Business and staff
- Damage during assembly and overhaul
- Injury in the workshop
- Employers' liability
- Pure financial loss falls outside it
Restoration · valuation · fire risk
Garage insurance for classic car specialists
A classic car specialist often has customers' property in the workshop for years. Its value can rarely be derived from a price guide, and that calls for different arrangements.
- several insurers compared objectively
- 9.5 customer rating for a new policy
- AFM licence 12016589
- Personal 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 9–17
Deze pagina in het Nederlands: Garageverzekering voor oldtimerspecialisten.
The calculator and the quote form below are in Dutch. Prefer to do this in English? Email info@finassverzekert. nl or call 072 - 509 24 56 and we will take it from there.
Work out for yourself what it would cost.
Enter your details; you will receive a proposal within one working day.
- We compare the offerings of several insurers
- An adviser checks whether the cover suits your activities
- We arrange the switch, including cancellation
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
Motor trade insurance for a classic car specialist is made up of the same building blocks as for any motor business: liability for injury and property damage, a motor vehicle cover for vehicles you drive in the course of the business, and vehicle cover for what stands on your premises. That road risk is not optional: every motor vehicle is subject to the compulsory insurance requirement of Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM), even on a short test drive after an overhaul.
The difference lies in the valuation and the lead time. A classic under restoration has no market value you can simply look up, and its value rises during the project with every part fitted. Work with an agreed value and keep it up to date. Under Article 7:960 of the Dutch Civil Code an insurer may not pay more than the loss suffered, but a sound valuation prevents the argument about what that loss is.
On top of that, it is fire risk above average. Welding, grinding, panel beating, degreasing and spraying often take place in the same space as irreplaceable vehicles. Insurers impose concrete requirements on this. See also the commercial motor trade insurance for the body, per component.
What does the policy arrange for a restoration business?
Three blocks together determine whether damage to a classic is paid for.
Test drives and moves
Journeys in classics in the course of your business.
- A test drive after an overhaul
- Trade plate
- Transport on a trailer
- Recording the circle of drivers
Classics being worked on
Customers' cars and your own stock in the workshop and in storage.
- Agreed value per vehicle
- Value grows during the restoration
- Requirements on storage and fire separation
- Maximum number of objects
What is covered
| Situation | Basic | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| A collision on a test drive after an overhaul | Yes | Yes |
| Injury to a customer in the workshop | Yes | Yes |
| Fire damage to a classic being worked on | Provided that | Yes |
| Theft of parts from the store | No | Provided that |
| Redoing a failed restoration | No | No |
| Diminution in value because the vehicle is no longer original | No | No |
What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) that you receive before you take out cover.
Four points for classic car specialists
With classics, the dispute after a loss almost always concerns the value and the fire risk.
Work with a valuation and keep it current
A classic has no usable market value. Have the value established by an expert before the vehicle arrives and update the declaration as the restoration progresses. Record who drew up the valuation and when. Without supporting evidence the payment falls back on what the insurer considers plausible, and with a half-finished project that is almost always less than the investment. Keep an up-to-date list as well of the parts fitted and still to be fitted with invoices.
Hot work is a condition of cover
Welding, grinding, cutting and spraying are daily work in restoration. Insurers attach conditions to them: working under a permit to work or documented protocol, clearing the work area of flammable materials, extinguishers within reach and a follow-up check afterwards. If those measures are not taken, that is an independent ground for declining a fire claim. Separate the spray booth and the storage of paint, thinners and gas bottles structurally from the space where vehicles stand.
The described business activity must cover your work
The policy schedule states what you are insured for: restoration, servicing, trading, valuation or storage. If you also start acting, obtaining a valuation or hiring vehicles out for weddings and filming, the risk changes materially. Errors of advice in valuations or pre-purchase inspections also produce pure financial loss, which does not fall under the liability cover but under professional indemnity insurance. Report every extension: this engages the duty of disclosure under Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code and can cost you the payment under Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code.
What is not included
Outside the cover are, among others: the cost of redoing your own defective work, loss of value because a vehicle is less original after repair, and soil and environmental damage from oil, degreaser or paint residues, for which separate environmental damage insurance exists. Also excluded: taking part in competitions, timed rallies and circuit driving, driving without a valid licence or under the influence, and damage from wear, rust and deferred maintenance. Intent and wilful recklessness are excluded under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code.
What does your premium depend on?
- Business activity: restoration, trading or storage
- Turnover and payroll: the usual bases for calculation
- Value of the items: valued classics weigh heavily
- Fire risk of the premises: spray booth, storage, compartmentation
- Security and supervision: alarm, camera, key management
- Claims history: previous fire and theft claims
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
- You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, risk and wishes.
- We compareseveral insurers, on premium as well as conditions.
- You receive a proposalWith an explanation of the differences and the exclusions.
- We arrange the switchIncluding cancellation, so there is no gap in cover.
9.5New policy
9.8Claims handling
Customers rate our service on four aspects: personal service, service delivery, availability and the outcome. The reviews are collected and published by NH1816 and come from customers who have actually taken out a policy with Finass Advies B.V. or reported a claim.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
How is the value of a classic under restoration determined?
Preferably by an expert valuation, supported by an up-to-date list of parts fitted and the invoices. During a restoration the value rises month by month, so a valuation from years ago does not do the job. Report increases in value as they occur; otherwise the payment falls back on what the insurer considers plausible.
Are customers' cars insured during the restoration?
Only with vehicle cover for third parties' vehicles. The liability cover pays only where you are liable; fire or theft without fault on your part is not included. Agree with the customer whether they keep their own classic car insurance in force during the work and record that in writing in the order confirmation.
What if a fire starts during welding work?
The decisive question is whether you took the agreed measures: a hot work permit or protocol, a work area clear of flammable materials, extinguishers to hand and a check afterwards. If those were not complied with, the insurer can decline the claim. Record for each job who carried out the work and what measures were taken.
May I make test drives on a suspended registration?
Not on the public road. A vehicle whose registration is suspended may not be there; use a trade plate within the applicable rules instead. Driving outside those limits creates a cover problem and can result in a fine. Record which employees may make test drives and on what conditions.
Am I covered by motor trade insurance if I also value or advise?
Not automatically. An error in a valuation or pre-purchase inspection causes pure financial loss, and that falls outside the liability cover of motor trade insurance. Professional indemnity insurance is needed for it. Declare this activity separately, so that the described activities on the policy match what you actually do.
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Is your restoration business properly insured?
Request a quote without obligation. We review the described activities, the vehicle values and the requirements for hot work.
Prefer to call? 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 09:00–17:00.
Claim on the road? Emergency line 06 - 55 20 40 72.
About our service
Finass Verzekert is a trading name of Finass Advies B.V. We advise on and arrange non-life insurance on the basis of an objective analysis of several insurers, and receive commission for this from the insurer, which is included in the premium. You pay no separate advice fee. Before you take out cover, we establish your wishes and needs.
You will find our licence, KvK and Kifid details and our complaints procedure at the foot of every page.
This page was written and checked by an adviser at Finass Verzekert. Last updated on .
The information on this page is general in nature and is not personal advice.