Admiral car insurance was launched in 1993 in Cardiff. Their aim is to provide insurance to a wider range of people by providing low cost motor insurance for those who drive performance cars, younger drivers and people living in cities. Admirals insurance sells personally over the telephone and through the Internet. The first website went live in October 1995 making Admiral the first direct insurer in the UK on the Internet. Optional extras with this company include a national service network, instalment payment protection, plus breakdown and hire car cover.
By the end of 1996 they had 250,000 policyholders, had opened a second office in Swansea and a turnover topping £100 million. In 1997 Admiral expanded with the launch of two new brands Diamond and Bell Direct. Diamond is the first brand wholly based in Swansea and is for women motorists who are known to have less expensive claims. Bell Direct targets those paying by credit card and motorists who have a full no claims bonus. They also sell home insurance. A year later saw the launch of the fourth brand, Gladiator Commercial. This is a commercial vehicle insurance intermediary. They are based in Swansea and sell van insurance on behalf of a panel of insurers.
In 1999 the Admiral Group was named Welsh company of the year and turnover reached ?200 million.
The following year with the launching of Admirals fifth brand, elephant.co.uk, Admirals insurance are able to offer a total on-line solution and soon become the third most visited UK motor insurance website. The sixth brand, Confused.com is launched in 2002. It is the first insurance aggregator in the UK. It does not sell insurance but searches the cheapest quotes on the Internet from its large panel of insurers.
By the end of 2003, Admiral’s insurance customer base has 750,000 policyholders and turnover exceeds ?400 million. 2005 proved another eventful year. For the third time, the Admiral group makes it into the Financial Times top fifty of best UK workplaces, and the top hundred in the EU. They win Welsh Company of the Year again and Confused.com win the National E-Commerce Award for marketing and sales. Bell Direct changes strategies, targeting drivers with zero no claims bonus.
The end of 2003 sees the launch of MultiCar. Some insurance companies offer a discount when you insure your second car with them. MultiCar is different because you can combine cars on a single policy, which gives you a better discount.
If you are looking for travel insurance, Admiral’s Insurance will provide cover for a range of activities including backpacking, winter sports, and scuba diving and canoeing.
Over the last three years Admiral has launched into Europe, Balumba.es in Spain, AdmiralDirekt.de in Germany, and Conte.it in Italy. At the present time Admiral employ 1,100 people in Swansea and 1,500 in Cardiff and it is reported that in 2008 they will be opening a new office in south Wales. The new office at Langstone Business Park, Newport will begin as a claims department with approximately 90 staff, but they hope to create 400 new jobs in the next three years.
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