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There are some classic cars that make collectors go gaga. There are others that are highly underrated even when the reputation is not deserved. The 541S Jensen is one such overlooked gem. This unusual British model offered topnotch safety features, decent engine features and luxurious appointments, but it was overlooked by buyers when it first rolled off the line and continues to be passed over by collectors.

Sporty, fast, compact and adorable, the 541S Jensen is a two-door grand tourer that was completely hand built in an era when mass production was well under way.  Its design is quite similar to Aston Martins, Porches and Jaguars in appearance, but it has a few claims to fame that are all its own. The 541S was the very first British car to boast seatbelts as standard. It also came with a number of other safety features, as well. This model was outfitted with a fire extinguisher, a first-aid kit, Dunlop disc brakes, a Motorola and even a padded windscreen surround.

While safety features were paramount with the 541S, this Jensen boasts a number of other unique design perks. The car has front seat arm rests that are adjustable. It also has a Bevelift jack that is meant to be used through the floor so the car can be lifted without a motorist being exposed to the elements.

The 541S Jensen was produced by Jensen Motors Limited, between 1960 and 1963. This sports car was predated by the Jensen 541R and followed up with the CV8. The 541S line had a total of 127 cars made with two engine types, a 5358 cc V8 produced by Chrysler and a 3993 cc straight-6. It came as either a four-speed automatic or a four-speed manual with overdrive. It is said only 22 manual drive transmissions rolled off the factory floor before production on the model ceased.

Although the 541S offered many things other makes and models did not, it gained a reputation of being a car that was slow to accelerate. While this might not seem like a big deal, it was for buyers of sports cars. Unfortunately, the manual version of the car was not used for testing. Owners today say the four-speed manual with overdrive offers more than enough in the zip department.

Jensen Motors operated with a headquarters in West Bromwich, England, from 1934 to 1976 when it went bankrupt. The company was known for its sports cars and commercial vehicles. While the 541S was not a hit with buyers, the company did have its share of standout vehicles during its multi-decade run. In addition to its own models, Jensen also collaborated with Austin-Healey and Volvo on a few vehicles. It was partially responsible for the Austin A40 and the Volvo P1800.

Classic car enthusiasts with an eye for the rare and unusual might find the unusual 541S Jensen is well worth another look. While the automatic transmission version of this model lacks in the pep department, the manual twin does not. Regardless, both versions are considered an unusual find in these days of mass production.

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Whether you’ve been driving for decades or you’ve just passed your test, making sure that you maintain your vehicle to the best of your ability can be a hassle-filled process – no matter how much you love your car. In today’s troubling economic climate, that process becomes even tougher as drivers put off new car purchases and are forced to take care of ageing models.This also includes carefully considering their car insurance.

Yet car insurance doesn’t have to be just a dull legal necessity. In fact, if you search in the right places, it could be surprisingly easy to find the quirky details and cover options that could make your car insurance policy effortlessly fit in with your lifestyle.

Adjusting your car insurance policy to suit your interests

If you’re concerned about climate change, finding a greener car insurance policy is likely to be a priority – even if you don’t drive a hybrid car. More insurance providers than ever are now seeking to offer their customers environmentally friendly vehicle cover. At the Glasgow-based Green Insurance Company for example, policyholders can expect their motoring carbon emissions to be offset by 100 percent. To date, the company claims to have planted over 100,000 trees across Scotland and Northern England, offsetting an estimated 51,000 tonnes of carbon emissions.

On the other hand, if classic cars are your passion, it’s important that you seek out a car insurance policy that covers your specialised needs. Classic car insurance can be tailored to suit motor enthusiasts who still drive their old, distinguished vehicles on the road. Alternatively, if your cars are collectors items rather than operating machines, you’ll be able to find a competitively priced specialist insurance quote through a quick online search or website comparison.

Moreover, if you’re a self-taught mechanic and carry out all of your own repairs, it’s possible that you may need to seek a bespoke car insurance quote. Some standard motor insurance policies may not provide cover for repairs that aren’t carried out by professionals, so it’s always worth double-checking your policy or calling your insurer to make sure where you stand. As a result of the current recession, many drivers may be resorting to making their own repairs and tweaks in a bid to cut costs – so establishing whether or not this action complies with the regulations of your car insurance policy is more important than ever.

Finding competitive car insurance quotes online

With so many insurers vying for your custom, it can be tough to establish which car insurance policies offer you the most comprehensive protection for your money. Car insurance comparison sites can offer invaluable help, allowing you to tailor your search for quotes to your own preferences and making it easier to sort through premiums in price order. So whatever your personal lifestyle choices may be, you can choose the ideal car insurance policy in just a few clicks of a mouse.

You should find it easier to get cheap car insurance quotes online than offline, due to the way that the internet makes it very easier to compare different auto insurers. However, to get the cheapest possible automobile insurance policy available there are factors that you should know about and apply to each company that you approach.

The first secret in getting cheap car insurance quotes is to make sure that you provide the same information to every car insurance company. If you do not, then you are not comparing like with like, and the comparison is not a valid one. The easiest way to do this is to check out what each asks for on their online quotation form. Each of the auto insurance companies will provide you with a quotation form to fill in online, and this will contain a number of basic questions. Check out each one and make a note of the questions asked.

Then compare them all and make sure that the same information is being provided to each. Thus, if one company asks whether or not your car is garaged overnight, and others do not, then provide that information to these others voluntarily so that you are giving them all the same information. Generally, however, you will find that they are pretty similar, and ask basically the same questions.

Write down the answers that you provide in the first auto insurance form you complete, so that you don’t forget and end up providing different information to each company. This is easier to do than you might think and it doesn’t take long to make a note of the answer to each question. Most will be simple to answer, but questions such as how long it has been since you last made an auto insurance claim can sometimes be easy to give different answers to. So write them down: make a list of your answers, and also make a list of factors that you think might help you to get a cheaper auto insurance quote.

In fact cheap car insurance quotes online are considerably easier to get if you understand the factors that affect the price, and there is long list of them. The list is too long to cover comprehensively here, but we shall discuss some of those that you should be aware of. The time since your last claim has already been mentioned, and the longer the better. You should get a good no claims discount if it has been at least three years or so since your last claim.

However, you must make sure that your facts are correct since if you get it wrong it could be very costly. Your insurance could be invalidated if you exaggerate your claim-free period. The same is true of any of the information you have to provide, which is another compelling reason for making sure that all your facts are correct and compiling everything into a list. That is the best way to make sure that you don’t make any costly mistakes.

Another factor in reducing the cost of your car insurance is safety: the more safety features on your car then the lower the auto insurance rates. Most car insurance companies will have a standard price for certain models and years based on the standard safety features, but if you have added something to make it less likely that your passengers will be injured in a collision then your premium could be reduced slightly. Similarly with security features: if your car doesn’t come with an alarm system but you have added one, then you might have something deducted from the price of the insurance.

If you are insuring your son or daughter many companies offer cheap car insurance quotes online if you put them on your auto insurance policy rather than buying them a separate policy. You can do this for three or four years and if they have had no accidents then they will eventually be able to get their own policy cheaper.

Other factors include whether or not you have your home insurance or your life insurance policies with a particular company: they might be prepared to arrange your car insurance at a lower rate since you are already a customer. Or you could offer to switch your other policies to them if they provide you with a good discount on your car insurance policy. All of these are reasons for auto insurers to reduce their standard car insurance premium price, and we haven’t even talked about the options such as collision coverage and personal injury protection yet, and then there is the deductible that can also be used to lower the cost. Any insuring agreement has to be less costly if you increase your deductible.

There are many more factors than the above that will enable you to get the best possible deal, and if you know how to go about it, and are consistent in the information you provide to the various companies, you should be successful. Another secret is to choose the companies that you intend to use carefully and get a cheap car insurance quote from as many as possible. The internet makes it easy to compare a large number of insurers, and you should also be able to get help from price comparison and review sites.

If you follow all of this advice then you should not find it difficult to get cheap car insurance quotes online. So fire up that computer and get going – you might surprise yourself and get that uninsured motor vehicle covered at a very low price.

Whether it’s a common family vehicle or a collector’s item, if you want to transport your car over a long distance in the safest as well as the cheapest way, it is probably best to contract an auto shipping company. The service does not only save time and the trouble of driving the vehicle across states on your own, it reduces the amount of fuel that you would otherwise have to buy. With today’s fuel prices, if you find it necessary to see first which of the gas stations available along an interstate offer better prices, you had better consider auto shipping and save your car unnecessary wear.

The auto shipping industry is becoming popular for those very reasons. Nonetheless, selecting from the many companies and their services, whether large or small is not without risk. You need to be aware of the companies insurance coverage, past experience, and previous performance with your type of car, particularly if it is somewhat exotic in either model or size. You will also need to find out what criteria they use to determine pricing.

Pricing is determined by the manufacturer and model of the vehicle, the distance to be transported, the drop-off and pick-up sites and your required time-frame.

The road less travelled in this case will cost you more, due to remote, hard to find services, and the time and energy the company must put forth to keep your car safe from the various road and weather conditions that could harm the vehicles on the carrier. This will cause the company to add services (and charges) not normally encountered on well-traveled routes.

If your vehicle is abnormally heavy, large, or odd-sized the cost will increase because the carrier can load fewer vehicles. Many esoteric cars, and particularly vintage, classic and collector’s cars are of nonstandard dimensions, but also require unusual tender loving care, regardless of weight or size.

The amount of insurance necessary to cover your vehicle in transport is also a consideration. Your regular policy may not cover the odd conditions that the car might meet in transit. The auto shipping company will have its own insurance carrier and you need to research the policies offered to pick the one most pertinent to your vehicle. It is undoubtedly not the cheapest option that will meet your needs, especially on the vintage model.

One other determination aside from the above is whether your car is drivable or not. If the car cannot be driven on and off the carrier, special trucks will be dispatched to take it to the carrier, it then must be pushed or towed to its spot, and the entire procedure must be repeated at its destination.

A fully operable vehicle is, of course, the preferred one to transport. No matter, you need to hire the auto shipping company as early as you can before the shipping date, and try for off-season if possible. The longer you hold off on deciding on a transport company, the costlier it will be for you. I’m talking here well over a month in advance. If your car’s prior condition results in damage while in transit, besides the inconvenience of waiting for the car to be repaired, the final price could spiral out of sight.

The phrase “car insurance” implies that what you are insuring is your car, but the realities of car insurance are a bit more complex than that. When you purchase a comprehensive auto insurance policy, you are protecting yourself from the costs of damaging your car, but that is just one element that makes up full automobile insurance coverage. You need insurance that can cover the legal fees that may result during a lawsuit if you take another driver to court after an accident. You need insurance that can cover the cost of prescription painkillers that you may need to buy for yourself if an uninsured driver runs a light and hits your car. These and hundreds of other possible costs that have nothing to do with your actual vehicle can be covered by so-called automobile insurance. The act of buying an insurance policy for your car is an act of making sure that it is financially safe both for yourself and for anyone else who you may encounter when you are behind the wheel.

You need to protect yourself from the potential financial hardship of paying for the medical bills of anyone who you injure in an accident, and the costs of repairing any public or private property that you may damage. In addition, before you can hit the road in most states you need enough insurance that you will be able to pay for your own medical care if you are injured in a crash caused by an uninsured motorist. So far, none of these important elements of a standard car insurance policy even mention the automobile itself!

A good collision or comprehensive insurance policy will cover at least some percentage of the cost of repair to your vehicle after physical damage. However, since not every state requires that you have this kind of insurance, don’t assume that physical damage is covered by your policy unless your agent tells you so directly. Physical damage coverage is just one element of a good automobile insurance policy, and many people consider it optional rather than necessary. The actual cost of insuring the physical form of your vehicle is almost always dwarfed by the costs of the other kinds of insurance that you need in order to drive safely, responsibly, and legally.

Other options that you will be likely to encounter when choosing a car insurance policy include things like medical payments coverage, which will help you meet the costs of medical attention after an accident. Of course, a traditional auto insurance policy includes a certain level of protection against the costs of treatment, but things like co-pays are not covered by body injury liability coverage or uninsured motorist coverage. This leads many people to take out additional insurance so that they know that they will not have a larger than necessary financial burden if a hospital stay is necessary for them, for a passenger, or for somebody else harmed during a crash.

damage/slashes by unknown vandals have necessitated car repair/repainting. car is covered by comprehensive insurance policy with 3rd party liability clause. is it fair for standard insurance to even entertain the idea of making policyholder to shoulder as much as a whopping 48%, more or less, of total cost? it appears that it isn’t worth getting your car insured, does it? isn’t the word going to get around that, it appears, they are discouraging thinking clients or making them think twice before they even get near a standard insurance policy? what do you think? i am asking cause i need help to sort this out and am asking other friends, relatives and acquaintances what they think and what they would do in a case like this.

Choosing a car insurance policy may seem like a simple task, however, consumer group Which? is warning drivers that they must make their decision carefully.

The organisation has released a money-saving handbook with tips and guidance on the insurance polices to avoid and the products that are not necessary. Though car insurance itself is essential for all motorists, they should take their time to ensure they’re picking up the right policy for them.

Many drivers are lured in by attractive offers and discount rates. Even if securing cheap car insurance is your number one priority however, there are ways of going about finding the best deal.

For example, don’t assume that your insurer is the cheapest. Use a car insurance comparison tool to compare quotes from a range of insurers and see what else is on the market every time you renew your policy. This way, you can take advantage of introductory offers and always ensure you’re paying the lowest price.

However, it is important to look beyond price and think about the level of cover you’re receiving.

It’s vital to read the small print of each policy to look for exclusions. Many of the features some drivers assume come as standard actually cost extra on a number of car insurance policies.

For example, repairs may only be free through one of the insurer’s approved contractors. Furthermore, many car insurance companies charge extra for courtesy cars, European cover and legal services.

Each driver should carry out a risk assessment based on their driving habits before searching for car insurance. Remember when searching for cheap car insurance that no one insurer is guaranteed to offer the best quotes – you must shop around based on the car you drive – such as Volkswagen car insurance – your circumstances, and your driving record.

Owning a car means high costs and that’s even before you’ve taken your car insurance into account. Even if you’ve found that sporty convertible that you’ve been after for a long time at a cheaper price, you may be shocked by the insurance you’ll have to pay for this dream car.

Making sure your vehicle is insured is something that can’t be ignored but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t cheaper ways of insuring your car. Below are a few examples of how you can do this:

Search online

Many insurance companies will give you a discount if you buy online so make sure you do your research and compare car insurance quotes to find the best deal for you.

Don’t modify your car

Making changes to your car will affect your premium. Car manufacturers actually work closely with insurers so that they can insure car models to a standard, so if you modify your car, you will be changing what your car insurance has been based on and will therefore cut the number of insurers who will insure you as a result. If you do decide to modify your car, make sure you inform your insurer.

Drive carefully

People who drive carefully will build up a history of no claims and will therefore receive lower premiums.

Be secure

It pays to fit an alarm or immobiliser in your car, as does using your steering lock as this will deter thieves. Also, make use of your garage and store your car in there. If you have any detachable stereos or GPS devices then make sure they are removed from the car when you are not in it.

Voluntary excess

You can reduce your premium by agreeing to a voluntary excess. This is an amount that you have agreed to pay in the event of an accident.

Low mileage discounts

If you have a low annual mileage make sure you inform your insurer as this can help cut the cost of your car insurance by up to 15 per cent.

Pay in full each year

If it is possible try to pay your insurance in full each year as many insurers have a high rate of interest when you pay it off an a monthly basis.

Make sure you compare car insurance quotes when looking for a good deal.

Don’t modify your car as you will be changing what your car insurance policy has been based on.

Inform your insurer if you have a low annual mileage as this can help cut the cost of your car insurance by up to 15 per cent.

UK car insurance for new and young drivers will never be cheap! This is for one reason and one reason alone young and new drivers are a bigger risk to insure than the average car driver. Newly qualified UK drivers are more likely to have an accident during their first year of year of driving than at any other time.

The facts are stark:

Per mile of driving, the risk of an accident involving injury or death is about seven times greater for 17-20 years old than for those aged 40 or over.

Young drivers under 21 are involved in 15% of all car accident deaths.

New drivers make up just 10% of license holders, but are involved in 29% of accidents.

The following tips will help reduce the cost of young drivers car insurance:

1) Take the Pass Plus driving exam. This is an intensive training course that aims to make new drivers better drivers. Successfully pass the Pass Plus and you will receive a discount of up 35% off your car insurance. The Pass Plus costs around £100 but given the high cost of car insurance it a still a worth while investment. Ask your driving instructor for details.

2) Volunteer to pay a higher excess. Insurers will insist on a minimum amount that you have to contribute to any car insurance claim. The standard amount is £100. As new and young drivers if you volunteer a higher amount you could save on your car insurance premium.

3) Pay your car insurance annually. It is cheaper to pay your years car insurance in one lump sum rather than in monthly installments. Most car insurance companies charge interest of around 15% APR (some up to 30%) to allow you to pay your premium in monthly installments.

4) Adding a named older driver to your car insurance policy, i.e. your parents, can save you 10% on your insurance premium. Likewise, avoid having younger named drivers on your policy.

5) Enhance your car security. Thatcham approved car alarms are recognized by all insurers and most will discount your premium if you have these fitted. If you have a garage then use it. Your car is less likely to be stolen from your garage or from your drive than if it is parked in the street. Insurance companies will recognize this and offer cheaper premiums.

6) Buy your car insurance policy online. Most car insurance companies offer a discount if you buy online via their web site.

7) Be born a woman. Car insurance for women is cheaper. Why? Because the average female is a safer driver than the average male.

According to the Association of British Insurers it is possible to save 35% on a car insurance premium by simply comparing several insurance companies against each other. As young drivers such a discount can be considerable. So get as many insurance quotes, online or otherwise, as you can. It will save you money.

Celebrities have it easy, right? They get the best seats in restaurants, they can walk to the front of most queues and they can grab just about anything for free as long as they’re willing to shake someone’s hand and smile for a photograph.

Yet celebrities will not find car insurance companies quite so forthcoming. According to research from elephant.co.uk, cheap car insurance is not readily available to the rich and famous. Indeed, most celebrities would actually pay less if they had stuck to their day jobs.

For example, 26-year-old Bermondsey native Jade Goody may have gone out of her way to achieve celebrity status through the television series Big Brother, but she’ll be paying for her efforts now. The insurer’s research suggests that she would have paid 22 per cent less on car insurance premiums in her standard profession as a dental nurse.

Spare a thought for Alex Curran too. The newspaper columnist may have shot into the limelight when she married Liverpool and England footballer Steven Gerrard, but her car insurance premiums could rise just for having him as a passenger. Indeed, footballers pay higher car insurance premiums than any other professionals.

So what justifies celebrities paying more?

Insurers base premiums on a number of risk factors. The jobs we do are one aspect taken into the equation as they effect the time we spend on the road and the speeds we’re likely to undertake. Indeed higher-paid professionals also tend to drive faster cars – and larger engines invariably result in larger premiums.

It’s unlikely that too many of us will be sympathetic that celebrities don’t enjoy cheap car insurance. However, it should motivate motorists to make every advantage count and shop around for the best car insurance deals.