Classic-friendly cheap breakdown cover
Classic-friendly cheap breakdown cover
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Discussion

TooMany2cvs

Original Poster:

29,008 posts

155 months

Friday 27th April 2018
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Just been shopping around, and several of the cheap breakdown cover people have maximum vehicle ages of 20-25yrs. Not much use...

I'd far rather have a single personal policy covering SWMBO and I than have to think about which insurer's breakdown is covering which vehicle - so any good suggestions?

Scotty2

1,469 posts

295 months

Friday 27th April 2018
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Auto Aid
End of.


(do a deal with you and your spouse for about £45. You are covered whatever car you are in.

CharlesdeGaulle

26,882 posts

209 months

Friday 27th April 2018
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Auto Aid are brilliant, but I think it's UK only.

//j17

5,062 posts

252 months

Friday 27th April 2018
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It might be worth phoning your/some of the other classic car insurance brokers as many classic car insurance policies include international breakdown cover. You might be able to add it to your current policy for a small sum, or get it by moving to abnother insurer.

TooMany2cvs

Original Poster:

29,008 posts

155 months

Friday 27th April 2018
quotequote all
Should've said - AutoAid have previously been a non-starter, because we're not married... rolleyes

They might now cover us, it seems, but I'm disinclined to find out the hard way if there's an alternative.

I'd also prefer not to go with a pay-and-reclaim, but that's not necessarily a showstopper.

//j17 said:
It might be worth phoning your/some of the other classic car insurance brokers as many classic car insurance policies include international breakdown cover. You might be able to add it to your current policy for a small sum, or get it by moving to abnother insurer.
Yes, it's definitely the best way to get Euro cover, but to give us both full UK we'd be looking at adding it to two classic policies and one non-classic, and then there's the potential ballache of not being covered in somebody else's car and needing to remember who this car's with.

Edited by TooMany2cvs on Friday 27th April 13:33

CharlesdeGaulle

26,882 posts

209 months

Friday 27th April 2018
quotequote all
TooMany2cvs said:
Should've said - AutoAid have previously been a non-starter, because we're not married... rolleyes

They might now cover us, it seems, but I'm disinclined to find out the hard way if there's an alternative.

I'd also prefer not to go with a pay-and-reclaim, but that's not necessarily a showstopper.
If AutoAid aren't suitable for you for other reasons that's fair enough, but the pay and reclaim element has pretty much gone. You can contract privately and reclaim if you want, but normal form is to call a central number and they do the call-out and the payment.

mph

2,376 posts

311 months

Friday 27th April 2018
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I'm with Classicline and all of their policies include European Breakdown and Recovery.

They even insure my "modern classics" on the same basis.

warp9

1,632 posts

226 months

Friday 27th April 2018
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Heritage Classic car insurance do single vehicle breakdown policies and also have a multi car breakdown policy which does multiple drivers, Europe, home start etc.

healeyneil

376 posts

176 months

Friday 27th April 2018
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Gem motoring assist cover classics ok

carboy2017

743 posts

107 months

Friday 27th April 2018
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I have an RAC cover for both my daily drive and my classic at around £60 a year wichih includes home call outs too but not European cover

55palfers

6,360 posts

193 months

Friday 27th April 2018
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mph said:
I'm with Classicline and all of their policies include European Breakdown and Recovery.

They even insure my "modern classics" on the same basis.
Me too. Reasonable prices as well.

TooMany2cvs

Original Poster:

29,008 posts

155 months

Friday 27th April 2018
quotequote all
healeyneil said:
Gem motoring assist cover classics ok
I've been with GEM over the last year - no particular reason not to re-use them, and in the absence of anything better, I probably will just renew.

Riley Blue

23,205 posts

255 months

Friday 27th April 2018
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we have Britannia Rescue's Personal Cover, not the cheapest but a very good service.

crankedup

25,764 posts

272 months

Friday 27th April 2018
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I’m with GEM for the past couple of years, found them to be OK on the four call outs I have endured. Three in my previous 1928 car I have now sold and just last week in my new modern classic.
This last occasion I had an eight minute wait in a Q on the phone, then subjected to the parrot advising me of my own safety and what I need to do. Followed by questions on my medical condition, then my passengers which fortunately I had none. Then trying to explain exactly my location which in the end the traffic cop with me took over, even he had to tell the operator three times of my location.
Sounds nothing but in the live lane of the A11 in torrential rain without traffic police for ten minutes I found my patience being tested. In fairness GEM had a recovery pickup with me within 70 minutes, the longest 70 minutes ever, thank to the BiB who closed the lane and made it much safer for the majority of time I was stranded, with a caravan hitched onto the back of my busted car.

gnc

448 posts

144 months

Saturday 28th April 2018
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im with auto aid and so is my partner, was cheaper to have two policies than one rac.

KelWedge

1,285 posts

214 months

Saturday 28th April 2018
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Have been with Gem for about 10 years, always good, they used to ask is that the TVR again! when I rang up, but now they have been out to the MG, Range Rover and the MX-5, They did say on that one, these dont go wrong very often.

Once on a PH run out at a lunch stop at a pub, I locked the keys in the boot of the TVR and someone else had a clutch play up, him with AA me with Gem, both called at the same time, Gem arrived first and rescued the keys before the AA turned up.

mph

2,376 posts

311 months

Tuesday 1st May 2018
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Looking at the alarming number of breakdowns some of you have, perhaps you should consider spending more effort/money on the car and try to reduce the need for recovery wink

droopsnoot

14,623 posts

271 months

Wednesday 2nd May 2018
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crankedup said:
and made it much safer for the majority of time I was stranded, with a caravan hitched onto the back of my busted car.
I had to go back and re-read your post, for a minute I thought you had a caravan on the back of a 1928 car.

I'm also with the RAC, and have been for some years. That's largely because, when I joined, there was really a choice of AA or RAC, and at the time the main difference was that the AA covered the car, and the RAC covered the driver in any car. I think I pay about £70 at the moment, it went up last year but a phone call brought it back down, though it has been lower in the past.

Edited by droopsnoot on Wednesday 2nd May 11:08

crankedup

25,764 posts

272 months

Wednesday 2nd May 2018
quotequote all
droopsnoot said:
crankedup said:
and made it much safer for the majority of time I was stranded, with a caravan hitched onto the back of my busted car.
I had to go back and re-read your post, for a minute I thought you had a caravan on the back of a 1928 car.

I'm also with the RAC, and have been for some years. That's largely because, when I joined, there was really a choice of AA or RAC, and at the time the main difference was that the AA covered the car, and the RAC covered the driver in any car. I think I pay about £70 at the moment, it went up last year but a phone call brought it back down, though it has been lower in the past.

Edited by droopsnoot on Wednesday 2nd May 11:08
I used to tow my 1929 Eccles caravan on the back of my 1928 Vauxhall. About 7 or 8 years touring to steam rallies brilliant fun. Only one breakdown and that was a puncture
Recently endured a 1928 Humber 14/40, complete nightmare after renewing lord knows how much and several breakdowns, the last one was the block cracking, I gave up. I now drive a modern classic (1958) MG Magnette, in the process of bringing this back to rolling life but no matter how hard I try to sort it the unexpected can rear it’s head, broke down with a busted fuel pump.
Do agree though in the cold light reading posts it can seem like an abused car breaking down, it’s not.

TooMany2cvs

Original Poster:

29,008 posts

155 months

Thursday 3rd May 2018
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droopsnoot said:
I had to go back and re-read your post, for a minute I thought you had a caravan on the back of a 1928 car.
There's really only one thing to say there...


Anyway, GEM renewed.