[Mr Twister]

The policy on my 2 classic cars is up for renewal and I was looking for a lower cost option. A google search found Open Road. It seems to be a newer company with good reviews. My online quote was about 35% cheaper than my current provider. I was curious if anyone here is using Open Road and would care to comment.
FWIW, One car got 2k miles this season and the other did not get driven yet this year. Both are complete finished cars and basically stock.

[Half-Inch Stud]

Dunno. Hagherty insurance was the go-to.

[GOAT8U2]

Get it appraised, then insure that amount through American Family. They've been great on claims and cheaper than Haggerty or Grundy.

The problem with cheap insurance are how they handle claims, which is why you buy insurance. I know you're looking for info on this company but search online to see how they handle claims, probably way more results than here.

[Iggy]

As an Insurance Agent I represent both Hagerty and Open Road. Both are what we call a Managing General Agency and are representing a Highly rated company (AM Best A+). The main difference between the two is the "bells and whistles", Hagerty has more of them and cost a little more. In some cases you may need the "bells and whistles" because they are not offered by your regular Auto or Homeowners Insurance.

Some examples, your regular auto insurance does not cover parts for your car unless they are attached to the car as intended - no coverage for the engine while you have it out for a rebuild! Your homeowners will cover those items with a limit of $2,500. Specialty companies like Hagerty and Open Road offer coverages for those types of things, plus more. Open Road being a newer entry into the Classic market does not offer as many bells and whistles as Hagerty. Look closely at what is available from each (this includes any Classic Car Insurer) and figure out what is right for your situation. I know in my case, I need some of the extra stuff Hagerty offers, but Open Road does some of the same but not all of it.

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by GOAT8U2

Get it appraised, then insure that amount through American Family. They've been great on claims and cheaper than Haggerty or Grundy.

The problem with cheap insurance are how they handle claims, which is why you buy insurance. I know you're looking for info on this company but search online to see how they handle claims, probably way more results than here.

I think you contradict yourself when you say that AF is cheaper than Hagerty or Grundy and then infer that cheap insurance is not good.

I took some time to look into AF collector car coverage (to be honest, I didn't know they handled it). I learned that they do have collector vehicle coverage, but their website is rather vague about how their coverage works.

This includes the valuation of the vehicle. From the AF website:

"Our classic car insurance is customizable, so you can get the coverage you need. In some cases, you can expand your coverage to reflect your specific vehicle's value.*"

The '*' has the following wording at the bottom of the page:

"*This information represents only a brief description of coverages, is not part of your policy, and is not a promise or guarantee of coverage. If there is any conflict between this information and your policy, the provisions of the policy will prevail. Insurance policy terms and conditions may apply. Exclusions may apply to policies, endorsements, or riders. Coverage may vary by state and may be subject to change. Some products are not available in every state. Please read your policy and contact your agent for assistance."

A key missing element in their information on their policy is the valuation. They never mention the phrase 'Agreed Value' or 'Guaranteed Agreed Value'.

Every legitimate collector car insurance company that I am aware of is quick to point out that the insured value is guaranteed to be paid out.

If they are insuring the appraised car at 'Stated Value' that only means that they charge premiums on that amount, but when they go to settle a claim they can determine what they think is the actual value is at the time of the claim.

AF may in fact settle claims on 'Agreed Value', but I would only consider them for my collector policy if they put that in writing.

As to pricing, no one can make a blanket claim on pricing for any company being cheaper or more expensive for someone else. Pricing varies widely based on many conditions, including what state you live in, what city you live in within the same state, driving record, age, sex...

I've been with Hagerty for decades. I selected them many years ago because of their 'Agreed Value' and their very liberal usage policy.

I do check on pricing every so often, but have never found enough of a price difference to make me switch, especially because anytime I find a cheaper option the restrictions on usage are a deal breaker for me.

[PonchoReg]

OpenRoad is a fantastic company; I have insured my collection of 5 cars with them. I saved a ton of money when I switched from Hagerty. OpenRoad was started by a group of former Hagerty Executives, after Hagerty's initial public offering three years ago. The coverage they offer is very similar to Hagerty, with some subtle differences, one being the Hagerty Driver's Club and how they handle towing. They, like all the classic car companies, use agreed value, and they have several valuation experts on staff, so appraisals are rarely needed. Their focus is on low-risk vehicles, excluding boats, motorcycles, and hypercars, which allows them to come in much cheaper on premiums because their book of business is low-risk. Besides lower premiums, what really sets OpenRoad apart from other classic car carriers is the company's exceptional customer service. They really hustle harder and reply quickly to any concerns. This budding company still has a soul! I haven't had a claim yet, but the reviews are generally positive online. They also have a representative present every week at the Wednesday Night Cruise-In at the Gilmore. You should stop by and talk to them. I see you are in Wayland, Mr. Twister!

[The Champ]

After Poncho's glowing review, I just did a quote on my 'fleet' ('49 Caddy Limo, '64 GTO Convertible and '72 Camaro).

They were actually $1.00 cheaper than Hagerty, but with lower liability ($100/300 vs $250/500) limits and a $500 deductible vs no deductible on comp and collision.

There was no mention of the equivalent of the Hagerty Driver's Club or Towing in my quote, but my charge for it on Hagerty is $70.00 per year. Is there a separate charge for this from Open Road?

If Open Road charges for towing, there is no reason to change for $1.00.

Bottom line, even if the there is no extra charge for towing, I'd still stay with Hagerty for $71.00 more per year.

Why?

1. Higher liability limits to protect me in case of me causing an accident
2. No deductible on comp and collision (that's how my Hagerty policy has always been - maybe I should check on how much a $500 deductible would save me).
3. A known quantity and a 20+ year relationship

As I stated in my original post on this thread, you can't really compare my pricing with what your pricing might be. Rates vary by zip code and coverage. For me, there just isn't any reason to even consider switching.

[Iggy]

Originally Posted by The Champ

After Poncho's glowing review, I just did a quote on my 'fleet' ('49 Caddy Limo, '64 GTO Convertible and '72 Camaro).

They were actually $1.00 cheaper than Hagerty, but with lower liability ($100/300 vs $250/500) limits and a $500 deductible vs no deductible on comp and collision.

There was no mention of the equivalent of the Hagerty Driver's Club or Towing in my quote, but my charge for it on Hagerty is $70.00 per year. Is there a separate charge for this from Open Road?

If Open Road charges for towing, there is no reason to change for $1.00.

Bottom line, even if the there is no extra charge for towing, I'd still stay with Hagerty for $71.00 more per year.

Why?

1. Higher liability limits to protect me in case of me causing an accident
2. No deductible on comp and collision (that's how my Hagerty policy has always been - maybe I should check on how much a $500 deductible would save me).
3. A known quantity and a 20+ year relationship

As I stated in my original post on this thread, you can't really compare my pricing with what your pricing might be. Rates vary by zip code and coverage. For me, there just isn't any reason to even consider switching.

I would re-check the quote with Open Road to see if they did include Road Service. You are correct that with Hagerty you have to join the Drivers Club to get Road Service - with Open Road it can be added as a normal coverage on the policy (I include Road Service when I quote Open Road) and may already be in your quote.

[PonchoReg]

With OpenRoad you get $125 of towing reimbursement per year, per car, for no charge.

If you need your policy limits matched call to their call center so you can compare "apples to apples", they typically beat Hagerty's premium from everyone I talked to. 866-952-7622

[Mr Twister]

I went with Open Road. I saved a lot of money and the coverage made sense to me. I never read the magazine from my previous insurer anyway.

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by Iggy

I would re-check the quote with Open Road to see if they did include Road Service. You are correct that with Hagerty you have to join the Drivers Club to get Road Service - with Open Road it can be added as a normal coverage on the policy (I include Road Service when I quote Open Road) and may already be in your quote.

I double and triple checked about road service before I posted. They never asked a question about including it and the quote did not show it.

Maybe that isn't a feature they offer in MN?

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by PonchoReg

With OpenRoad you get $125 of towing reimbursement per year, per car, for no charge.

If you need your policy limits matched call to their call center so you can compare "apples to apples", they typically beat Hagerty's premium from everyone I talked to. 866-952-7622

They were only $1.00 cheaper with lower liability limits and higher comp and collision deductibles.

By increasing their coverage to meet Hagerty, common sense says they would have been higher.

Once again, things may be different where you live as rates can vary widely within a state or between states.

[bluebird455]

Am with Hagerty now, after 20 plus years with American Collectors and not only getting totally screwed by them, but also accused of making a Fraudulent claim, a very Unethical company. So am not sure how good Hagerty is yet, did not like finding out after getting policy that towing is not included with it, and need to sign up for "Drivers Club", how many get insurance and not want/need towing with it?? So I may be switching soon again, Open Road is another option that am looking at.
It's all about cost and what you get, bottom line with our classics is getting the proper agreed value, the rest depends on what you're willing to live with/out.

[HoovDaddy]

The parent company of Open Road has been in the insurance business since the 1800s, so a solid company. Core business is transportation insurance. Had Hagerty for decades, went with Open Road last year. A lot cheaper than Hagerty.

[vertigto]

I'm happy enough with Grundy, but will look into Open Road for giggles.

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by bluebird455

Am with Hagerty now, after 20 plus years with American Collectors and not only getting totally screwed by them, but also accused of making a Fraudulent claim, a very Unethical company. So am not sure how good Hagerty is yet, did not like finding out after getting policy that towing is not included with it, and need to sign up for "Drivers Club", how many get insurance and not want/need towing with it?? So I may be switching soon again, Open Road is another option that am looking at.
It's all about cost and what you get, bottom line with our classics is getting the proper agreed value, the rest depends on what you're willing to live with/out.

Having been an insurance agent for over 10 years (commercial lines specialist that did HO and personal auto insurance primarily for my business customers), most people actually don't care about towing coverage/road side assistance.

To the best of my knowledge, for most insurance companies, towing is an optional coverage. Some agents automatically include it in their quotes as it will increase their commissions.

I was more prone to urge my customers to go with higher liability limits to protect themselves from financial ruin than to try and save them a tow bill.

I would ask if my customers wanted it, but honestly can't remember anyone requesting it.

[Cammer-6]

Ive been happy with JC Taylor,but then again have never handled a claim

[GOAT8U2]

Champ, I see what you mean since I used the word cheap in both contexts. AF is cheaper in price, but it's not an "Inferior" insurance concerning claims, customer service etc. I would start away fun Interior company's who aren't gonna pay out and be a PIA.

My agent supported AF and Haggerty, after my claim he said he'd recommend I stay AF.

Get it appraised
Do not do a stated value on your classic car

I had a minor accident in 2023, guy hit my rear bumper maybe 10mph. Other guy had Progressive, they took way too long after I did everything asap, they tried to send me $2200, I then talked to the AF rep higher than my agent, filled for subrogation, from then on I only talked to get agent 1 more time, shop needed to do 3 revisions to my claim, AF took care of it every time and it was eventually 18k due to $125 labor rate and my custom parts.

This high end restoration body shop said they rank...
Haggerty
Grundy
As the top 2 in their opinion.

Open Road sounds promising, I'll look deeper.

It's pretty crazy Iggy is an Open Road agent. Hahaha

[The Champ]

GOAT8U2

Still unresolved in AF's collector car policy is whether they have AGREED VALUE coverage.

From the AF website:

"Our classic car insurance is customizable, so you can get the coverage you need. In some cases, you can expand your coverage to reflect your specific vehicle's value.*"

The '*' has the following wording at the bottom of the page:

"*This information represents only a brief description of coverages, is not part of your policy, and is not a promise or guarantee of coverage. If there is any conflict between this information and your policy, the provisions of the policy will prevail. Insurance policy terms and conditions may apply. Exclusions may apply to policies, endorsements, or riders. Coverage may vary by state and may be subject to change. Some products are not available in every state. Please read your policy and contact your agent for assistance."

My only experience with AF claims service is when one of their insureds hit my parked vehicle. They did a good job and were easy to work with.

But without clarification on how they value a vehicle in a total loss situation, I couldn't consider them as a company I would insure my collector vehicles with.

With Hagerty, I also have 'Cherished Value' coverage which means I get to keep the salvage in a total loss.

Does AF offer this?

[GOAT8U2]

AF has agreed value, they literally state in the insurance paperwork back to me the value number that I sent the appraisals in for, $72k and $88k. Agreed value or I'd walk for sure.

Total Loss
The body shop told me a few horror stories, not about AF, some IC don't allow you to buy back or restore if totaled and then there's some odd 80/20 thing legal jive and you get screwed.

Body shop said Haggerty and Grundy are the best here, total loss, buy back, restore etc, that's a nice feature that while we all hope we'll never need, if that .001 happens to you, you're covered.

Funny you ask about AF on total loss, my prior agent was a family agent for over 30 years, he just retired in June. I'm planning on meeting with his replacement, total loss is coming up for sure since I know they handle the claims exactly how I want, fast and 100% paid.

If anything changes from my AF contract on total loss, I'm going Haggerty or Grundy for sure.