Is your modified, classic or kit car making it hard to find affordable car insurance? Here's our lowdown of the car insurance policies offered through Principal Insurance.
Are you in need of specialist car cover because of your specialist car? We’ve looked into the different policies that Principal Insurance offers as well as some of the key benefits. This insurance broker claims to be able to find the right cover for you, even if you have a classic, prestige or high-performance car. It can also offer multi-car or multi-vehicle policies. Here’s what else you need to know.
What is Principal Insurance?
Principal Insurance is a specialist car insurance broker that was established in 2011. As well as a range of car insurance products, it also offers cover for motorbikes, vans, motorhomes, homes and businesses among others.
Principal Insurance tailors its car insurance for owners of classic, modified, prestige, high-performance and kit cars. It also has policies for young drivers and those with motoring convictions.
Principal Insurance works with a panel of insurers that underwrite the car cover. These insurers include Ageas, Octane, Kinetic, Axa, LV= and Sabre.
Principal Insurance Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Third party. Third party cover is the minimum level of cover that Principal Insurance offers. All drivers in the UK are legally obliged to have at least this insurance. If you are responsible for causing an accident, you’ll be covered for damage to third-party vehicles or property. However, it won’t cover any damage to your own car.
Third party, fire and theft (TPFT). This provides the same level of cover as third party but will also offer protection against any fire damage to your car or theft of your car.
Comprehensive. This is the highest level of cover available. It gives the same protection as the other levels as well as insuring your vehicle against accidental damage and vandalism. It can be cheaper than third party or TPFT, so it’s always worth checking.
What are Principal Insurance’s different policies?
Private high-value car insurance
Classic car insurance
High-performance car insurance
Prestige car insurance
Kit and replica insurance
Multi-car insurance
Specialist car insurance
Multi-vehicle insurance
Ford ST car insurance
Compare Principal Insurance’s car insurance policies
Principal Insurance offers two levels of comprehensive car insurance. If you are responsible for causing an accident, you’ll be covered for damage to third party vehicles or property, as well as your own car.
Have a look at the table below to see what the two cover options from Principal Insurance offer.
Product Name
Principal insurance Third party, fire and theft
Principal insurance Comprehensive
Damage to your car
✓
Damaged windscreen and window glass
✓
Fire and theft
✓
✓
Liabilities to third parties
✓
✓
Using the car abroad
✓
Beyond the standard cover benefits above, any other benefits to your insurance policy will vary depending on the insurer that is able to provide the cover through Principal Insurance. Check your policy details carefully to ensure you have the right cover for your needs.
Optional extras
Principle Insurance can provide add-ons to your policy, including the following:
Your cover through Principal Insurance is likely to become invalid if any of the following arises:
Your car is being driven by an unnamed driver on your policy or by a person that does not have a valid driving licence.
Your car is used for rallies, races or competitions.
You fail to pay for your premium.
You change your car during the policy term to a car that the insurer cannot cover.
You do not provide the correct documents to support your application.
The insurer that offers you the policy through Principal Insurance may also have its own set of exclusions. Check your policy for further details to confirm your cover is valid at all times.
How do I make my claim?
Call the Principal Insurance claims line on 0330 024 1376. You can also visit the Principal Insurance website and complete the claims form.
Principal Insurance recommends you have the following information to hand in order to make a claim:
Personal details such as your main telephone number, email address, home address, car registration number and insurance policy number
All details about the incident
Names and contact details for everyone involved, such as third parties, witnesses and passengers
It’s vital that you let your insurer know about an incident as soon as possible, even if it’s not your fault. Failure to do this could result in a rejected claim.
What is my excess?
Your insurance excess is the amount of money you have agreed to pay towards a claim. Your insurer won’t pay out for a claim that costs less than your excess.
A voluntary excess is normally an amount set by you when taking out a policy. You’ll have the option of adding or increasing a voluntary excess, which could in turn reduce your premium.
A compulsory excess amount might vary depending on the age of your car and your driving experience.
You’ll find details about any compulsory or voluntary excesses in your policy document.
Principal Insurance pros and cons
Pros
Offers car insurance for non-standard cars
New claims can be reported via the 24/7 claims line
A range of optional extras to enhance policies
Cons
No telematics car insurance policies are offered for high-risk drivers
The offers compared on this page are chosen from a range of products we can track; we don't cover every product on the market...yet. Unless we've indicated otherwise, products are shown in no particular order or ranking. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations), aren't product ratings, although we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it; this is subject to our terms of use. When making a big financial decision, it's wise to consider getting independent financial advice, and always consider your own financial circumstances when comparing products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables has the source: Moneyfacts Group PLC. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.
*Based on data provided by Consumer Intelligence Ltd, www.consumerintelligence.com (Mar ’24). 51% of car insurance customers could save £539.54
Helen Champion was an associate editor at Finder. She has worked in communications for over 16 years and currently writes on a range of topics including insurance and money transfers in the hope of empowering people to make better financial decisions. During her broadcast career, she helped to produce hundreds of news and breaking news reports for Associated Press TV and ITV News. And in public relations, she managed several high-profile public relations campaigns for Macmillan Cancer Support, the General Medical Council and overseas for Qatar Foundation on behalf of BLJ Worldwide. Helen has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Lincoln, a passion for practising karate in the dojo and a deep love of making mischief with her sons. See full bio
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