Here are two almost unbelievable stories about expensive cars that were totaled by seemingly minor damage.
First up: Here's How A Corvette Was Totaled Because Of One Inch Of Damage. It was a 2017 Corvette with which the owner drove over an unavoidable obstacle on the freeway. BUMP! From the article:
I had it inspected at Karl Chevrolet the next day and from a quick look, there didn’t seem to be any serious damage. We took it in to Karl’s for repair a few weeks later and we were told the frame strike caused a small crack, less than an inch and a half long and they were having difficulty finding a replacement part.
A few days later, the shop told us the part is not available from Chevrolet and the car would be totaled. ...
The insurance company finally came to the same conclusion on the frame part being unavailable, and declared it a total loss. We were surprised that after all of this, they gave us a fair offer and had a check to us for the car the very next day.
The insurance company took the hit. But it seems like a bad business practice for a vehicle manufacturer to put irreplaceable parts in vulnerable places on expensive cars.
Second: This Lotus Elise Was Totaled Thanks to One Microscopic Bumper Crack. It wasn't exactly microscopic, but it didn't look like a scratch that would total a car. Nonetheless, from the article:
We spoke to Philip Kingston, the previous owner, to see whether it was this damage alone that totaled out the car, and he confirmed that yes, it was. His body shop came back with a $19,000 repair estimate, so his insurance ended up buying the car from him for more than $33,000. New clamshells can cost more than $5000, and that's before labor to install it, which is notoriously expensive. That rare bronze paint was also an issue. Remember, an entirely new clamshell had to be painted, so a lot of material was needed.
Another insurance company took a hit. Don't you know insurance on those vehicles must cost a fortune?
Owning an exotic car could be a dream come true. But under certain circumstances, it could become a nightmare.
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2:29 PM 11/14/2018
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