Classic cars and classic car insurance are more than just our job – they’re our passion. That’s why we travel around the country attending car shows, and why we know that classic cars are so special to their owners. We’ve been blogging a lot about classic cars, collector cars, and antique cars. Here are the most popular blogs from recent weeks.
All hail the DAF! The DAF 600 set the world on fire in 1958, introducing several clever design features, but more importantly – the world’s first CVT! A good forty years before CVTs became popular in mainstream vehicles, DAF was blazing the trail with a transmission that had no gears. The CVT, or continuously variable transmission, operated on a belt that would infinitely adjust the transmission ratio to keep the engine in the power band whenever it was needed, and reduce the engine revs for maximum economy when the power wasn’t called for. A brilliant design that can now be found in trucks, sedans, sports cars, and hybrids, owning a DAF is truly owning a notable piece of car history.
We love driving and admiring classic cars, but we also enjoying writing about them and sharing them. In this spirit, we’ve brought you ‘classic times’, our very own bi-monthly publication featuring Condon Skelly news, event listings, tips from insurance experts and hilarious stories from owners. We care about more than just classic car insurance – we aim to share the enjoyment of classic car ownership with everyone.
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The ’48 Tucker Torped0, also known as the Tucker Sedan. Only 51 copies were sold before a number of factors shuttered the Tucker factory, but the car still stood as a grand symbol of the time. An aspirational time for America – it was certainly a car with lofty aspirations of its own. Its enormous 589 cubic inch engine was daring, as was the styling, but the true innovation lay in the various and unique engineering concepts. The Torpedo was rear-engined, rear wheel drive, and had a third headlight in the middle of the vehicle that swiveled to illuminate the road when turning. Further, the vehicle was available with an automatic transmission, had a number of passive safety features, and had the gas tank up front. All of these coalesced into a brilliant design that would have revolutionized the auto industry, were the brand not put to death by circumstance and conspirators, namely the big three in Detroit.
At Condon Skelly, we love attending car shows and events across the country. Recently, we decided to start working on some videos of our travel and all the great classic cars, customs, and hot rods we’ve seen. Check out the first in our series of classics from around the nation.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu_FEFeb8L0&w=640&h=360]
This car represents the bold thinking that swept postwar America. A beautiful, if sad reminder of a bygone age of dreamers. Almost everything about this car is unusual and intriguing…
1. What are the eligibility requirements for collectible vehicle insurance?
Our collector car insurance eligibility guidelines are pretty simple. Your collectible vehicle’s primary driver must be a licensed driver for at least 5 years and have a clean driving record. (So rejoice! You have an excuse when your 16-year-old son asks to take over your wheels.) Every driver in your household must have a separate vehicle for daily use. You can’t use your pride and joy as an everyday vehicle or as a substitute when your regular car is in the shop. And when not in use, you have to keep your collectible in a secured garage.
2. How many miles can I drive my car each year?
As many miles as you like! We want you to have fun with your best friend, not limit your mileage. As long as your collectible vehicle isn’t your primary car, you’re covered for leisure use. So go ahead, show off your ride at club events and car shows. And by all means, drive it around town on a sunny day and even to dinner every so often. Your baby will love being taken for a spin.
3. Will you cover my vehicle while it’s being restored?
Of course! Restoration is vital to advancing your hobby and we want to make sure you’re covered while you (or anyone else!) is working on your collectible.
Perhaps the most iconic era for American collector cars – the muscle cars of the 60s. Before technology, emissions, and other concerns entered the picture, there was one goal – power. In the late 1960s, Motown produced some of the most memorable engines – and beloved shapes – that we’ve seen to this day. Here are a few we’ve fallen for:
A Citroen DS19! Truly a car that took the world by storm, Citroen received ten times the number of orders it had anticipated at its debut in 1955 at the Paris Auto Show. The car showcased many novel features for its time including power windows and power steering (among others), but its true innovation was the hydraulic system underlying most of the operating aspects of the vehicle. The hydraulics served as motivation for the power windows and steering, but also the suspension, widely considered a revolution in the trade-off of ride comfort for handling. To this day, a late and well-kept example can sell for six figures. But any model from its two decades of production can make a unique contribution to a collector’s garage, as it did to the modern automobile industry.
We’ve been blogging and traveling all over the country in search of the beautiful, exotic, and original restorations and customs that make the collector car world exciting. Everywhere we go, there are new ideas, fresh restorations, and untouched relics, gently worn by time. We love it, we blog about it, and we thought we’d share a few of our most popular blogs on what we’ve found:
As always, for more on collector cars, classic cars, and classic car insurance, visit Condon Skelly.