As far as insurance goes, young drivers are often bullied into submission by large conglomerates hell bent on haunting TV jingles, unaware of how to treat classic cars. Here are five classics that are easy to insure, without stripping away the fun aspect.
Can you get cheap classic car insurance as a young driver?
The days where car adverts screamed about power and top speed are gone - in contemporary society it’s all about fuel economy and insurance. These aspects are about as exciting as the Düsseldorf train schedule - leaving adrenaline-seeking youngsters turning to older vehicles for inspiration and excitement.
The only problem, bar some safety aspects for those used to crumple zones and airbags, is insurance. All is not lost though, you can easily source a classic that can trounce the insurance companies at their own game, alongside being run on a shoestring.
Classic Car insurance is the way to go with the five cars in our list, especially if the mileage racked up every year isn’t too high.
5. Mini
Thanks to the basic concept on which the Mini was conceived - being frugal no matter which engine is toiling away under the bonnet - the classic Mini makes for ideal cost effective motoring. The only hurdle is insurance - but the Mini fanbase has an ace up its sleeve.
Besides excellent parts availability and owners' clubs rife with knowledge, the swathes of dedicated aficionados allow for specialist insurance companies to support Mini drivers with fair rates - instead of the inflation busting figure that leaves Sesame Street characters diving for the nearest hedgerow.
It might not be overly fast, but for cheap motoring to slap a smile on your face, nothing comes close.
4. Morris Minor
You can still purchase a good Morris Minor for less than an hour with Vivian Ward, and - just like the Mini - parts availability and fuel economy put other cars to shame. Practical, surprisingly nippy and wearing a loveable puppydog face, these aspects aren’t even the best part of Morris Minor ownership.
Cheap insurance is a huge benefit Minor drivers enjoy, thanks to simple and easy repairs, huge numbers still being on the road and the lack of hooligan-esque speed averting most tricky situations.
And the best part? It’s so much more fun than any modern Fiesta - and cheaper to insure on a Classic Car policy, too.
3. Ford Fiesta MkI
Available in Blighty from 1977 offering 957cc to 1567cc (with the XR2), small engine sizes now make perfect sense - as insurance companies are more likely to offer sensible prices over gargantuan power units. It's also beneficial at the pumps.
Although becoming increasingly rare, Mk 1 Ford Fiestas are often cheap to buy - with running costs to match.
2. Renault 5 Mk 1
Once a common sight on UK Tarmac, the Renault 5 is now harder to find than the sense of humour throughout a Lars Von Trier film. Succumbing to the adverse tribulations of Mother Nature and Father Time amid lairy antics from a generation gifted a Renault 5 as a first car, only 5000 are still know to exist from a production run of over 5 million.
Yet, despite improvements to continue trend-setting styling and reliable mechanics, it’s the first incarnation of the plucky Renault 5 that you want. Besides sipping fuel to save the pennies and offering bucket loads of charm, lower capacity engines from the Mk1 allow cheap insurance costs - unlike the bonkers Turbo model.
1. Volkswagen Golf Mk1
When it comes to family cars, the Volkswagen Golf leads the pack. When the Mk1 was first on the scene the story was much the same - it was well built, it was reliable and it was as economical to run as the day was long.
The massive circle of enthusiasts will stop at nothing to keep their Volkswagens going, meaning that the peppering of specialists up and down the country won’t see you stuck - parts and advice are quick and easy to find, and not overly expensive either.
The biggest advantage of owning a Mk1 Golf? Unlike so many other classic cars, it’ll stand up to everyday use without fuss. If feeling slightly more adventurous, how about a GTi?