Import Car Insurance

Comprehensive Cover for Imported American, Japanese, and Grey Vehicles from your American Muscle Car to your Japanese Family Car

From your American Muscle car to your 4x4 Pick Up

Who We Are

All types of vehicles and modifications can be looked at, on a fully comprehensive basis, or if you prefer, Third Party cover with limited mileage. We have a range of specialist insurers for all owners, collectors or traders of imported vehicles.

What is Import Car Insurance?

With Import Car Insurance, you can enjoy your car without worrying about the unexpected. So, whether you’re driving a classic European model or a cutting-edge Japanese import, make sure you’re covered and drive with confidence!

Why Choose Us?

  • 90+ years’ experience in specialist insurance.
  • An allocated customer service team to guide you through the insurance process.
  • A team with a wealth of knowledge on imported vehicles
  • Access to a wide range of specialist insurance providers.
  • A dedicated claims team to assist you.

What We Cover

Frequently Asked Questions

Insuring your grey or parallel import can be a stressful time. However, here at Advance Insurance, we have a team built on a wealth of knowledge, whether it be a grey import or a parallel import car. Providing excellent customer service is a non-negotiable here at Advance Insurance, and we aim to ensure a seamless process when insuring your vehicle with us.

Many insurers will not offer cover for import vehicles. We have access to a range of specialist insurers that understand the requirements for owners of import cars, so rest assured that we are here to help.

Grey imports are vehicles that have been imported from outside the EU into the UK.

Most often, the grey import cars are American or Japanese models. Some of the most well-known grey imports are Mitsubishi, Subaru, Nissan and Toyota. With these being rare, high-spec and sometimes high-performance cars, the parts can often be harder to replace or fix. The upshot, insuring your grey import car can often be less straightforward than insuring a standard or parallel import car.

Advance Insurance specialises in imported cars, and our top tips to help you save money on insuring your grey import car are:

  • Off-road parking
  • Additional security
  • Reduced annual mileage

Parallel imports are cars that are built and bought within the EU and imported into the UK. Unlike your grey import car, parallel imports are less complicated as they are designed and built to meet European road standards. This leads to no additional tests, and as a result, the insurance on your parallel import car will be similar or slightly more than your standard UK cars.

Some of the most well-known and used parallel import cars are Opel, BMW, Eunos and Mercedes. Our top tips to help you save money on your parallel imports are:

  • No claims bonus (even if built up from another country)
  • Off-road parking
  • Additional security
  • Reduced annual mileage

There are a range of different motor insurances types we provide, including classic car insurance or modified car insurance.

Due to import cars typically carrying a higher level of risk, it can be difficult to cover them with a standard Car Insurance policy. Import cars are generally higher performing, leading to a higher risk of theft, and they also come with rarer, pricier parts, which can be expensive to replace and repair. Because of this, it’s important to ensure your vehicle is sufficiently insured with a specialist policy, so you can drive with peace of mind.

Several factors can affect the cost of Import Car Insurance, including:

  • The car’s age
  • Modifications and customisations
  • The availability and cost of replacement parts, as they are often higher for imported vehicles
  • The driver’s experience and history, including any past claims

To get cheaper Import Car Insurance, consider the following tips:

  • Choose your car wisely: Some cars, whether imported or bought in the UK, are more expensive to insure due to their power, cost, or difficulty in finding spare parts.
  • Avoid modifications: Customising your car can increase premiums, especially if the changes enhance performance or make it more attractive to thieves.
  • Safety, security, and storage: Increasing your car’s safety and security features can lower premiums.
  • Storing the vehicle in a locked garage overnight also reduces the risks of theft or vandalism and, therefore, your premium.
  • Increase your excess: Volunteering a higher excess fee can lower your premium, as it indicates you won’t make small or frivolous claims.
  • Ensure it’s an amount you can afford if you need to claim.
  • Pay annually: Paying for your insurance annually can be cheaper overall compared to monthly payments.

Import insurance is often seen as a specialist area for insurance providers and brokers. This means you’ll probably face high premiums or even no quote from comparison sites and non-specialist agents. Therefore, it’s more cost-effective to go with a specialist broker.  

Car insurance for imported vehicles does tend to be more expensive than standard insurance. This is to account for potentialities such as higher prices for spare parts, needing to go to a specialist garage for repairs, and insurers not knowing how risky insuring a certain car would be. 

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chippenham

New Business
8 Avon Reach
Chippenham
Wiltshire
SN15 1EE

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Westbury

16 High Street
Westbury
Wiltshire
BA13 3BW

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Swindon

Imperial House,
College Court,
Regent Circus,
Swindon
Wiltshire
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trowbridge

16 Fore Street
Trowbridge
Wiltshire
BA14 8HA