Classic Car Insurance Glossary

Whether you’re shopping for your next classic car or looking for better coverage on the one you have now, a little additional knowledge never hurts. Get up to speed on some of the most common terms from the world of classic and collector car insurance.

Agreed Value

An insurance policy where the insured (that’s you) and the insurer (that’s us) agree ahead of time on your vehicle’s total value instead of using industry data to determine what you’ll be paid in the event of a loss. Agreed value policies ensure peace of mind for the owners of unique, exceptional, or personally significant vehicles.

Brass Era Cars

Also called Edwardian cars, these were built between 1896 and 1915. Steam, electric, and internal combustion cars were all available during this time, although by the end of the Brass Era the gasoline international combustion engine was the default choice. The brass radiators, trim, and pipes of the era are responsible for this term.

Flatbed Towing

Want to ensure the softest and safest ride back home for your classic or collector car? Make sure you specify flatbed towing, where your car will be winched up onto a flat platform rather than being “hooked” and dragged home behind a conventional tow truck. Cars that are fragile, mechanically complex, or just plain low to the ground should be flatbedded whenever possible.

Garaging Location

The place where your vehicle is usually stored overnight. For most people, this is their home, but if you have a storage unit or barn where your car spends most of its time, you should make sure that is spelled out in your policy coverage. Doing so makes it easier to resolve claims for damage or theft. Read our tips on the best practices for classic car storage.

Pre-War Cars

Usually refers to classic cars built between 1930 and 1946; these cars are also often called “Post-Vintage”. Previous generations of car collectors often used “pre-war” to refer to vehicles built before World War I, but these are now called either Veteran or Edwardian, depending on age.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage

The minimum auto insurance liability coverage required by law in most states won’t cover the cost of repairing the average classic or collector car, let alone covering any injuries or other losses. Choosing uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage can provide additional protection in situations where the at-fault driver has limited insurance, or no insurance at all.

Muscle Car

Originally called “supercars” before that term was popularized for mid-engined exotics like the original Lamborghini Miura, muscle cars are known for having more power than regular variants of the same car. The term most often refers to intermediate-sized cars with big-block engines, like the original Pontiac GTO, but nowadays it is used for everything from the Impala SS of the ’60s to the modern Dodge Hellcats.

Comprehensive Coverage

Pays for damage to your car caused by reasons other than collision, such as fire, theft, vandalism, windstorm, flood, and so on. “Comprehensive-only” coverage is often used for cars that cannot or will not be driven, such as cars that are undergoing restoration or being used for display-only purposes.

Broker

The agent who sells and services your insurance policy. A valuable source of knowledge and advice, particularly in classic and collector car policies.

Numbers Matching

Refers to cars where the serial numbers on the engine and frame match the original factory records. All other things being equal, a numbers-matching car will always be more highly prized than one where the engine and frame weren’t originally part of the same vehicle.

Endorsement

A written agreement that changes the terms of an insurance policy by adding or subtracting coverage.

Youngtimer

Originally a German term, this refers to cars that are just entering the classic and collector car marketplace. Right now, that means sought-after sports, exotic, and luxury cars from the Nineties through the turn of the 21st Century.

Deductible

The amount of a loss that you’ll cover out of your own pocket. Choosing a higher deductible can be a good way to reduce the cost of your policy, but it also reduces the amount of compensation you’ll get in the event of a claim.

Trip Interruption Coverage

This coverage pays for expenses you incur if you have an accident during a drive in your classic or collector car. Examples would include: renting a replacement vehicle, additional lodging, and unexpected costs involved with a change in plans.

Show and Display

This term refers to a specific group of foreign cars that can be imported under very strict guidelines that do not include the possibility of daily or commuter use.

Binder

This is a documented agreement providing temporary coverage for a vehicle and driver until the full policy is underwritten and issued. If you buy a car at a collector auction or on a whim, you will need to have the car “bound” until the full policy is ready.

Salvage

Once the claim is paid, a totaled vehicle usually becomes the policy of the insurance company, which can then dispose of it as they see fit. If you want to make sure you retain ownership of your vehicle, even after a total loss, you should discuss your options with your broker.

Roadside Assistance

An optional benefit that can help you get your car removed to a safe place in the event of mechanical failure or other problems. Most roadside assistance is provided via contract with local towing firms and garages.

Liability-Only Insurance

A policy that does not cover damage to your vehicle for any reason, covering only the damage done to the other party in an accident. Classic and collector car policies are almost never liability-only, since the point of the policy is not to meet legal minimums as much as it is to preserve a cherished vehicle for future use.

Replica Vehicle

Also known as a “kit car”, replica cars copy the look and feel of classic cars from the past. They can be built from scratch or they can be based on an existing production vehicle. Some replica cars have been around long enough to be legitimate classics in their own right!

Umbrella Coverage

Umbrella liability coverage is an additional amount of protection above the limits of your car or homeowners insurance policy; it can also cover certain types of liability that are explicitly excluded by most insurance policies.

Coachbuilt Cars

Prior to World War II, it was common for the bodies of high-end cars to be provided by a separate manufacturer from the one that built the chassis and engine. These are known as “coachbuilt” to distinguish them from “standard” vehicles where the body is built and installed in-house.

Classic Car

The Classic Car Club of America has trademarked the term “Full Classic” to describe cars on its list of acceptable classics – but for most enthusiasts, “classic” is a generic term used to refer to older cars that are still too new to fall into a defined group like Brass Era. Some of the Youngtimer cars are now referred to as “modern classics”; they probably won’t stay very modern in the years to come, but they are certain to be classics.

Classic Car Insurance

Coverage that meets the specific needs of people who collect and/or enjoy older vehicles on a pleasure basis. Daily driven vehicles, no matter how venerable, usually do not qualify for this sort of coverage. Also known as: classic auto insurance, collector car insurance, antique car insurance.

Classic Car Shows

Classic Car Values

Knowing the value of a classic car is an important part of writing the right policy. American Collectors Insurance diligently maintains and updates information on current transaction prices for a broad spectrum of classic cars; find out more at ClassicCarValue.com

Standard Car Insurance

Distinct from classic car insurance, this policy covers your daily drivers. While it’s possible to insure a classic or collector car on a standard policy, this can cause trouble in the event of a covered loss. Read more on the difference between standard (also referred to as “regular” insurance) and collector car insurance here.

Original

A term for a vehicle that only contains parts available from the manufacturer at or around the time of manufacture. Aftermarket, substitute, or unlicensed parts reduce originality.

Project Car

Typically a car that is not running and driving now, but could do so with some effort, usually significant. For many project car owners, the joy of restoration exceeds even the joy of driving.

Survivor

An original, unrestored, unmolested antique car that is in good enough condition to be used as a model for the restoration of a similar car. The term gained popularity through its use in the “Survivors For The Road” books written and photographed by Henry Rasmussen in the Eighties, which showed older sports and classic cars in daily use.

VIN

Vehicle Identification number. Generally taken to mean the standardized format adopted in America by the NHTSA in 1981, but also applicable to numbers between 1954 and 1981 that did not have to follow a standardized format. Most collectors will refer to a non-standardized VIN as a “serial number” or, when found on the body of the car, the “frame number”.

Gasser

A form of drag racer, most popular from the Fifties through the Seventies, where the fuel is traditional gasoline and the nose of the car is raised for better traction at launch, usually through a change to a dedicated beam front axle. Specific Gasser classes were discontinued by NHRA in 1972.

Barn Find

Generic term for vehicles that have been in long-term storage, often past the life of the original owner. The root of this term comes from the rural practice of storing, rather than disposing of, vehicles that are no longer in use – but “barn finds” are just as often discovered in warehouses, commercial buildings, garages, and storage units.

Barn-Fresh

The ideal condition for a “barn find” vehicle, mechanically excellent but showing obvious signs of storage, wear, and patina on the exterior. Today, vehicles are often restored to “barn-fresh” standards, giving the impression of a family heirloom or lucky discovery.

Classic Car Value Tool

Any one of the numerous online resources for determining a classic car’s value, such as the one at ClassicCarValue.com, operated by American Collectors Insurance in partnership with NADA, Old Cars Report Price Guide, Classic.com, and VMR Auto Guides.

Woody

Refers to a car, often a station wagon or estate car, with woodgrain side panels. Many postwar vehicles, such as the Chrysler Town & Country, used actual wood paneling, but by the Sixties this was usually replaced by DI-NOC, a woodgrain exterior coating.

Rumble Seat

A fold-out seat behind the passenger compartment, popular in postwar coupes, and derived from a similar arrangement in horse-drawn carriages for the hired help. Also known as a mother-in-law seat.

Cabriolet/Convertible/Roadster

Used interchangeably in the modern era, these are terms for cars with folding soft tops. Traditionally a convertible would seat more than two and would have roll-up windows instead of sliding or clip-on windows. Roadsters were two-seaters, often without roll-up windows. Cabriolet, the French term for convertible, was popular with foreign manufacturers.

Suicide Knob

Also called a “necker’s knob”, this is a device that allows a car to be steered with one hand. Often used by drivers who are unable to operate the wheel with both hands, the suicide knob gained popularity in the Fifties as an accessory.

Rat Motor, Mouse Motor

Colloquial terms for big-block and small-block Chevrolet V-8s, respectively.

3/4 Race

A term originating in the Fifties for camshafts that were close to race specification but still suitable for some street duty. Originally popular in flathead Fords, ¾ cams were made for nearly every V-8 throughout the Sixties.

3 Deuces

Three two-barrel carbs on a single engine. On Mopars, this is often known as a “Six Pack” arrangement.

3-Window, 2-Door Coupe

A coupe with one window for each door, no quarter-panel windows, and a single rear window. Popular in the Thirties.

5-Window, 2-Door Coupe

A coupe with quarter windows. More common in five-seater coupes.

94s

The more common carburetor used on early V-8 Fords, supplied by Holley but often marked with the Ford logo.

97s

The famed Stromberg carburetor, used on Ford starting in 1936. Used in groups, Stromberg 97s were an early hot-rodder technique for additional power.

Deuce-and-a-Quarter

The Buick Electra 225, including variants that do not actually measure 225 inches long, but generally taken to mean a convertible.

E30

The classic BMW 3-Series, produced from 1984 to 1992.

R32, R33, R34, R35

Generations of the famed Nissan Skyline GT-R, which repeatedly set production-car records on Germany’s Nurburgring.