CARDIFF, June 27 /PRNewswire/ --

- With Photo

With the UK's lack of year round warmth you'd think that convertibles
wouldn't be the most practical choice of car, however that isn't the case. In
the past 10 years, the number on our roads has exploded, and it's women
leading the charge.

Women's car insurance specialist Diamond looked at the cars driven by
over a million motorists and discovered that the number of convertible cars
driven by women across Britain over the past decade has trebled. This huge
jump in the popularity of convertibles now sees the South East having the
highest concentration and Scotland the lowest.

Looking back over the years, the Mazda MX-5 led the way as the most
popular choice from 1999 but had its convertible crown taken away in 2005 by
the Peugeot 206cc which has ruled the roost ever since.

Diamond managing director, Sian Lewis, commented, "The 206cc was the car
that started the craze for affordable folding hard top roofs, and its
popularity has no doubt had an effect on the increase we've seen. Many
manufacturers have followed with their versions which has also buoyed the
market."

She continued, "Now the battle seems to be which car has the fastest
automatic folding roof and on that measure, the new MX-5 Roadster's 12
seconds wipes the floor with the 206cc's 20 seconds. In fact, the 206's
replacement, the 207cc manages only a leisurely 25 seconds."

It seems though that having the wind in your hair might not be such a
great thing for your driving however, as convertible drivers are more likely
to have both a claim and a conviction than non-convertible drivers.

Editors notes

(1) Photo attached shows women enjoying their convertibles.

(2) The cost of insuring the most popular vehicles is:

Diamond               Sheilas' Wheels

    Peugeot 206cc              GBP195.30             GBP276.32
    Mazda MX5                  GBP198.45             GBP288.39



Prices quoted correct at 20 June 2007 and are for a 28 year old optician
living in Oxford.

(3) Roof timing figures obtained from manufacturer specifications.

(4) Diamond launched in 1997, when it was clear that there was a place for
a woman only car insurance specialist, and has led the way for similar
companies to follow. Diamond has been able to offer women cheaper car
insurance for 10 years because on the whole women's car insurance claims,
cost less than men's. We understand what women motorists want from their
insurance, and meet their needs by offering great service and a great price.
We do not refuse to give insurance quotes to men and are more than happy to
provide a quote if requested.

(5) Diamond spearheaded the campaign against gender
equalisation. The EU wanted to remove the use of gender when calculating
car insurance costs, and Diamond campaigned solidly for months, providing
a House of Lords enquiry evidence to support our claims that, women were
safer drivers and should pay less.

(6) Diamond's sales line is 0800-36-24-36. Its website address
is diamond.co.uk.

(7) Diamond is a trading name of EUI Limited, and is part of the
Admiral Group. Diamond writes its motor insurance business to a
consortium of insurers, these being:

(i)   Admiral Insurance Company Limited,

(ii)  Admiral Insurance (Gibraltar) Limited, and

(iii) Great Lakes Reinsurance (UK) plc.

Note to Editors:

A picture accompanying this release is available through the PA 
Photowire. It can be viewed at www.mediapoint.press.net or 
www.prnewswire.co.uk