Insuring the weird and wonderful

Sponsored by Peter Best Insurance

Fun fact: insurance comparison sites are useless if you try to input the details of a Sherman tank. How about your top fuel dragster? Nope. Maybe that Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang replica you’ve got — that’s just a be-winged Paragon Panther after all. Nope.

Welcome to the more colourful side of insurance, where you need real people, not robots, to look after you – specialists who not only know their stuff about the weird and wonderful of the automotive world, but can also source you cover when you need it.

Peter Best Insurance knows all about this, and has arranged cover for all manner of things not considered run-of-the-mill.

“We have insured a Sherman tank, and Unimogs are popular too, especially those converted into camper vans,” says Ben Halcro, head of sales at Peter Best. “We also insured a monster truck. We cover parts, as trucks have to be dismantled for transit to shows. After all, you can’t drive one down the M25!”

Safe to say Halcro has seen his fair share of off-the-wall policies. But how do you even begin to arrange cover for these sorts of niche items?

“For us, it all comes down to understanding the client,” says Halcro. “The machine could be the most bizarre thing you’ve never heard of, but when you take the time to understand the usage, the people and the risks involved, there’s very little we can’t arrange cover for.

“We did once insure one of the Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang cars that was used during the original filming. They only made six so it had huge provenance. Often that makes it easier to cost out as you have estimates and values to work from, rather than trying to value something somebody’s cobbled together.”

This sort of insurance goes beyond odd cars. What about events, such as corporate track days, car shows, road rallies or even simply wealthy collectors who fancy taking their cars for a thrash on a circuit?

“Events are a big thing and we often get requests for track day insurance for supercars, car meets and even people planning international expeditions,” adds Halcro. “Risks like this are handled on a case-by-case basis. Understanding the individual, their friends and what they do is important. Even factors like ‘Are these cars at risk of being damaged by protesters or having paint thrown over them, due to where and how they’re being used, or who they’re owned by?’ must now be considered. We’ve got 40 years of experience and work with a wide range of insurance providers who will consider the more colourful requests that most insurers would pass on.”

So, if you’re looking to insure a tank, James Bond’s DB5 or thinking of taking Beyoncé for a spin, speak to Peter Best Insurance.

For more information on Peter Best Insurance’s motor sport policies and services, visit peterbestinsurance.co.uk