Kicking Off the New Year

First up was the annual pilgrimage to auction week in Scottsdale, Arizona.  Each year, Scottsdale turns into the go-to location for enthusiasts, collectors and investors to take the pulse of the collector car hobby.  With five auctions and the newly formed concourse event at the Biltmore Hotel, there was something for everyone that week. The weather in Arizona in January was pretty nice as well.

Once again, Barrett-Jackson lived up to the hype of being one of the most exciting auctions in the world. With more cars, more people and more vendors than ever before, it felt more like a festival than an auction. Gooding’s Auction had a few star cars as well, including a featured trio from Jerry Seinfeld. RM and Bonhams brought a Euro feel, while Silver and Russo and Steele rounded out the auctions with cars for wallets of all sizes. Although sales were generally strong, one change that hurt values was the lack of Canadian influence. The Canadian dollar that had previously been on parity with the US dollar has weakened to $1.45 Canadian for every $1 US. Thus, a $100K collector car will now cost $145K in Canadian dollars.

Paris, France

After Scottsdale, I flew across the pond to Retromobile to attend for the first time. Held the first weekend in February at the Porte de Versailles in Paris, Retromobile is the Superbowl for the collector car hobby in France. It attracts visitors from around the world and displays some of the best cars available for sale. It is also a high end swap meet with more than 500 vendors offering everything from pre-1900 parts to replacement motors for new Porsche’s. Since Paris is the art capital of the world, it was no surprise that the finest automotive artists were there to offer their works as well.

The annual highlight of the event is the Artcurial Auction, and this year was no exception. Standing in a room when a car sells for more than $36 million is something even the most seasoned collector will never forget, and when the auction is called in French, an additional flair of confusion is added to the excitement. I don’t speak any French, but the banging of the auction hammer is something that needs no translation! I would encourage everyone to attend Retromobile at least once, and I would be happy to offer advice to anyone interested in attending.

Attending these annual flagship shows reminds me how quickly spring is approaching. As the weather warms up and your clients are getting their cars ready for the road, remind them to review the valuation of the cars on their policies. Values should be increased to reflect any changes in the market as well as increasing costs of repair. We want to ensure that their cars are properly insured before they start driving. If you need assistance with this, the Director of our Increase in Value Department, Bruce Weed, is happy to assist. You can email him at [email protected].

Happy Motoring!

Jim Kruse, Director of Condon Skelly

RSA Can Save The Day

As we get ready to get our cars out of the garage this season, we must face the reality that there is a lot that can go wrong out on the road. When your clients have Condon Skelly's Roadside Assistance, they have peace of mind knowing that we are here to assist no matter where they are with their collector car.

For only $4/month, your clients will enjoy services including:

Guaranteed flatbed towing service within 50 miles

Battery Service/Jump Start

Flat Tire Assistance

Gas, Water and Fluid Delivery

Lock Out Assistance

$1000 Car Theft Reward

In the event of an accident, we offer:

Emergency Travel Expense Reimbursement

$50 Ambulance Reimbursement

 $1000 Hit and Run Reward

They will also have access to additional savings on rental cars and activities, as well as custom trip routing services.

For more information, or to add RSA to a policy today, visit our website or call us at 800-257-9496.

Meet the Team

Amy DiCiurcio,
Client Underwriting Specialist

My father owned an auto repair shop, so I grew up surrounded by cars. We had many different cars over the years, but we were definitely a Ford family. It seemed natural that I would begin my insurance career at Condon Skelly in 1990 when I was a senior in high school.

I worked as part time co-op student, and loved that my job involved working with unique cars every day. After graduation, I was offered a full time position working in the mail room and I accepted it. I have never looked back.

This year will be my 26th year working with collector cars as a member of the Condon Skelly team. Through the years, I worked my way up to my position as an underwriter, reviewing new business applications. Today, I lead our administration department where we service policy holders’ needs on a daily basis.

Last summer, New Jersey experienced a series of storms that brought heavy rain. On one day in particular, there was a torrential downpour. Our policyholder Mark thought about the next time he would be able to bring his 1953 Cadillac 62 out of the garage as he watched the rain coming down. As the rain picked up to nearly four inches falling per hour, Mark’s garage began to flood. The water levels rose just high enough to enter the interior and engine compartment of his Cadillac, causing significant water damage. He never would have imagined that his vehicle was in danger while parked safely in his garage. 

After draining the water from his garage, Mark reported the damage to his Cadillac via Condon Skelly’s claim hotline at 1-877-371-9774. Our claims team worked with Mark to schedule an appraisal of Mark’s vehicle. Unfortunately, the vehicle was deemed to be a total loss. He chose to keep his Cadillac and used the settlement money to restore it. Unfortunately, due to the amount of water damage in the engine compartment, the title of Mark’s Cadillac now carries a flood stamp, which decreases the vehicle’s value in the market.

Nobody wants their classic to be labeled a “flood car.” Whether you live on the coast in Florida or in the middle of Pennsylvania, flooding can be a threat to your clients' collector vehicles. Here are a few steps we recommend that our insureds take to protect their vehicles.

 Be wary of the weather - You do not need to live at the bottom of a hill or in a flood zone to be susceptible to flood damage. Heavy rain or snow storms can cause flooding in the most unexpected of places.

 Plan ahead and find a safe place where you can store your vehicle in anticipation of storms.

 Park your vehicle on race ramps in your garage. The majority of flood damage claims reported to our team involve water levels that barely reach the vehicles’ interior or engine. Many of these claims, including Mark’s, would have been avoided if their vehicle was parked on a race ramp a few more inches off the ground.

Did you miss our most recent Condon Skelly webinar? The 30 minute webinar focused on how agents can add value for new and prospective collector car owners and insureds. You will learn about the evolution of the hobby, as well as how you can capitalize on the collector car hobby to grow your book of business. Click below to visit our webinar library and fill in the information to download the webinar today!

Come See Us at These Upcoming Car Shows

Corvette Expo
March 11-13, 2016 in Sevierville, TN

Texas VW Classic
April 15-17, 2016 in Fredericksburg, TX

Hot Springs Corvette Weekend
April 21-223, 2016 in Hot Springs, AR

NCM Bash
April 28-30, 2016 in Bowling Green, KY

Lone Star Corvette Classic
May 20-22, 2016 in Fort Worth, TX