Purchasing vehicles from abroad is often an attractive proposition for UK based motorists. Not only are their performance specifications often higher than for cars which are designed to comply with EU regulations, but there are also considerable savings to be made on the purchase price compared to if you have purchased its UK equivalent.

However, before taking the plunge you first need to make sure that it can be insured here in the UK.

How does imported car insurance differ?

Unfortunately, a number of general car insurers in this country do not insure imported cars, as the cost of getting parts for and repairing such cars is often greater than for those that were manufactured for the British market.

Additionally, cars such as Holden’s will not have been built to EU specification and may well have higher performance capability than their UK equivalent. If this is the case the insurer will often be more likely to inflate premiums because of the increased statistical risk of higher performance vehicles being involved in accidents.

The insurer may also be slightly wary of insuring a vehicle which they know very little about. However, there are a number of specialist insurers of imported cars in the UK. When contacting a specialist insurer, you will find that they are used to dealing with such cars as many have years of experience and can tailor a policy to meet your specific requirements.

What Can Be Done to Get Cheaper Cover?

Car insurance has been a topic of much debate in recent years with the average motorist now paying £921 per year according to the latest AA figures. This figure is of course artificially inflated by the premiums paid by younger and less experienced motorists; but imported car owners can also be classed as being a discriminated against group.

However, there are still a number of things that can be done to help drive down the cost of premiums and help make motoring more affordable for imported vehicle owners.

Firstly, you may wish to use a comparison site such as MoneySupermarket to get a number of competitive quotes from these specialist insurance firms. If you are the proud owner of a Holden, you could contact the owners' club to see if they can direct you to specialist insurers who may even provide a discount to club members.

While doing your research, take your time to make sure you get the cover you require. For example, would it not be sensible to arrange comprehensive cover rather than just third party, fire and theft? After all, this is your prized possession. Also look at what each policy features. Does it include legal cover? If not, do you think that this is something which is worth paying a little bit extra for?

Keeping your vehicle in the garage overnight rather than leaving it parked on the road or on the drive is another tactic to get cheaper premiums, as this makes it less likely to be stolen. Having an alarm, immobiliser and tracking device fitted will result in even further savings. These two tricks will likely prove to be particularly beneficial to Holden drivers due to the fact that the vehicles tend to be rarer and hence of higher worth.

If you agree to limit the number of miles you travel in the vehicle each year and what you use the vehicle for, then this will also likely result in a lower insurance premium. However, bear in mind that you should not lie to your insurance company about any of these statements, as this could invalidate your policy and any subsequent claims which you make.

If you can afford to pay a larger excess in the event of a claim, this will also reduce the premium. However, you should make sure that you will be able to afford to pay this agreed upon excess should it be required.

You should also consider you payment options. Many people have to pay the premiums monthly but if you can afford to pay for it in one lump sum then you will pay less for your car insurance because you will not have to pay additional interest charges.

Arranging for car insurance is a difficult and complex business, which is why it is recommended that you invest the necessary time the make sure you are getting an the level of cover that you need at the best available price.