Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Hi Guys - please can you help?

I know there have been posts in the past about insuring Elans in USA. I want to bring my English registered Elan to visit USA - drive Route 66, Pacific Highway etc. So both the car and I are English and we have an English address. If we were a Group we could get insurance or if we were a camper van - but we are not! No English insurance company will touch USA.

Does anyone know of an insurance company in USA who will insure someone who lives in England and doesn't have a USA Zip code? I have tried Hagerty, Sunrise, Thum and Condon Skelly and they cannot help.

Please let me know - and another thing - I can't ring a USA toll free number from England!

Many thanks and hoping to be able to come visiting!!
Regards
Peter

I know for sure there are people who have brought their cars over and toured USA.
Ask motoring organizations, RAC, AA, and tour companies like Thomas Cook. Someone insured them!

ZURICH insurance company would imo also insure your car. and as far as i know zurich is also active in the uk. good luck: wish i could join you sandy

Stop by for a pint if you come through the Atlanta area!

Peter, You have a PM with information regarding insurance.

I'd be interested to know how this works also - I have long thought about travelling to USA, buying a car, and driving across country. How is the insurance side of things done?

While there can be variations from one state to another, very generally speaking, you can get insurance either by phone or online. You'll need the car's VIN for a policy to be issued, but you won't need it to get a rough quote. There's a lot of variation in the insurance market so shop around. Most states require that you provide proof of insurance when you register the car, so get the insurance right away upon purchasing the car. The insurance company will probably then email you a proof of insurance document so you can have it right away (print before registering the car and keep it in the car thereafter).

You also need to be very careful with what coverage you buy. The US system is different to the UK, you get to choose how much cover in various areas, like bodily damage and property damage. When getting quotes you need to make sure:
- You have enough coverage
- The quotes are aligned in coverage amounts

You can get policy with quite low coverage which would leave you exposed to potential big bills. E.g. if you have 10k$ coverage and on a rally with 250K$ classic should something happen you'll be liable for the difference!

State all have their own minimum so you'll also need to make sure you meet the minimums for the states you'll visit. This shouldn't be a problem if you get a sensible amount of coverage.

Basically make sure to understand how the policy work here before starting, as it is different to the UK.

In my home state of South Dakota you can be self insured for the minimum by posting a bond. If you think you can avoid accidents that would be good enough!

Kurt

Thanks for the useful info, will come in handy.