Losses and Lessons: Home-built vehicle bites classic Cougar

VEHICLE COVERED: 1968 Mercury Cougar

WHAT WENT WRONG: Just when we thought we’d heard of everything … First, consider how many classic automobiles are on the street at any given moment. Then ponder the miniscule number of unproven home-built vehicles are out there. So what are the odds of a collision between a classic car and one of these home-built machines? They must be astronomical. But that’s actually what happened one sunny afternoon in California, when the owner of a 1968 Mercury Cougar was startled by the sound of something crashing into the side of his car. A quick glance at the rearview mirror revealed a man tumbling off an odd-looking, three-wheel motorized cart.

DAMAGE/LOSS: The good news: The operator of the three-wheel vehicle was uninjured. Now, the bad news: Damage to the Cougar was extensive. The front fender and door on the passenger side were both dented, and there were paint scrapes along the side of the car. Cost of the repair was $5,490, which was covered by Hagerty.

LESSON: Is your vehicle properly insured? Even if you’re a good driver, don’t rely on the assumption that if another motorist is at fault in a collision, their insurance will cover the damage. You never know what is lurking around the next corner — or whether or not it is insured.