Case Study: Vintage Truck Insurance

How often do you see a 1950s vintage truck, in great condition, driving around on the roads? Not often at all!
We had the pleasure of speaking to Christopher, the owner of a 1950s Leyland truck, who had recently taken out an insurance policy with us. In this article, discover how and why he purchased this vehicle, what his favourite features are and why he decided to use Quotax to insure his pride and joy.

Tell us a little bit about your background and the truck you own.

I’ve been a lorry driver for over 40 years and, in March this year, I decided to treat myself to a vintage truck to use for leisure.
In my search, I found two trucks that caught my eye – one on eBay, and one in an auction in Skegness. Initially, I visited the truck I saw on eBay which I really liked the look of; I took the truck for a little test drive to discover how it ran and enjoyed the experience. Although I liked the vehicle, I did decide to see the other truck the next day before making a decision.
After visiting the auction, I realised my heart was set on the first vintage truck I visited the previous day – a 1950s Leyland Beaver BRS truck. I went down the next Friday with my son to take it home – it was just under a 6-hour drive! The truck made it home safely and I haven’t looked back.

Where did your passion for vintage trucks come from?

My father was also a lorry driver, so the passion has been passed down to me from him. Also I love driving, and having the privilege of driving a 70+-year-old truck makes driving even more exciting!

With the truck you insured with us at Quotax, what were the main reasons for purchasing this vehicle? What would be your favourite feature?

I initially liked the look of the truck, as well as its heritage, which is why I wanted to view it in the flesh – when I liked what I saw, I purchased it! The truck can also be worked on to adjust and personalise aspects which really appealed to me, as I see this an on-going project that I can work on as and when I please.

Is this the only truck you own or do you have any others?

This is my first, and only, vintage truck.

Do you attend any rallies or special events with your truck?

I do plan to attend special events with my vintage truck at some point as I’d really enjoy that. Once the Covid-19 pandemic settles down, there may be many events that will be held where I can share my new vintage truck with other enthusiasts.

Did you modify your truck after purchasing it?

I’ve been doing the inside of the cab up, as the interior had a dirty brown colour to it. I have now managed to clean it up and I’m in the process of rubbing it down and repainting the metalwork to bring some life back into the vehicle.
When I purchased the truck, there were a number of stickers on the bodywork, which I’ve since had removed, which has made it look much cleaner, and I believe brought it back to its original look.

Unfortunately, as the seller explained to me, my Leyland truck had been stood unused for 5 years, so it ended up with an oil leak in the gearbox which needed to be fixed, but I’ve sorted that now. The mechanic I chose was a big fan of the truck and he managed to replace the part really quickly, so that gave me one less thing to worry about!
After the oil leak was fixed, I had to order a special thick gear oil, which is quite difficult to get hold of, as synthetic oils are mostly used nowadays. Purchasing synthetic oil for older vehicles, such as my Leyland vintage truck, can cause detrimental damage but luckily I found somewhere local that supplied it, so I can ensure it runs properly.

Do you think you’ll purchase any more vintage trucks in the future?

Yes I would – I found one in Preston I liked but, unfortunately, the seller didn’t get back to me about it so I decided to stop pursuing that vehicle in the end.

When looking to have your truck insured, what did you feel was important to consider?

As it’s such an old, unique vehicle, I wanted a top-notch insurance policy for it. Due to its age, there is a much higher chance that things will go wrong, so I wanted to find a policy that would provide me with a fully comprehensive cover with breakdown recovery.

So how did you discover Quotax?

Somebody I know actually mentioned Quotax to me as an insurance option, and recommended them, so that promoted me to Google the name.

Tell me about your experience with Quotax, from when you initially contacted them.

Once I found the Quotax website, I rang up to enquire about my vintage truck. From the very beginning, the sales representative was extremely understanding and listened to my needs. Due to my unique requirements, they explained that the correct policy would need to be put together for me, and Quotax came back within a couple of days with the policy details and quote.

The representative found me a policy that I was very happy with, providing the cover I needed at a great price. So, without hesitation, I took the policy out.

Would you recommend Quotax for vehicle insurance? Tell us why.

I would fully recommend Quotax Insurance. The level of service was something I very much appreciated, and I was happy to take a policy out with them before even knowing what the quote would be as a result.

Unfortunately, I did have some unpleasant experiences with other insurance companies when I was looking for someone to insure my truck with, either showing no interest in helping me or simply not being able to provide me with the policy I needed. However, I did find my experience with Quotax very refreshing, as the representative was really pleasant and not at all pushy.

Was there anything else you would like to add?
I am very happy with my purchase, I love taking the truck for rides on late Saturday afternoon. People around me have shown such an interest in the vehicle and they take pictures of it – one person even asked to take a look inside!

We agree that this is such a fantastic vehicle and we are thrilled that Christopher is now a customer of ours.
Are you looking for an insurance quote? No matter how old or unique your vehicle is, we are here to help. Speak with our friendly team for a competitive quote.