Specialist Car Insurance

Read our guides to specialist car insurance policies

Some of us cherish a classic car, while others need a family runabout. Perhaps you own more than one vehicle, or maybe you regularly drive in Europe. Whether you are an experienced motorist or a learner driver, with a sports car or an imported vehicle, you need the right insurance. And that's not always easy as there are almost as many different types of policy as there are cars on the road. But MoneySupermarket can help. We have put together a series of specialist car insurance guides that explain how to select suitable car cover - at the best price.

Business car insurance

Do you use your car for business purposes? Perhaps you are a sales rep who spends hours on the road each day. Or maybe you run a delivery service or a mobile hairdressers. You might only use your car occasionally for business purposes. For example, you might be a care worker who sometimes visits clients in their own homes. If so, you probably need specialist car insurance cover as most standard policies only insure the car for social, domestic and pleasure use. You can find out more about policies to cover work related travel, what it covers and whether you need it, in our comprehensive business car insurance guide.

Classic car insurance

Owners of classic cars typically take better care of their vehicles and drive fewer miles than the average motorist - and that means they can save money on their car insurance. But what is a classic car? The Triumph Spitfire and the E Type Jaguar might seem obvious classics, but there is no standard definition of a classic car for insurance purposes. Some firms will insure a ten-year-old car as a classic, but you might have to wait until the car is 20 years old to qualify. Most insurers also demand that the classic car is not your main vehicle, drives a limited mileage, and is kept in a garage when not in use. For more details on the types of cover available, read our guide to classic car insurance.

European car insurance

If you are planning to take your car abroad, you should check that you have adequate insurance. Many standard policies cover your car on European roads for a certain number of days each year. But you might discover that the insurance is only the bare legal minimum, not a fully comprehensive package. Anyone travelling onto the Continent with their car should first read our guide to European car insurance.

Imported car insurance

More people are importing cars from overseas, often from Japan. Imported cars are not only cheaper in some cases than their UK counterparts, but they are also often built to a higher specification. But many mainstream insurers refuse to cover imported cars; particularly if they are so-called grey imports that were manufactured outside Europe and so do not comply with EU regulations. If you are struggling to arrange insurance for an imported car, you can find plenty of help and advice in our guide to imported car insurance.

Kit car insurance

Anyone who builds a car from scratch knows that it's special. But do they also know that a kit car needs a specialist car insurance policy? Kit car insurance covers the usual risks to your vehicle, but it can also include build up cover, so your car is covered from the moment the kit arrives. You might also want to insure your car for an agreed value, so you know that you will get a fair price if the car is written off in an accident. You can find lots more information on the kit car insurance page.

Learner driver car insurance

Learner drivers often assume they don't need insurance - and they might be right. If you take lessons with a professional driving instructor, then you don't need to worry about it. But experts recommend that learner drivers practice for at least 20 hours outside the lessons to improve their chances of test success. Of course, mum or dad can simply add a learner to their own policy and take them out for a spin. But it can be expensive - and it can jeopardise the policyholder's valuable no-claims discount. Learner driver insurance might be the answer. You can buy cover for a short period and the learner is then covered in any vehicle. There are more details in our guide to learner driver insurance.

Modified car insurance

Some motorists like to put their own mark on a car, perhaps adding a spoiler or tinted windows. But modifications can affect your motor insurance, often resulting in higher premiums. Insurers argue that even minor modifications can increase both the likelihood and cost of claims, so they ramp up the cost. To find out more information on modified car insurance, including tips on how to cut the cost of cover, read our modified car insurance guide.

Multi-car insurance

It's not unusual these days for a household to own more than one car, particularly if there are grown-up children still living at home. Insurers have wised up to the trend for multi-car households and will often offer a discount if you insure more than one vehicle. For more information, visit our multi-car insurance page.

Car insurance for new drivers

You might have thought that your driving test was tough, but learning to drive is often easier than finding affordable car insurance. The range of different policies on offer can be confusing to a new driver. Then there's the cost, with many new drivers forced to pay higher prices due to the fact that they lack experience and are hence more likely to be involved in accidents.

Some firms even refuse to cover motorists under the age of 21. If you are a new driver and want to find out more about cover options and cost savings, read our guide to car insurance for new drivers.

Performance car insurance

As a general rule, insurers don't like performance cars - and it's easy to understand why. Performance cars can often reach high speeds and have more engine power than the typical runabout. Drivers of performance cars also tend to be more willing to take risks than the mum on the school run. In other words, if you own a performance car, you are statistically more likely to make a claim. But high performance doesn't have to mean high premiums - if you read the tips on our performance car insurance page.

Short term insurance

There's no point in paying for insurance if you don't need it. So, if you want to drive a friend's car for a short period, or you have family coming to stay and you want to insure your cousin to drive your own car for a month, why buy an annual policy? You can find out if short term car insurance is a good option for you - and get some cheap quotes - on our temporary car insurance page.

Sports car insurance

If you are thinking about buying a sports car, make sure you also budget for car insurance as it could be expensive. Insurers often charge higher premiums for sports car insurance because a Lotus Elise is riskier and more costly to repair than a Ford Fiesta. But then you probably knew that. But did you also know that there are various ways to cut the cost of car cover? To find out more, read our guide to sports car insurance.

Car insurance for women

Women are officially better drivers than men, at least according to the statistics. The latest figures from the Department for Transport show that there are more than twice as many casualties among young men (1,153) than young women (514). Insurers therefore charge women less for their motor insurance.

However, a recent ruling by the European Court of Justice could change all that because it bans insurers from discriminating on the grounds of gender - and could increase premiums for women drivers by about 30%. You can find out how to combat the future price rises in our guide to car insurance for women drivers.

Car insurance for young drivers

Young drivers pay a lot more for their car insurance than older motorists- and it's all down to risk. Teenage motorists are ten times more likely to be killed or seriously injured in a road accident than drivers over the age of 35. So insurers bump up the premiums. But there are ways to save money on premiums, including installing a black box to monitor your driving habits. For more tips on cutting the cost of cover, read our guide to car insurance for young drivers.