You Could Save 20% or More When You Insure Your Classic Car with a Specialized Chicago Auto Insurance Policy

You Could Save 20% or More When You Insure Your Classic Car with a Specialized Chicago Auto Insurance Policy

With summer coming to a close many classic auto collectors in and around the Chicago area are getting ready to garage their cars for the winter. Now that the chaos of classic car shows and driving all over the country is slowing down a little bit it's time to start thinking about things like maintenance, and renovations, and looking into your options when you're talking about Illinois auto insurance.

A recent article published by the Chicago Tribune highlighted the fact that many classic car owners are paying far too much to insure their collectibles. Why? Because they've got them insured under the same standard policy that they do their vehicles. Don't get me wrong, if you're going to be spending hours a day on the road in your car standard coverage is perfectly fine. The thing is, half the point of having a classic car is to have a one of a kind vehicle that only gets brought out of the garage on special occasions.

If you're driving it less than 5,000 miles a year, why are you paying to insure it for 15,000 or more?

Standard Illinois auto insurance policies operate on the belief that you're going to be logging plenty of hours out on the road and that your car is going to depreciate in value. Neither of these is true for a collectible, and a study published in that article show that by moving your classic car over to a specialized Chicago auto insurance policy you can shave 20% or more off your premiums.

Since you can probably find something to do with an extra two or three hundred dollars a year, let's talk about how to make it happen. The first thing you need to do is find a Chicago auto insurance company that deals in classic cars. Picking up the phone and calling your regular Illinois auto insurance carrier (you know, the one that has your regular cars covered) is a great way to get a lead. You can also ask around the next time you go to a classic car show. Auto insurance companies, especially classic car insurance companies since there are so few of them, now operate on a national rather than a local basis, which means a collector from Philadelphia can have the same insurance company as a collector from San Diego-or perhaps Chicago?

Of course, if you're going to insure your car under a classic auto insurance policy you're going to have to play by their rules! They're not hard. Most insurance carriers ask that classic cars only be driven 5,000 or less in a year, and you have to keep it garaged rather than parked on the street or in a driveway to minimize the risk of theft or damage from passersby or Mother Nature. (I don't know why, but mice really, really love collectible cars. I guess it's just one of life's little mysteries…)

Illinois auto insurance companies love insuring collectibles, whether they're classics or antiques. (I'm not an expert on cars, just Chicago auto insurance. Bear with my mistakes-I was informed halfway through writing this article that classics and antiques weren't the same at all!) Collectibles are used less, at less risk for needing insurance claims filed and conscientiously cared for to preserve both the investment and the sentimental value. You should have no problem finding an insurance policy capable of taking care of your car.

Now all you have to do is start gearing up for next summer.