A Golden Jubilee

When W. R. Berkley Corporation acquired Tri-State Mutual Insurance Company in 1974, it marked an auspicious season for the collector automobile space. The team soon began providing insurance on antique cars, spending much of their time traveling for vintage car shows or hosting their own in Luverne, Minnesota. “The early days of Berkley One Classics depended upon our being out among the public,” says Amber Walgrave, Berkley One Classics Underwriter. “We didn’t do much advertising back in the 70s and 80s—the majority of it was word of mouth.”

As Tri-State expanded into new territories with agricultural and commercial insurance offerings, the collector vehicle program expanded with them—and into places where market needs presented themselves. The company became associated with three Berkley Companies over the years—Continental Western Group in 2000, Berkley Program Specialists in 2015, and Berkley One in 2017, and each association caused the team to follow a thoughtful approach to growth.

Members from Berkley One Classics and Alliant Insurance pose at the Rock the Block event which took place before the opening of the 2024 Barrett Jackson Scottsdale Auction

“We always first ask, ‘Where does it make sense to go next?’ and in that, we consider the simultaneous development of offerings by other Berkley Companies, and how Classics can be a part of those decisions,” says Shelley Fey, Berkley One Classics Branch Team Leader.

National Classics Leader Tim Dadik credits much of the company’s momentum to the early team’s passion for automobiles—and for people. “It’s always been about relationships and our being able to pick up the phone and have a conversation with someone about their car—and people love talking about their cars,” he says. “From the beginning, we’ve had a team in place that is truly invested in learning about how a vehicle was acquired, its process of restoration, its provenance, and how it has remained in the family across generations. It all blossoms from there.”

Berkley One 2023 Bonhams Greenwich Auction Preview at Berkley One offices in Greenwich, CT on June 3, 2023. (photo by Gabe Palacio)

Today, insurance for collector vehicles is provided by Berkley One Classics in 28 states—with more being added in 2025 and beyond. “As we grow, we will continue to connect with those who are passionate about the collector car space, be it field experts or those who own a consignment shop or repair facility,” says Dadik. “When we surround ourselves with great people in the hobby, it makes us better as an organization.”

Dadik speaks from experience, noting the integral role community involvement has played for Classics since its inception.

“Whether it’s a car show, charity fundraiser, concours, or museum event, the independent agents we work with are out there, front and center, meeting individuals who share strongly in this interest,” he says.

Those interactions have resulted in longtime relationships over the years—ones with auto enthusiasts like A.J. Dufendach of Grand Rapids’ Garage Kept Motors, or Darrel Burnett of Green Bay’s The Automobile Gallery & Event Center. And then, there are the founders of Under the Hood—the popular, national podcast dedicated to car appreciation and care.

Some cars have excited the Classics team over the years—from vehicles gracing history books (such as the 1915 Big Brown Luverne and 1909 Luverne Thirty, the last two Luverne Automobile Company cars known to still exist) and those on the big screen (various makes and models from hit TV series Breaking Bad). “We get to see all of these collections and styles, and to learn about each of them,” says Fey. “It keeps the work fun and interesting.”

Berkley One 2023 Bonhams Greenwich Auction Preview at Berkley One offices in Greenwich, CT on June 2, 2023. (photo by Gabe Palacio)

That ongoing education and exposure has helped equip the team to better understand how collector vehicles are valued, too—like when Customer Support Specialist Julie Nekali helped a client with their 1956 Porsche.

“I discovered that his vehicle was more than $100,000 undervalued, and helped him get it insured to value,” she says.

In the process and through the photos the client sent to Nekali, she was happily surprised to learn that he not only garaged the vehicle—he stored it inside his house.

It’s those moments of connection that continue to propel Nekali and team in their development of client relationships—and that make for some of the most memorable stories. “A wife was walking down the street and saw a car that looked like the one her husband had when they were dating—when they learned it was the very same vehicle, they bought it back. Walgrave notes the joy the Classics team feels when clients send the team photos of their children or grandchildren. “We hear these stories because we get to know our customers—we listen to them.” Also, often independent agents know clients by voice when they call.

A classic vehicle waiting to roll across the auction block at a local car show attended by the Berkley One Classics Team.

The depth of these relationships, many of which have been decades in the making, affords agents the chance to be a part of those family stories and legacy-making. “When a family member passes on, the vehicle might be passed on to a child or grandchild. When the vehicle stays with the next generation—it really does become a family experience,” notes Nekali. Walgrave recalls an example of this from her own career. “I was working with a client, and when he passed away, his son inherited the car—now, he’s restoring it in honor of his father.”

As the Classics team looks back on 50 years, they’re reminded more than ever of the meaning cars can hold for us all.

“It’s one of the biggest beauties of the hobby, the ways cars can bring back all of these memories—memories of a parent, a first car, a first relationship,” says Dadik. “There are so many emotional connections to cars—they’re far beyond metal.”

This story appears in One Adventures, Berkley One’s digital magazine celebrating creators, experiences and stories. Read the issue here.

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Berkley One is a Berkley Company.