At a glance
- Organization
- Hagerty
- Type
- Insurance carrier
- Founded
- 1984
- Base / focus
- Traverse City, Michigan
- Specialty
- Classic, collector, and specialty vehicle insurance
- Official site
- Visit Hagerty
Who is Hagerty?
Hagerty is a Traverse City, Michigan–based specialty insurance provider and automotive lifestyle company founded in 1984 by Frank and Louise Hagerty. It began with classic wooden boat insurance, expanded into collector car insurance in 1991, and today offers agreed-value coverage for classic and specialty vehicles in all 50 states, plus membership, valuation tools, media, and events.
Hagerty protects vehicles that are loved more than they are driven every day — classics, collectors, and specialty cars that need agreed-value insurance rather than standard actual-cash-value personal auto forms.
Beyond insurance, Hagerty operates as an enthusiast brand with membership, valuation data, media, auctions/marketplace activity, and events. For coverage shopping, the core product remains specialty vehicle insurance.
Key facts
- Founded April 3, 1984, by Frank and Louise Hagerty in Traverse City, Michigan
- Started with classic wooden boat insurance; first collector auto policy in 1991
- Publicly traded automotive enthusiast brand (NYSE: HGTY)
- Specializes in agreed-value (Guaranteed Value®) collector vehicle insurance
- Offers coverage in all 50 states for qualifying classic/specialty vehicles
- Broader ecosystem includes Hagerty Drivers Club, valuation tools, media, and events
History
On April 3, 1984, Frank and Louise Hagerty started selling insurance for classic and collector wooden boats from their Traverse City home. The family business grew from a passion for protecting “toys” that standard markets misunderstood.
In 1991, responding to boat clients who also owned collector cars, Hagerty wrote its first auto policy and expanded into classic car insurance — now the bulk of the insurance business.
Hagerty later scaled into a public company (business combination completed to list as Hagerty, Inc.), expanded membership and media, and continues to insure millions of enthusiast vehicles while partnering broadly across the automotive insurance ecosystem.
Products Hagerty offers
Hagerty’s insurance marketing focuses on collector and specialty vehicles (qualification rules apply):
- Classic and collector car insurance with Guaranteed Value® / agreed-value settlement
- Specialty vehicle coverage for qualifying non-daily drivers
- Policy features such as spare-parts coverage and medical payments for auto-show contexts (as marketed)
- Newly purchased collectible vehicle temporary coverage features (program details vary)
- Classic marine / collector boat heritage products within the broader Hagerty specialty family
- Hagerty Drivers Club membership benefits and roadside-related services as companion offerings
Who Hagerty serves
Hagerty serves collectors, restorers, and enthusiasts whose vehicles are not daily drivers and meet collector-program guidelines.
Commuter cars, brand-new daily drivers, and non-collector household autos usually belong on a standard personal auto policy with other carriers.
Coverage focus with Epic and Easy
We look to Hagerty when clients need:
- Agreed-value coverage for classic or collector vehicles
- Specialty auto for limited-use enthusiast cars
- A companion policy alongside a standard personal auto for daily drivers
- Guidance on valuation and qualifying vehicle use
Who it’s for in Virginia
Hagerty can fit Roanoke and Virginia enthusiasts with classic cars, hot rods, exotics, or other collector vehicles that sit between weekend drives and show seasons.
If every vehicle is a daily driver, we start with standard auto markets and revisit Hagerty when a true collector risk appears.
How Epic and Easy helps
We document vehicle year/make/model, modifications, storage, and annual mileage; discuss agreed-value goals; and check Hagerty alongside other specialty markets when needed.
We also help coordinate how collector policies interact with your household auto package so there are no coverage gaps.
Hagerty FAQs
What is Hagerty insurance for?
Hagerty specializes in insurance for classic, collector, and specialty vehicles that are not driven every day, typically using agreed-value coverage rather than standard actual cash value.
When was Hagerty founded?
Hagerty was founded on April 3, 1984, by Frank and Louise Hagerty in Traverse City, Michigan, originally for classic wooden boats.
Does Hagerty insure daily drivers?
Hagerty’s core auto insurance is designed for collector and specialty vehicles with limited use — not typical commuting daily drivers. Those usually need a standard personal auto policy.
What is Guaranteed Value®?
Hagerty markets Guaranteed Value® agreed-value coverage so that, in a covered total loss, you are paid the insured value agreed on the policy rather than a depreciated actual cash value settlement.
Can Epic and Easy quote Hagerty in Virginia?
Yes, when we are appointed and the vehicle qualifies. We’ll confirm usage, storage, and valuation details before requesting a quote.
Is Hagerty only an insurance company?
Insurance is central, but Hagerty also operates membership, valuation tools, media, events, and marketplace experiences for car enthusiasts.
Sources & methodology
This profile summarizes publicly available information from the organization’s official website and related authoritative pages. Product lists describe what the organization markets broadly and do not guarantee availability through Epic and Easy in every ZIP or risk class.
Coverage, eligibility, pricing, and underwriting rules vary by state, product, and applicant. We do not invent AM Best scores, claim counts, or proprietary premiums on this page.
Advertiser Disclosure: Epic and Easy may be compensated when you request a quote or purchase coverage through our agency relationships. Compensation may influence which products we can offer. Carrier availability varies by product, ZIP, and underwriting. Product lists on this page describe what Hagerty markets broadly and do not guarantee that every product is available through Epic and Easy in every location. This page does not invent ratings, claim counts, or proprietary premiums.