Compare Classic Car Insurance Companies Side by Side

Six classic car insurers at a glance

Sources: company websites, Wikipedia, State Farm, and Finder, as of October 2026. Information may change.

Who really underwrites the policy

Several collector programs are managed by agencies or program administrators and underwritten by larger insurers. American Collectors' policies are underwritten by a member of the American Modern Insurance Group, and Finder reports that American Modern underwrites Heacock Classic in most states. State Farm Classic+ driven by Hagerty is underwritten by State Farm Classic Insurance Company. Ask every program for the issuing insurer's legal name and financial strength rating.

Head-to-head comparisons

• Hagerty vs. J.C. Taylor
• Hagerty vs. Heacock Classic
• Hagerty vs. American Modern
• Hagerty vs. American Collectors
• Grundy vs. J.C. Taylor
• Grundy vs. Heacock Classic
• Grundy vs. American Modern
• American Collectors vs. American Modern
• American Collectors vs. Heacock Classic
• American Collectors vs. J.C. Taylor
• American Modern vs. Heacock Classic
• American Modern vs. J.C. Taylor
• Heacock Classic vs. J.C. Taylor

Hagerty

Hagerty was founded in 1984 in Traverse City, Michigan, by Frank and Louise Hagerty, who could not find good coverage for their wooden boats, and it added classic car coverage in 1991. Hagerty describes itself as the world's largest provider of classic vehicle insurance. It became a public company in December 2021 and trades on the NYSE as HGTY. Hagerty's Guaranteed Value coverage pays an agreed amount on a covered total loss. It also runs the Hagerty Drivers Club, a paid membership with events, discounts, and roadside service, and publishes the Hagerty Price Guide. Through a partnership with State Farm, State Farm agents sell State Farm Classic+ driven by Hagerty, underwritten by State Farm Classic Insurance Company, in listed states.

J.C. Taylor

J.C. Taylor traces its roots to a real estate business Joseph Charles Taylor started in 1928 in the Philadelphia suburbs; the J.C. Taylor Company was registered in 1947. In the early 1960s it offered one of the first antique auto policies, written with Zurich on an inland marine form that avoided ordinary depreciation, and it later expanded from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware across the continental United States. J.C. Taylor was owned by the Wallace family for decades and was acquired by NSM Insurance Group in 2021.

Heacock Classic

Heacock Classic is the collector vehicle program of Heacock Insurance and says it has offered collector coverage since 1989. It provides agreed value coverage, paying 100% of the agreed amount on a covered total loss, and its claims team can help an insured buy back the salvage. According to Finder, American Modern underwrites its policies in most states, it serves about 40,000 clients, it is available in all 50 states, roadside assistance is included, and pleasure use is allowed up to 6,000 miles a year. Finder also notes that claims are handled by phone and that a clean driving record is expected.

American Modern

American Modern Insurance Group is a specialty insurer that is part of Munich Re Specialty. Its collector vehicle program, sold through agents, uses agreed value, with taxes and fees included in a covered total loss after the deductible, and also offers a stated value option. Eligible vehicles range from classic, antique, muscle, and exotic cars to street rods, kit cars, trucks, military vehicles, collectible farm equipment, fire engines, late-model collector cars, and restorations in progress. Vehicles must be kept in a locked garage or building, titles may be held by an individual, trust, LLC, or corporation, and a newly acquired collector vehicle is covered automatically up to $50,000 for 30 days. Racing is excluded.

Grundy

Grundy was founded in 1947 by James A. Grundy Sr., who started the business with GI Bill funds after World War II. Grundy says he invented agreed value insurance to cover a collector's cars at full value, and the company is based in Horsham, Pennsylvania. Its MVP program lists no mileage restrictions. MVP eligibility includes valid licenses for all listed drivers, no major violations in the past three years, vehicles in good condition and regularly maintained, a primary residence in the covered territory, and secure storage.

American Collectors

American Collectors Insurance has provided agreed value insurance for collector vehicles and collectibles since 1976 and is based in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Its policies are underwritten by American Family Home Insurance Company, a member of the American Modern Insurance Group, and in California by American Alternative Insurance Corporation, a Munich Re company. Vehicle plans cover classic and collector cars, custom cars and hot rods, imports and exotics, classic trucks and utility vehicles, and classic motorcycles, and it also offers a plan for collectibles.

Agreed value and how total losses are paid

The most important difference is how a total loss is paid. A regular auto policy pays actual cash value: the market value at the time of loss, minus depreciation, which can be far below what a collector car is worth. Classic policies typically use agreed or guaranteed value, where you and the insurer agree on the car's value when the policy is written, and that amount is paid if the car is totaled, minus any deductible where one applies. Stated value policies are different: they may pay the lesser of the stated amount or actual cash value. Read the valuation wording carefully, and update the agreed value after restoration work or as market values rise. Keep appraisals, receipts, and photos.

Common eligibility rules

Specialty insurers set their own eligibility rules, but common requirements include:

• Vehicle age or status. Many insurers look for vehicles at least 20 to 25 years old, though some cover modern collectibles, exotics, and limited-production vehicles.
• Condition. The vehicle is maintained, restored, or being restored, and is not a daily driver.
• Storage. A locked, enclosed garage or storage unit.
• Regular-use vehicle. Each household driver has another car for daily transportation.
• Driving record. Clean records and minimum driver ages, often 25 or older.
• Usage limits. Pleasure use, club activities, and shows, sometimes with annual mileage caps.

Extras to compare

• Spare parts coverage for parts you store for the vehicle.
• Restoration or under-construction coverage that increases value as work is completed.
• Flatbed towing to protect the vehicle during transport.
• Show and trip coverage, including transport to events.
• Inflation guard that increases agreed value over time.
• Roadside assistance designed for collector vehicles.

How to compare quotes

1. Decide the agreed value for each vehicle, supported by photos and, for higher-value cars, an appraisal.
2. Request quotes from both with the same agreed value, liability limits, uninsured motorist limits, and deductibles.
3. Compare mileage limits, storage requirements, and driver rules against how you actually use the car.
4. Compare extras: spare parts, roadside and flatbed towing, restoration coverage, and event coverage.
5. Ask each for the legal name of the issuing insurer and its financial strength rating.
6. Review the full total, including fees and any membership costs.

How to verify an insurer or agency

Before buying through any website or app, confirm who is selling you the policy and who will issue it:

1. Find the licensed agency or insurer named in the site's footer, terms, or license page.
2. Look up the agency or producer on your state insurance department's license search, or through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR).
3. Look up the insurer on your state insurance department's company search to confirm it is authorized in your state.
4. Save the insurer's name and policy number once issued, since that is who handles claims.

A legitimate service will make this information easy to find. Be cautious if you cannot identify the licensed entity.

What to have ready for a classic car quote

These details help produce accurate quotes.

1. Vehicle details. Year, make, model, VIN, and condition.
2. Agreed value. Your estimate, supported by photos or an appraisal.
3. Storage. Where and how the car is kept.
4. Usage. Expected annual miles and events.
5. Drivers. Licenses, records, and your regular-use vehicle.

Classic car insurance companies FAQs

Related guides

• Classic auto insurance
• Agreed value vs. stated value
• How much is classic car insurance

Your next step

Request a quote, and a licensed agent will compare collector car options available to us with the agreed value and limits you choose.