Enough Dead Cobra Owners! Enough Wrecked Cars!

[DAVID GAGNARD]

Turk;

Evidently from your replies you do not like insurance companys very much,that's o-k with me.... but remember,you need them to insure your car,so why not try to get along????

Let me give you and all some examples of how and why premiums are set....In the parish (county) where I live, the insurance company I work for insures about 5,000 vehicles. Out of that number I'd guess there are no more than 20 insured as "specialty" vehicle (classics-antiques-street rods),we have no Cobras insured in this parish.... If one of these vehicles is involved in an accident,then the payout comes from a "pool" of 20 premiums,on the other hand,if my mother-in-law has an accident,the payout comes from a "pool" 5000 premiums....The insurance industry looks at the premium taken in vs. the payout for all accidents in any group of cars be it Fords-Chevys or Cobras.... Since the Cobra market is soo small, just a few claims make in not very profitable...

I'd guess the average total loss payout that I work around here is less than $20,000.00 per vehicle,remember that is only an average, what is the average Cobra worth???? a hell of a lot more!!!!!!!!!! The recent Cobra accidents not only involved totalling high dollar cars,but in the last case a fatality. Fatalitys are high dollar payouts not counting the injured passenger's bills and claim, so in general insuring Cobras is just not a good deal for any insurance company, plain and simple..... The money they take in does not cover the money they pay out,that's why companys are shying away from them....

The same was true for street rods and is happening to Cobras right now,they banded together and formed NSRA and made a difference,that is all Klayfish is talking about,he and DV should be congratulated for even thinking of trying to make a "difference". If this does come to pass and I hope it does,it will not happen over night,it"ll take time,but it can be done... I have several friends with street rods and have talked to them at length about NSRA and have seen how they have made a difference.... The company I'm insured with for my Mustang (specialty insurance) will not blink an eye at a street rod with an NSRA sticker,but will surely think twice and look at any Cobra very hard before saying anything about insuring it...

You can not regulate people or how they drive or what they drive and I do not ever want to see anyone even try,but if Cobra owners got together to show that they are for the most part responsible owners and drivers,than I think the insurance industry will certainly take note. There will always be accidents no matter who you are and what you drive,but at some point we need to try and change the image of the average Cobra owner,just like years ago the image of the Harley owners was not the greatest,but over time it has changed....

Auto insurance in general is not a profitable business,homeowners insurance and life insurance is where any company makes it's money. I can quote you numbers till my fingers are tired of typing,but, suffice it to say auto insurance is a losing propsition as far as making a profit goes......

Remember, that Cobra owners need the insurance industry on their side more than the insurance industry needs Cobra owners to insure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Respectfully;

David