specialist car insurance

[boxboxbox]

Bonjour
Has anyone found an english speaking broker (preferably!) who can think outside the box?
I'm trying to insure a Caterham KIT in france and it does not seem to possible. Uk insurers won't touch it over here.
CA britline cover our house (contents for outbuildings up to 14k only), and french car, but 'computer says no'.
Thanks in advance.

[rdjohn]

I live in Saumur and 13-years ago the guy who ran our local MMA agency was secretary in Club Lotus France. He spoke English and was willing to be helpful.

https://agence.mma.fr/saumur/equipe.html

Looking at this webpage, he is no longer there, but perhaps someone can help you.

From what I recall there are not many Holomogated Caterhams that are acceptable in France, but I have seen plenty on track days so there must be a workaround. Is your car French registered?

Sorry I can’t be more helpful. Good luck.

[Terryg4]

Try Hagerty in the UK

Or if over 15 years old try AMV Bordeaux

[boxboxbox]

Thanks rdjohn and terry.
The car will be in kit form, and when built trailered back to the uk for IVA and registration.
I tried MMA but no luck there.
Someone else from the L7club recommended Hagerty so will give them a try.

[rdjohn]

I am a fan of the “keep it simple” approach to life.

You are building a new kit in France. The simple answer has to be get it type approved in France. I can’t get into their forum, but there have to be others on there who are encountering your problem.

https://www.club-lotus.fr/forum/viewforum.php?f=2

[boxboxbox]

rdjohn said:

I am a fan of the “keep it simple” approach to life.

You are building a new kit in France. The simple answer has to be get it type approved in France. I can’t get into their forum, but there have to be others on there who are encountering your problem.

https://www.club-lotus.fr/forum/viewforum.php?f=2

I've read somewhere that people have tried, but get nowhere as its too difficult and expensive.
Received a friendly message from the Northern France lotus 7 club to advise me not to try and register it here.

I think Caterham get factory built cars through registration over here with mods to get through a test (airbag steering wheel, third brake light etc). After that, I expect they get removed! The equivalent new french cars are expensive, this is probably why (I looked last year and a £30k UK car is €40k in france).

[mikey77]

A couple of months ago I was driving north out of Ales, in the Gard, towards Florac when to my surprise I spotted a Caterham dealer - or at least a garage with Caterham signs on it. Might be worth googling or whatever to try and get in contact.

[Paul-427]

I hope this does not come across as too negative but, I have seen a number of French registered Caterham but they are all older cars and were probably registered through dubious means, that have now been closed.

By all means, build it, get it registered in the UK and run it on UK plates. However, unless you are lucky to get UK insurers to cover it, knowing that it will live permanently in France, whilst still maintaining the UK tax and MOT's via yearly trips back to the UK, you will be illegal.

There have been so many examples of people trying to circumvent the rules, that the FFVE and other French authorities are now coming down hard on new registrations thus making it even more difficult than it was previously.

[boxboxbox]

Thanks for the input everyone.
Paul - yes I am coming to the same conclusion.
I think once registered in the uk, an annual green card is the way to go.

Now having difficulty getting anyone to insure the kit in transit ! French insurers do not recognise the kit.
Transit insurance is fine if I paid a company to move it, but for me to do it in a hire van, no "you are not a professional" ! I agree but who do they think is going to take greatest care !

[rdjohn]

You basically insure against third party negligence.

If you are doing it yourself, are you likely to be negligent? If you are towing with your French car, I am sure that your CA policy will cover most of the unlikely eventualities.

[boxboxbox]

The transit risk is small, but could be a bad road accident and fire (mangled chassis etc), theft of van (nipping in to a services for a pee), and a ferry sinking !

Bizarrely the car insurance (our french car) will only cover me for a trailer over 500kg if I own it and provide a copy of the carte gris in my name. I have a friend in the uk with a race car trailer, and of course he has it insured, BUT I cannot use it because it does not belong to me !