American car insurance
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Insuring American cars in the UK
If you drive an American car - either one you’ve imported from the States or a used one bought over here - it’ll be trickier to insure than your average British car.
Not all insurers will cover them, so you’ll have less choice of policies. Others will be able to insure you but will add restrictions, like only insuring drivers over the age of 25, or those who’ve held a licence for a number of years.
Your car insurance could be more expensive too:
- American cars tend to be larger and more powerful than UK cars
- The cost of repairs is higher as parts might need to be imported from abroad - particularly American classic cars with older parts which are difficult to source
- Specialist mechanics might have to handle any repairs
Cut the cost of American car insurance
It can be more expensive to insure an American car. Your choice of insurers might be limited if you’re driving a left-hand car. And if you’ve got less choice it can be more expensive.
There are a few things you can consider to get it cheaper though...
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Value of your car
If you’ve got an expensive car, it’ll cost more to insure. Agree your car’s value with your insurer before your policy starts. That way, you’ll know how much they’ll pay out if you need to claim
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Age of your car
Newer cars can be cheaper to insure as they have more safety features installed
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Mileage
As with UK cars, if you drive a low number of miles annually you won’t have to pay as much on your premiums
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Modifications
If your car’s been modified you’ll pay more for your insurance
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Joining an official car club
They might negotiate deals with insurers for their members
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Your no claims bonus
Insurers will give you discounts for each year you don’t claim
Join over a million customers with free £250 excess cover^
Claiming on your car insurance is stressful enough, without the added cost of your excess – and we want to help with that.
If you do need to claim, you'll have to pay your excess first, and then we'll refund up to £250 after your claim's settled.
It really is free. We haven't hidden the cost anywhere.
^Up to £250 refunded after claim settled. Car insurance purchases only. Excludes breakdown, windscreen and glass repair/replacement. Full T&Cs apply.
If you’re restoring an American car, you could take out a laid-up insurance policy until you get it on the road.
That’ll cover things like damaged or stolen parts, but won’t insure you for driving the car anywhere.
Some policies can also cover you if you’re exhibiting your car at a show.
If you use your American car to drive someone to their wedding, you’ll need specialist insurance if you’re going to charge them for this, known as wedding hire or executive cover.
Take out a business policy if you’re looking to do it regularly.