If you’re driving a performance car, a limited-run modern classic, or a vehicle that has seen a significant amount of “garage love,” your biggest risk isn’t just a rogue shopping trolley or a roadside mishap, it’s the “market value” Trap!

It’s More Than A Car

For VINTTRO members and policyholder’s, a car is rarely just a machine. It’s an entry ticket to a unique way of life, one defined by early morning starts for social meets, the camaraderie of the community, and the painstaking hours spent on restoration to ensure every nut and bolt is period-correct. However, most standard insurance policies are designed for the average commuter car. When those “off-the-shelf” policies meet the reality of the performance car world, owners often find themselves thousands of pounds out of pocket.

The Problem: The “Market Value” Myth

Most mainstream insurers use “Market Value” to determine your pay-out. In their eyes, your car is simply a set of data points: make, model, year, and mileage.

Why this fails the enthusiast lifestyle:

• The “Condition Gap”: An algorithm doesn’t know if your car has a full specialist service history or that it’s been ceramic coated and stored in a climate-controlled garage. It sees a car, and pays out the “average” for a vehicle that might have lived a much harder life.
• The Restoration Reality: If you’ve spent months (or years) restoring your car to concourse or “better than factory” condition, a standard policy won’t recognise that sweat equity. “Market Value” ignores the premium that a meticulously restored car commands.

The Replacement Struggle: If your car is a total loss, “Market Value” might cover a standard version of your model, but it won’t cover the cost of finding another one with the same provenance that allows you to pull up to a community meet with pride.

Protecting the Lifestyle

At VINTTRO, we know that your car is the cornerstone of your social life. Whether you’re grabbing a coffee at a Sunday morning meet or sharing advice on a forum about a specific part, the value of that car isn’t just in its parts, it’s in the community it connects you to.

If you are underinsured, a claim doesn’t just take your car; it takes you out of the driver’s seat of your favourite hobby. Agreed Value ensures that if the worst happens, you have the funds to get back into the community without missing a beat.

Agreed Value – The Solution

We advocate for Agreed Value, a pre-determined sum that you and the insurer agree upon at the start of the policy. If the car is stolen or written off, that is the exact amount you receive. No haggling, no depreciation, no “computer says no.”

The Benefits of Agreed Value:

1. Certainty: You know exactly what your “worst-case scenario” payout looks like.
2. Protection of Passion: It accounts for the rarity, the professional restoration work, and the condition that standard guides ignore.

Speed: Because the value is already set, the settlement process is significantly faster, getting you back into a replacement car and back to the social meets you love.

How to Fix Your Protection

If you suspect you’re currently underinsured, here is how you can move to an Agreed Value setup with VINTTRO Cover:

• Evidence Your Passion: We don’t just take a number out of thin air. We ask for high-quality photos (the “Hero Shot,” the interior, and the engine bay) and a list of restoration work or significant maintenance.

The “Annual Review” Rule: The performance and car investment market is dynamic. Just because £50,000 was right last year doesn’t mean it is today. We can help our members review their values at renewal to ensure the market hasn’t left them behind.

The VINTTRO Cover Difference

Standard brokers sell policies; we protect a way of life. We understand that a performance car’s value isn’t found in a trade-in guide, it’s found in the details, the history, and the joy of being part of the community.

Don’t wait for a claim to find out your car (and your lifestyle) was undervalued. Let’s get your “Agreed Value” locked in.

Ready to update your valuation? Call us on 0333 4042 007, we’ll be delighted to help.

VINTTRO Cover is a trading style of Sona Insurance Solutions Ltd. VINTTRO Limited is an Appointed Representative of Sona Insurance Solutions Limited who is authorised and regulated by the FCA under reference number 927990.