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How do I insure a convertible properly?

In short

How do I insure a convertible properly? In Germany with liability cover and at least partial cover (Teilkasko), and with full cover (Vollkasko) if it has a fabric roof or is worth more. Only full cover pays if someone slashes the roof out of pure vandalism. A new roof from a brand dealer costs about EUR 1,800 to 4,800 plus fitting. A seasonal plate cuts the premium.

How do I insure a convertible properly?

What it costs

Published rate examples and garage prices. The rate examples are for liability with full cover, 15,000 kilometres a year and no-claims class 3.

ExampleTypical range
Older mid size convertible, 116 hp, liability with full coverabout EUR 540 to 610 a year
Current roadster with fabric roof, 2.0 litre, liability with full coverabout EUR 920 to 1,050 a year
Mid size convertible, season April to September instead of all yearabout EUR 400 instead of about EUR 800 a year
New fabric roof from a brand dealer, depending on the modelabout EUR 1,800 to 4,800, fitting up to EUR 650
Slashed roof in the Munich rulingabout EUR 680

Rate examples as of November 2026, seasonal example as of March 2026,

roof prices from a trade article from 2021.

Your premium depends on model, place of residence, mileage and no-claims class.

The deductible in the worked example is a guide value from quoting practice;

we obtain the exact quote.

Worked example

Roadster with fabric roof, parked on the street overnight

Someone slashes the roof, nothing is stolen. That is vandalism, partial cover does not pay.

New roof from a brand dealerabout EUR 1,800
Fittingup to EUR 650
Total damageup to about EUR 2,450
Full cover deductible, assumedEUR 500

With full cover you pay EUR 500 yourself and drop a no-claims class, the insurer pays up to about EUR 1,950. With partial cover only, you bear the full EUR 2,450.

Which building blocks a convertible needs

For insurers a convertible is first of all a normal car. Motor liability insurance is compulsory and pays for what you do to others. For damage to your own car there is partial cover and full cover, and this is where a convertible differs from a car with a metal roof: the soft top offers thieves and vandals the least resistance.

Under the model conditions of the German insurers' association, partial cover pays for fire, theft, storm, hail, lightning, flooding, collisions with game and broken glass. Full cover includes all of these and also pays for accidents you cause yourself and for malicious acts by other people.

Damage to the convertiblePartial coverFull cover
Car or fixed parts stolenyesyes
Roof cut open during a theft or attempted theftyes, according to the Munich local courtyes
Roof slashed or sprayed without a theftnoyes, with a lower no-claims class
Hail, storm from wind force 8, branches falling in a stormyesyes
Rear window of glass or plastic brokenyes, as broken glassyes
Accident you causednoyes, with a lower no-claims class
Jacket, bag, phone stolen from the carnono

The roof: which cover pays when

The key difference is the motive. If someone slashes the roof to get into the car and steal something, that is damage caused by theft. The Munich local court ordered an insurer to pay about EUR 680 from partial cover, although only a jacket was stolen (case 223 C 6889/09). The jacket itself is not an insured item.

If the roof is only destroyed and nobody wanted to steal anything, that is vandalism. Partial cover does not include it. Only full cover pays, deducts the deductible and lowers your no-claims class.

Partial cover pays for storm and hail. In the model conditions a storm is weather driven wind of at least force 8. Whatever the storm throws onto the car is covered as well. The rear window in the roof counts as glazing, whether it is made of glass or plastic.

Parked with the roof open: what you risk

If you cause a loss through gross negligence, the insurer may reduce its payment according to how serious your fault was. This is in the model conditions and in section 81 of the Insurance Contract Act (VVG). Leaving the convertible open on the street overnight gives the insurer an argument.

Personal items such as phones, luggage or a mobile navigation device cannot be insured under car insurance at all. Whatever lies on the seat is never covered by your car insurance.

Rain running into the open car is not on the list of insured events. Flooding is insured, a shower with the roof down is not. Close the roof, even if you are only gone for a moment.

Type class and premium

A large part of the premium depends on the type class (Typklasse) of the model, set separately for liability, partial and full cover. In the two examples below partial cover is rated high: an older mid size convertible with 116 hp is in type class 10 for liability, 12 for full cover but 18 for partial cover. A current roadster with a fabric roof is in class 11 for liability, 19 for full cover and 23 for partial cover.

In published rate examples the older convertible with liability and full cover costs about EUR 540 to 610 a year, the roadster about EUR 920 to 1,050. Both assume 15,000 kilometres a year and no-claims class 3. Your premium may differ considerably.

Seasonal plate and winter break

Many convertibles are only driven in summer. A seasonal plate (Saisonkennzeichen) applies for at least two and at most eleven full months, the same every year. Premium and tax are only charged for that period. In one published example the premium for a convertible falls by about half with a six month season.

Outside the season the model conditions provide free dormant cover with liability and partial cover, if you have comprehensive insurance. The car must then be kept in a garage or on an enclosed plot. There is no full cover during the dormant period.

Mind the length: a claim free contract only moves to a better class if the season lasts at least six months. A removable hardtop is covered under the model conditions if it is kept locked away outside the car, for example in a locked garage.

When partial cover is enough and when you need no own damage cover

If your convertible has a folding metal roof, stands in a garage at night and is only worth a few thousand euros, partial cover is usually enough. A knife does little damage to a metal roof.

For a very old car worth less than a new roof, liability cover alone may be sufficient. You then pay for any damage to your own car yourself.

For a convertible with a fabric roof that is parked on the street, and for a new, financed or leased car, full cover is the right choice. A higher deductible lowers the premium.

Step by step

  1. Look up the type classes of your model for liability, partial and full cover.
  2. Note whether the roof is fabric and where the car stands at night.
  3. Have full cover calculated with EUR 300, 500 and 1,000 deductible and compare it with partial cover.
  4. Consider a seasonal plate if the car stands in a garage or enclosed yard in winter, and choose at least six months.
  5. Check whether the insurer waives cuts for gross negligence and whether theft is excluded from that waiver.

Checklist

  • Full cover for a fabric roof and street parking
  • Deductible clearly below the price of a new roof
  • Rules on gross negligence read
  • Season of at least six months if the no-claims class is to improve
  • Parking space for the dormant period is a garage or enclosed
  • Hardtop kept locked away outside the car

Common mistakes

  • Choosing partial cover only and believing every slashed roof is covered
  • Parking the convertible open and leaving valuables inside
  • Claiming a jacket or bag from the car under car insurance
  • Choosing a five month season and waiting for a better no-claims class

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Is a convertible more expensive to insure than a saloon?

Not automatically.

It depends on the type classes of the model.

In the two examples above partial cover is rated much higher than liability,

type class 18 instead of 10 and 23 instead of 11.

Does partial cover pay if the roof is slashed?

Only if the cut is part of a theft or attempted theft, as the Munich local court ruled.

Pure destruction is only paid by full cover.

Is my bag in the convertible covered?

No.

Personal items, luggage and phones cannot be insured under car insurance.

Whether your household contents insurance covers theft from the car is set out in its conditions.

What applies to hail on the fabric roof?

Hail is a partial cover event.

It pays the repair minus the deductible, your no-claims class stays the same.

Do I need cover in winter when the convertible is parked?

With a seasonal plate, free dormant cover with liability and partial cover runs during the break,

as long as the car stands in a garage or on an enclosed plot.

Is a seasonal plate worth it for a convertible?

Yes, if you do not drive it for several months in a row and have a protected parking space.

In one published example the premium halves with a six month season.

Is liability cover enough for an old convertible?

If the car is worth less than a new roof and you can bear a loss yourself, yes.

But you then get nothing for theft or hail.

Sources

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