Press release
Source: Hagerty Insurance Agency

If there were prizes for expressions of individuality, classic and collector car owners would always rate high amongst the recipients.

But there are also those true ‘Oscar’ candidates, whose idiosyncrasies have prompted specialist insurer, Hagerty, to award its own gongs in celebration of the collector vehicle hobby, and the more extrovert of its brethren, in the USA.

For more than a decade, Hagerty Insurance has issued policies on some of the greatest and most valuable cars in the world. But from time to time they also receive requests that may prompt them to think: ‘You’d like us to insure what?’

“When we first set out to insure collector vehicles, we intentionally didn’t want to discriminate and limit ourselves,” says McKeel Hagerty, CEO. “But we never anticipated how broad the collector category really is, or how many unique and truly individual vehicles - and owners - there really are out there.”

Armed with information received from its on-line trawl for unusual collector cars, Hagerty has pitched the following as its ‘Top Ten Quirkiest, Coolest and Most Unusual Collector Cars’.

Ghostbusters car

1. Ghostbusters car
If there’s something strange in your neighborhood who ya gonna call? This '65 Cadillac wagon will surely protect you from ghosts. Of course, we ain’t afraid of no ghosts.

(Note: Vehicle pictured is a 1959. The vehicle we've covered is a 1965.)

Pumpkin Chucker/Old Fire Truck

2. Pumpkin Chucker/Old Fire Truck
This vintage fire truck can shoot pumpkins 400 metres in any direction you point it. The 25-foot long barrel makes garaging an issue, but it certainly keeps unwanted trespassers at bay.

The Big Red Phone car

3. The Big Red Phone car
This 1975 VW Beetle was transformed into exactly what it’s called – a big, red telephone on wheels. Complete with a keypad, receiver and matching owner/mascot, this car is not easy to miss.

Star Wars Land Speeder

4. Star Wars Land Speeder
Used by Lucas Films, the hovering vehicle made its first appearance during ‘Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope’. The dirty, beat up land speeder was Luke Skywalker’s alternate mode of transport when his T-16 Skyhopper was in the repair shop.

Cinderella’s Carriage

5. Cinderella’s Carriage
This carriage evolved from a mere pumpkin and was hauled by a couple of mice-turned-horses. Pretty unbelievable you say? Well, it happened and it needed insurance, so Hagerty gave it the best coverage a budding princess would ever desire. There’s no word on whether elusive glass slipper coverage is next on their list.


6. Corvette Station Wagon
What do you get when you cross a truly iconic American sports car with a grocery getter? Apparently, you get what is most commonly referred to as a 1954 ‘Commemorative Sport Wagon’. Quite the oxymoron, but a conversation starter.


7. Panzer tank
Think you feel safe in your sports utility? This German military vehicle can only hit up to 25 mph even on the flattest surfaces, but you’ll never have the problem of getting stuck in traffic, and there’s plenty of room for shopping.

Panzer tank

8. Velorex Oskar 3-wheel car
This three-wheel, vinyl-covered mini-car from the Czech Republic enjoyed quite a production run, from 1953 to 1971, in a town named Hradec Kralove.

Velorex Oskar 3-wheel car

9. 1985 Owosso Pulse
This futuristic looking vehicle is one of just 347 Pulses ever built. The ‘Autocycle’, as it’s commonly referred to, appeared in the film Back To the Future Part II.

1985 Owosso Pulse

10. 1974 Dodge Clown Car
Want to stand out in your street? Park this in your driveway.

Commenting on the selection, Angus Forsyth, MD of UK subsidiary, Hagerty International, mused; “These results beg the question as to whether British collector car owners can out-do our American counterparts in terms of idiosyncrasy!”

Throwing down the gauntlet, Forsyth added: “We’ll be happy to hear from anyone who is, or knows of an owner of a particularly unusual collector vehicle, to add to our own candidates amongst our client base, and we will then publish our UK Top Ten.”

Submissions should be e-mailed, with a photograph of the vehicle and brief description, to hotline@hagertyinsurance.co.uk.

1974 Dodge Clown Car