Hagerty Insurance Covers Car Collectors After SuperStorm Sandy

About this time last year, millions of people in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut woke up to billions of dollars in damage to their cars and properties. Car collectors were especially hard hit, with their valuable collectibles enduring in many cases catastrophic water and physical damage from the storm surge and high winds that pummeled that Atlantic coast.

But thanks to quick thinking and action, some collectors managed to save their cars before the worst damage set in. The New York Times has a story about the hard lessons many collectors learned following Superstorm Sandy.

For example, Oceanside, NY native Scott Nadler had owned his 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle for 10 years when Sandy hit, and he acted quickly to save his baby. Nadler moved fast, draining the engine of fluids before hydrolock could set in and saving the 396 cubic-inch from being a total loss. The rest of the car was thoroughly washed and cleaned of the corrosive salt water, though Nadler’s insurance company still paid out $10,000.

Thankfully, Nadler had special insurance through Hagerty, which had no problem covering his well-restored Chevelle, though others weren’t nearly as lucky. Unlike many homeowner insurance policies, Nadler’s collector car insurance does cover flood damage, a fact lost on many collectors who were paid little or less for their washed-out rides. Hagerty dealt with more than 1,200 collector car insurance claims, though it is estimated that more than 10,000 collector cars due to the storm.

The lesson here? Get collector car insurance.