Morgan is 19 and cannot remember when he didn’t dream of owning a Mazda MX-5. The looks, the freedom, the sound of the engine and the rasp of the exhaust. The roof-down summer evenings and road trips with friends were all in his mind’s eye.
Finally, in 2020, at the age of 14, he realised his dream and bought a 1996 MX-5 with every penny of his savings. Morgan’s ambition was to learn to drive, fix, and enjoy the car properly, ready for the day when he could learn to drive it as well.
Morgan explains, “For years, I’ve been fixing up and modifying my project car, and I’ve spent nearly enough every penny I’ve earned in years tinkering with it.”
Young car enthusiasts who want to follow their passion often face a huge hurdle: getting insurance coverage.
When Morgan started approaching his 17th birthday and got closer to passing his driving test he realised that classic car insurance from other suppliers was looking like a barrier to entry. All of the excitement, money and time spent getting that car ready was crushed by the insurance quotes he was given by comparison websites and other classic car insurance companies, less motivated by investing in the future of the movement. Morgan told us, “I bought a ‘daily driver’ to insure that until I could get insured on the MX-5. I ended up having to pay well over £2,500 (the car’s value!) for a year to insure it on a black box.”
For the next 4 years, Morgan’s pride and joy sat in the garage, just waiting. If he wanted to go out and enjoy the sunshine, he would have to make do with the passenger seat, watching either his mum or dad drive the car he built.
That was until he joined the MX-5 Owner’s Club, explained his predicament, and was introduced to the Club’s scheme, which is administered by Peter James Insurance.
Morgan explains, “MX-5 Owner’s Club Insurance saved my skin! I got quoted less than half that of my daily driver (even with a year’s no-claims bonus) with all my modifications declared. That week, I drove over 700 miles. I just drove everywhere because I could. I went to car meets, visited friends and family, took photos at random roads, and even took it to the Norfolk coast. If it weren’t for this club and that company, I’d still be watching it sit there, but now I can drive that car without worrying about undeclared modifications, lack of breakdown coverage or anything like that. I know I’m safe, legal and not being ripped off!“
Peter James Insurance, in partnership with our Club partners, understands that the historic vehicle community need to invest in the future of the movement to make certain that there are treasured classics for us to ensure long into the future.
The MX5 Owners Club Insurance scheme includes a whole host of additional benefits and is exclusive to club members. Through our close partnership with the Club we are often able to provide cover to younger members like Morgan who are known to the club, and are genuine MX5 enthusiasts.
A full list of our club partners can be seen here.
