9470 or email multicar@heritagecarinsurance.co.uk
Your first payment will be the premium to cover the first of your vehicles – this will be due when you set the policy up. You can choose to pay upfront or put your insurance payments on finance over ten months. For each vehicle you add, you will need to pay a pro rata premium from the date you add it to the renewal date of your multi car policy. This can be added to your monthly payments, or you can choose to pay it upfront if you wish.
You will earn a no claims bonus for any modern cars on your Heritage multi car policy, but any classic car on your policy will not earn no claims bonus.
MY POLICY FAQs
If your classic car is insured with Heritage, you are able to choose who you would like to include as named drivers.
Yes, we can offer cover for temporary additional drivers.
This may affect your insurance premium, so it’s important to notify us of the storage address for your vehicle.
If you wanted to use your car as wedding transport for a friend and weren’t charging them, you would be covered and there is no extra charge on your insurance. If you charge for your classic to be used as a wedding car, you’ll need a specific kind of insurance cover called hire and reward.
You can pay for your classic car insurance using all major credit/debit cards except American Express, you can also pay over the phone, by cheque or BACS. We also offer the option to pay on a monthly basis for many policies.
There are various mileage limit options available, but the standard limit is 5,000 miles. Some insurers will offer you a mileage limit of up to 7,500 miles.
If may affect your insurance policy if you exceed your mileage limit, please contact us on 0121 248 9229 to let us know.
Driving on the Nurburgring is not included in your classic car insurance policy. You will need to contact a specialist insurance provider.
Yes, as long as you have commuting cover in place. Just ask for commuting cover when you get a quote, and we can talk you through the details. If you want to add commuting cover during your policy term, please give us a call on 0121 248 9229.
All new policies taken out are subject to an administration fee of £35. Any mid term adjustments or cancellations are subject to an administration fee of £30.
MAKING A CLAIM FAQs
If you need to make a claim, in the first instance you should contact your insurer directly. Many policies will offer a 24-hour claims line that you can call.
If you don’t have your insurer’s details to hand or can’t get through to them, you can contact us as soon as possible and we will get your claim started – call us on 0121 246 9090.
Our lines are open 8.30am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday, and 9am to 1pm on Saturday. Outside these hours you can call us on 0121 248 9477.
For assistance in the event of a breakdown, please call 0333 333 9711. Please note that you may incur a charge if you use a mobile phone. If you are outside the UK, please call +44 (0) 1444 442044.
Text messaging is available for use by deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired customers. Please text the word ‘Breakdown’ to +44 (0) 7786 202671.
If you have asked the garage to repair your car, then you would pay the excess to the garage. Make sure you get a receipt for the payment as insurers will want to see proof of payment in the event you need to reclaim your excess.
AGREED VALUE FAQs
If your vehicle is a total loss, the agreed value is the amount an insurer will pay minus your policy excess, if you have agreed value on your policy. For example, if your agreed valuation was £12,000 and your excess totalled £1,000, your insurer would pay £11,000.
If you don’t have agreed value on your policy, you will be paid the going market rate at the time of the claim. Heritage offers free agreed value to help you protect the value of your classic car – just ask when you take out your policy.
Please note that agreed value is subject to approval from the insurers.
The value of your car is dependent on market trends and desirability. Keep a check on auctions, price guides and speak to clubs if you’re a member of one. You can get a valuation agreed with your insurer through Heritage as your broker.
If you need an independent valuation, you can ask a car club official, specialist dealer or restorer.
Please note that some insurers may not accept a classic car valuation.
There is no set period for how long your agreed valuation remains valid; we recommend reviewing annually when you come up to renewal, as a starting point. We also recommend that you keep an eye on market values. If you feel the agreed valuation needs reassessing you should contact us.
MODIFCATIONS FAQs
Yes, we can. We cater for a wide range of car and 4×4 modifications. Just let us know when you request a quote what modifications you have.
Many modifications won’t affect your premium, and there is no specific list of modifications that will. Your premium is generally affected when certain combinations of modifications are added. As all our policies are individually tailored to you, it’s best to speak to us and we’ll guide you through.
You will need to notify us of any additional modifications to your car(s). Give us a call on 0121 248 9229.
Get in touch
Send us a message below to get in touch. We aim to respond to all queries sent before 5pm the same working day in the week, and the next working day if you message us in the evening or at the weekend.