Research criteria

Based on the most important criteria on which to select vintage car insurance, Alpina has compared current vintage car insurance products. These criteria are explained in detail below. Insurers that appear in the analysis may not be shown in the comparison module at www.alpina.nl. This is due to the fact that unfortunately not all companies work with intermediaries, and some products can only be taken out directly with the relevant insurer by the customer.
The vintage car survey is divided into several categories:

• Premium and deductible
• Acceptance
• Appraisal
• Use
• Damages and conditions
• At-risk

 

• All companies
• Explanation of research criteria
• Best vintage car insurance 2014
• Cheapest WA vintage car insurance 2014
• Cheapest All-Risk vintage car insurance 2014

 

Premium Excess

Of course, the premium is always a deciding factor for the consumer. An insurer bases the premium on the risk offered. Premium determinants such as mileage, residence, driver age, etc., affect the premium. Considered is how high the risk of damage is and how high the risk of a substantial claim payment is.

At the time when only hobby rides are driven with the vehicle, the premium is different than when the vehicle is driven daily. Unfortunately, all insurance premiums in general have already increased enormously in recent years due to the fact that they had not been raised for several years and due to the significantly increased cost of claims. The difference between the highest and lowest third-party premium in our analysis is EUR 120.70 per year. Meeus charges EUR 60.24 where Bovemij charges EUR 181.00 for an annual third party liability premium for a 1985 car.

Although most insurance policies are taken out to cover a large risk, a low deductible is nice to have. Incidentally, the deductible can be recovered in the event of a recoverable loss, so it does not remain at your own expense.
The deductible differs per company. In our research, the Europeesche applies the lowest (EUR 130.00). The other excess amounts are in between. The difference between the highest and lowest deductible is thus as much as EUR 120.00 per claim event.

Increased deductible youth driver

Because letting a young driver drive the vintage car poses a greater risk of damage, most insurers apply an additional deductible in that case.
Just under 50% of the providers in the study apply an additional deductible.
The lowest additional deductible amounts to EUR 45.00 (Meeus) and the highest to EUR 225.00 (Knac, Gio and Turien). The other deductible amounts used are in between.

Acceptance

1st car required/ Lease car as first car allowed

Virtually all old-timer insurers now require that, in addition to the old-timer, the customer has a first car for daily use that is always at his or her disposal, regardless of the circumstances. Rides with a regularity character such as commuting, shopping, taking the children to school, daily use, etc. are therefore excluded from coverage because they are considered to be done with the first car. The vintage car may only be used on a hobby basis. If an insurance company allows a lease car as the first car, then this gives the oldtimer enthusiast the advantage of not having to have a separate first car.
Over 75% of the providers in the survey allow a lease car as a first car.

Some companies require the first car to be insured with the same insurer as the vintage car. FEHAC states that in that case there is a tie-in with the daily car. If one wants to insure the vintage car with Unigarant, for example, the first car will also have to be insured there. However, it is more pleasant for the customer to have a free choice in this. The insurer offering the vintage car insurance does not have to be a good provider as far as regular car insurance is concerned, and if one is satisfied with the insurer of the first car then there is absolutely no need to switch to another insurer. The providers in the survey that require the first car to be placed with the insurer of the vintage car are Unigarant, ANWB, Univé, ZLM and Gio (fixed)

When is a vehicle a vintage car?
Although many vintage cars are 25 years or older, it is often mistakenly thought that a 25-year-old car is by definition a classic, and is then exempt from road tax and insurance requirements. As far as the motor vehicle tax exemption is concerned, these are turbulent times and there is still much uncertainty about the future. You can read more about this in this article: /news/cost increase/.

Regarding insurance, each company applies its own conditions to determine whether or not the vehicle qualifies for the oldtimer rate.
The criteria used are '15 years, 20 years and 25 years, whereby the oldtimer (specific make, type and year of construction)' in some cases (Turien, Polis Direct) must appear in 'The Invaluable Classic' in order to qualify for the oldtimer rate. So there are also old-timer rates for vehicles that are less than 25 years old.

The "Onschatbare Klassieker" is a yearbook containing an overview of classic cars and youngtimers on the Dutch market, with technical data, photos, production numbers and current market prices.

Minimum age applicant
Most insurers have a minimum age limit at which to apply for vintage car insurance. One can apply for oldtimer insurance from the age of 24 or 25.

This is because at that point the driver is already considered somewhat less youthful and more experienced. With ANWB , Polis Direct, TVM and OVHV old-timer insurance can already be applied for at the age of 18. With Polis Direct, an additional excess of EUR 225.00 applies if the driver is younger than 24 at the time of the damage.

The rest of the insurers, in the case of a (limited) hull damage, exclude the driver under 24 from coverage (the damage is then not compensated), and in the case of third-party damage (third-party liability), the insurer is obligated to compensate the damaged party, but will then recover these damages from the owner or driver of the vehicle due to lack of insurance coverage.

Excluded Brands

There are insurers, including Unigarant and Polisdirect, that exclude certain car makes. The reason may be that these vehicles are too heavy or too expensive in relation to the old-timer rate, such as the Buick and Cadillac, for example.
Or because it has been found that certain makes are often used for daily driving anyway. A Mercedes, for example, can get enormous mileage and therefore drives on the streets for a very long time. There is then a chance that classic car insurance will be used by the owner as "old car insurance" rather than a "hobby insurance".

Over 85% of the providers in this survey do not have such a brand exclusion.

Fuel excluded

With LPG and diesel vehicles, the insurer usually assumes, that the vehicle is used for high mileage. This is contrary to the old-timer idea that the insurer has. Therefore, there are insurers that exclude this fuel, such as Turien, Europeesche and Unigarant. In fact, this assumption is not a good one since driving a certain fuel does not necessarily relate to the number of miles to be driven.

For example, there are many American vintage cars that run on LPG not because of mileage, but because they use a lot of fuel, the fuel is very pricey these days, and the space in the trunk is more than enough to have an LPG system installed. It is not about mileage, but about fuel economy.

Furthermore, a vehicle may have once appeared on the market with an LPG system or LPG may have been installed with the intention of getting a lot of mileage, however, by the time it has become a vintage car, the fuel choice for the vintage car enthusiast has already been determined and mileage has nothing to do with it.

At Turien, Europeesche and Unigarant, old-timers running on LPG and diesel are excluded. The other insurers in the study do allow these fuels, so these cars are eligible for the old-timer rate.

Gray license plate possible

A "gray" license plate is the designation of the license plate of (company) vehicles that have a tax advantage, these are usually vans. The gray license plate can be recognized by the license plate. The first letter is then a B or a V. The designation gray license plate comes from the fact that registration certificate part I of these vehicles were gray in the past. The color of the license plate itself has always been yellow.

With a gray license plate the insurer often assumes, that the car is used for transporting goods and for daily use, even if this is not the case and the vehicle is actually only used for hobby purposes. Based on this assumed daily use, a number of insurers do not accept vehicles with gray license plates on vintage car insurance.

Oldtimer insurance providers that do allow a gray license plate with the condition that the vehicle be used for hobby purposes are accommodating the oldtimer enthusiast who has a gray license plate oldtimer but still uses it exclusively for hobby purposes. Consideration is being given in favor of the vintage car enthusiast, which is a good thing. Just under 50% of the providers in our survey think along with the customer in this regard.

Alarm obligation with (limited) Casco coverage

Many insurers require an SCM class alarm in the case of (limited) hull insurance, from a certain (appraisal) value or because it concerns a special vehicle. On the one hand because old-timers are easier to steal due to the lack of modern technology (such as an immobilizer), on the other hand because certain old-timers, especially the special ones, are very popular.

True vintage car enthusiasts are usually adverse to an alarm system, as they want to keep the vehicle in its original authentic condition and adding a modern alarm system is an eyesore to them. The insurer may be able to offer an alternative in the form of a storage obligation.

Motorhomes allowed

Motorhomes are designated as such on the registration certificate.
Therefore, the old-timer rate does not apply to a camper van, even though it could be classified as an old-timer given the conditions. However, there are special camper van insurance policies with favorable rates. Also, there are parties on the market that offer specific oldtimer motorhome insurance policies. These have not been included in this research.

Appraisal

How long appraisal report valid

The appraiser usually determines the validity period of an appraisal report to be 3 years. Most insurers adopt this 3-year validity period, but they may deviate from it. For example, in the case where higher mileage or daily use is allowed, wear and tear and depreciation is more likely. The validity period will then be shortened. After the expiration of the term, a new appraisal report should be drawn up.

The validity period of the appraisal report is listed in the policy terms and/or clauses.

Fehax club valuation allowed

If the classic car driver is a member of a classic car club affiliated with the FEHAC, then with certain providers the appraisal may be performed by the club appraiser. At 50% of the providers listed in our survey, such a club appraisal is allowed.

Appraisal report required

There are insurance companies that do not require an appraisal report for (limited) hull insurance coverage. There is then a clause on the policy, that if in case of damage a valid appraisal report is present, payment is made on the basis of this appraisal value, and if that is not the case, that payment is made on the basis of the current market value. There are also insurance companies that require a valid appraisal report when taking out insurance. Incidentally, a valuation report usually has a validity period of 3 years (see point 13), but the insurer may deviate from this. For example, in the case of an old-timer fare where high mileage is allowed; wear and tear and depreciation are more likely to occur, so the insurer wants to be in possession of a new appraisal report sooner.

Appraiser affiliated with industry organization

Because a vintage car is not a piece of scrap metal, but a cherished object, it is important that an independent and skilled appraiser determine the classic car's appraisal value.

Most insurers therefore require that the appraiser who prepares the classic car appraisal report is affiliated with a specific industry organization, which guarantees the professionalism, knowledge and skills and professionalism of the appraiser in question. Only Meeus and Univé in the study do not impose this requirement.
If the oldtimer driver is a member of an oldtimer club affiliated with the FEHAC, then with certain providers the appraisal may be performed by the club appraiser. At 50% of the providers listed in our survey, such a club appraisal is allowed.

The most common organizations are:
- NIVRE
Dutch Institute of Register Experts Foundation
- FEHAC
Federation of Historic Automobile and Motorcycle Clubs
- VRT
VRT Foundation - United Register of Valuers
- TMV
Federation TMV - Federation of Valuers Brokers Auctioneers in movable property

Excluded appraisers

A number of appraisers were found to be insufficiently skilled and/or to perform "excessive" appraisals. As a result, a number of companies have decided to no longer accept the reports of these appraisers. These are announced by the insurance company, so it is important that this is looked at carefully in advance. To be sure, you can always contact the insurance company or its intermediary.
It is then up to the industry association to expel such appraisers.

Minimum appraisal value for third-party extra/casualty coverage

The reason that a certain appraisal value may be required is because the insurer wants to be sure that it is a vintage car and not just an "old car" for which the vintage rate is not intended. The insurer also wants insight into the state of maintenance and perhaps damage present in order to properly assess the risk. Because the classic car enthusiast usually wants to have/get the vehicle in optimal condition, the appraisal value will usually satisfy the insurer's demand. On the other hand, for the enthusiast the vintage car has an emotional value that is often more important than the market or appraisal value. The minimum appraisal value requirement can be zero with insurers, EUR 1250.00 but also EUR 5000.00. Incidentally, this requirement applies to WA-extra, but not to the Casco (all-risk) coverage, except for ZLM which sets a minimum appraisal value of EUR 100.00.
The maximum appraisal value at standard acceptance is around EUR 50,000.00 and if the value is higher then the insurance application is consulted with the insurance company.

Use

Possible mileage

The oldtimer tariff came into being because there was a demand from oldtimer drivers for cheaper insurance because the oldtimer was driven very little.
The insurer now assumes that not many miles are driven with a vintage car and makes this a requirement. Most insurers apply a mileage of 5000 or 7500 kilometers per year to the oldtimer rate.
Of course, there are also old-timer drivers who drive less and only take the car out of the stable on a beautiful summer day, but there are also those who take more pleasure trips and, for example, go on vacation with it or participate in a foreign old-timer event.
People also often want the freedom to drive more or less kilometers as it suits them. At TVM, Gio (fixed) and OVHV it is now possible to choose a mileage of 3000 kilometers, and at Turien & Co and Gio (fixed) it is possible to choose a mileage of 10000 kilometers per year. At Gio (semi) it is also possible to choose a mileage of 20000 kilometers per year. Gio thus caters to the classic car driver who wants to drive the vehicle daily.

Rental allowed?

Virtually all insurers exclude damage during rental because, among other things, the degree of risk can no longer be assessed. Whether an old-timer enthusiast wants to rent out his classic car remains to be seen, although intermediaries where the vehicle can be rented out privately are on the rise. In the study, there are no insurers that allow rental. In the article dangers of renting out one's own car, Alpina.nl researched the risks of renting out one's own car, whether or not through a broker.

Stall obligation

A parking requirement may be imposed instead of or in addition to an alarm requirement.
This means that the vintage car-if located within 1 kilometer of the home-must be stored in an enclosed area between sunset and sunrise.
Some insurers have specific times within which the vintage car must be stored. A shared parking garage is not considered storage, nor is a carport. The vehicle really must be stored separately in a properly lockable area. For some vintage car owners, this is difficult because they do not have such a space. If, for example, the old-timer driver is going on a day trip with the old-timer, the storage obligation does not apply. However, the insurer may then require a steering rod lock to be installed.

Restriction on touring and regularity rides.

A number of insurers impose coverage restrictions on touring and regularity rides because such riding increases the risk of damage. So if a classic car rider regularly participates in such rides, this could be an important issue.

Daily use possible?

The average classic car driver basically has no intention of using the classic car for daily use. The oldtimer enthusiast cherishes the vehicle and uses the oldtimer for pleasure drives, oldtimer events, vacations, etc. Therefore, allowing daily use will not immediately be a prerequisite for the true classic car enthusiast. Because with daily use there is more risk of damage, the insurer who allow this will also have to adjust the premium substantially because the premium (based on the degree of risk of damage) for hobby use can not be handled with daily use. By the way, there is only 1 insurer that allows this daily use (Gio Semi). On the other hand, for the oldtimer enthusiast, it is probably a nice thought that if it should be necessary, the children can be taken away with the oldtimer. A certain degree of freedom is allowed in this.
If there is no first car available for daily use, there is no other option than to insure the vintage car at a regular passenger car rate. The big disadvantage of this is that, given the age of the vehicle, limited-casualty or full-casualty (all-risk) insurance is often not possible or not proportional to the daily value. And with only third-party coverage (damage to third parties insured), the vehicle itself is not insured.

If there are insurers willing to insure the old(er) vehicle with limited or full bodywork, this can only be done on the basis of the current market value.
Old-timer insurances, on the other hand, offer the possibility to insure on the basis of a fixed appraisal, which means that a licensed appraiser determines the value of the vehicle, and in case of theft or total loss damage, the appraised value is paid out.
With passenger car insurance, the daily value is then paid out, which in most cases is many times lower than the daily value.
It is also attractive for business drivers if daily use is allowed. With an older car, the business driver has the advantage that the additional tax liability is lower. This addition is calculated on the original list value.
Therefore, a 30-year-old Jaguar has a much lower original list value and BPM, which provides benefits in the case of the fiscal addition. Also, this vehicle still represents a certain value, which can be insured with (limited) hull insurance based on a fixed valuation. The business driver does use the vintage car for commuting and the vehicle can also act as the business driver's business card during customer visits.

Damage

Free choice damage repair

Repairing damage to an oldtimer is often a different matter. The oldtimer enthusiast likes to take the oldtimer to a specialist or have it repaired in-house.
It is therefore important that there is a free choice in damage repair and that there is no question of damage control. Only Polis Direct does not offer a free choice; the other insurers in the survey do offer a free choice.

Choice to make the "wreck"

recover in the event of total-loss. As a rule, the classic car driver does not have the choice of getting the vehicle back if it is declared total-loss after damage. Business regulation 16 (formerly 14) of the Dutch Association of Insurers underlies this and was created in order to be able to limit the so-called "conversion" of stolen cars and other fraudulent cases. However, because vintage cars have a high degree of emotional value and the owner would like to restore them ? if possible- an exception has been made for this. With more than half of the providers in our survey, the choice of getting the car back in the event of total loss is present without question. In the other cases it may be possible by agreement, although experience shows that this takes a lot of time and effort, if it is allowed at all.

When parts cannot be ordered by a vintage car repairer, they can be custom made, i.e., completely customized for the customer. Because these parts are not original and are also often more expensive, most insurers impose restrictions on reimbursement. In the overview are the relevant providers with the reimbursement measures that are used

Fehac

FEHAC has a number of important criteria that are also listed separately in our schedule.
In addition to these, other important and relevant criteria are included in the survey.
The Federation of Historic Automobile and Motorcycle Clubs (FEHAC) was founded in 1976 and is the interest group for Classic Driving Netherlands. The FEHAC looks after the interests of owners of historic vehicles 25 years and older and is the government's interlocutor on regulations for classic cars. The FEHAC has also established basic requirements for good old-timer insurance.