Ten Specialist Car Insurers

Many drivers fit into some sort of niche, perhaps it's our youth or driving convictions. In such cases the specialist insurers are often cheapest.

You may have modifications, an import, or a classic car. Sometimes your car is all three. There are many cases when your car insurance isn't `normal'. The less `normal', the harder it is to get cheap insurance.

If something is harder to do, the solution is to put in more effort!

I've done a lot of that effort for you by searching for specialist insurers. Some of them I'm familiar with from when I was in the insurance industry some years ago. By all accounts, they still today often come up with the best quotes, despite operating on a smaller scale than the large, mainstream insurers.

The big insurers with minimal interest in such things as classic cars or modified vehicles don't take into account how well they are looked after by the owners. These owners love their cars more than most regular-car owners. Specialists have more wisdom in these matters, so they can price the insurance based on drivers who will be more careful.

Specialists also recognise that such cars are often second vehicles that will be driven just a little, during the summer perhaps. They also realise that many young drivers will actually be more careful with their cars if they've taken the time and effort to customise them. Thus, through them, the insurance can be a lot cheaper.

Finally, specialists have a better understanding of your needs, so the terms and conditions are frequently better.

If you exchange your car or modify it your first point of call should be your existing insurer. You must tell your insurer about any modifications you make to your car, even if it's just wheels or Go Faster Stripes. Failure to do so could invalidate your insurance.

After getting your insurers new price, you should then compare elsewhere, even if the new price is lower than your existing one. That's because another insurer could well be even lower. Remember to take into account cancellation charges before you switch in the middle of a policy.

Here are the specialist insurers I found:

Ten specialist insurers

Insurer	Specialisation
Adrian Flux	4 x 4, classic car, convicted driver, grey import, high performance, kit car, modified car, motor trade, young driver
Crowthorne	Classic car, grey import, motor trade, young driver
Footman James	Classic car, kit car
Graham Sykes*	American import, classic car, kit car
Greenlight	High performance, hot hatch, modified car, short-term insurance
Keith Michaels	Convicted driver, high performance, hot hatch, Japanese import, luxury car
Peart	Classic car, high performance
Performance Direct	4 x 4, classic car, convicted driver, high performance, hot hatch, import, kit car, luxury car, modified car, young driver
Sky Insurance**	Import, modified car, short-term insurance, track-day cover
Sureterm Direct	4 x4, classic car, kit car, import, high performance, hot hatch, luxury car, modified car,

*Graham Sykes' online quote form was broken when I tested it, and I couldn't get through on the phone to ensure it was still accepting new business. Don't blame me if they're out of business!

**Interestingly its website says: `For all ages' and then: `19 to 80'.

Specialists are certainly not always the cheapest. Begin your search with online comparison, then look at specialists. Do consider the terms and conditions, too!

I hope this list saves you some time, and that you to get much cheaper insurance from now on.

Please write about your experiences with these or other insurers using the comments feature below. If you're read any comments about prices, remember that an insurer which may have been wonderfully cheap or hideously expensive for one Fool may be the complete opposite for you. Indeed, next year the positions might easily reverse. Such is the insurance world.

More: Drive Down The Cost Of Car Insurance