Some further points have come up on our classic car insurance review in correspondence with members

Commuting to work
Is commuting to work covered by your policy? Some companies now exclude it, which could catch you out if you decided one sunny day to use your classic to get to work. Most policies do cover it, but some do not, so it is just a point to check, to avoid being caught out. A colleague had someone in court a couple of weeks ago who was driving to someone's house to get a lift in to work, it never occurred to him that he was not covered, but that is what the insurance company said.

Events
Companies vary in what types of club event they cover, so be very certain that whatever activity you envisage doing is within the terms of the policy. The wording of most policies will exclude any type of competitive event, but some companies will in practice include cover for the mildest forms of rallying, while others will do so for an additional premium. Others may baulk at even an organised tour, so make no assumptions, say clearly how you will use the car.

Is regularity rallying covered?
Regularity rallying involves trying to maintain an exact average speed over a set route, and is an activity quite a few MG Car Club members have indulged in from time
to time! Some insurance companies cover basic regularity rallying at no more than 50 kph on public roads with no problem, some will cover it but like to be told (that is the PBIS position), some ask for an additional premium and some refuse any kind of cover.

Modified cars
Insurance companies can be very strange in what they regard as material modifications - for example one insurer wanted to load the premium for a very small aerofoil on the back of a Honda coupe that had been bought as an ex-demonstrator to which that extra was already fitted. The spoiler was apparently an optional extra.

Probably few of our classic MGs are exactly as they left the factory, and while most changes are very trivial, insurance companies sometimes have unexpected concerns, so the prudent advice must be to declare anything you can think of that is not as standard. For more heavily modified cars, the insurers will naturally want full details, and when it comes to such vehicles - for example a V8 Roadster - they may want to know who carried out the work and even require an engineer's report on the car. If you encounter difficulties or elevated premiums, keep shopping around. You may be better off with a marqué specialist who understands that V8 engines are put into MGB roadsters, whereas other brokers and insurers may have never heard of the idea!
Why is disclosure by an insured to an insurer so important?
The whole issue of disclosure by an insured to his or her insurer is important because insurance contracts are contacts of the "utmost good faith" or uberrimae fidei. Non-disclosure or a partial disclosure makes such agreements voidable so the insurer can vitiate (take away the legal force of or render ineffective) the policy and not pay out a claim. Usually the disclosure required is "of all material facts which might have had a bearing on the insurer's assessment of the risk, his willingness to take that risk on the terms granted and the premium to be charged for the risk". But what is "material"? It is always a problem to define and in practical terms that will be a call for the insurer - or their assessor! So do make sure you disclose any material modifications to the broker or insurer when applying for insurance, during the term of the cover and on renewal. Failure to do so might result in difficulties with a subsequent claim. (10.12.08) Refer to members' claims experiences. More 10.12.08
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