If you thought insuring a rusting Vauxhall Corsa as a 17-year-old just-passed driver was bad enough – spare a thought for Luke Skywalker.
To mark the arrival of the new film Star Wars: The Last Jedi, an insurance company has ‘used the force’ to crunch the numbers and work out just how much it would cost to get cover for the intergalactic craft in the film.
Eight ships – including the iconic Millennium Falcon – have been given full insurance quotes by InsureTheGap, considering their weight, size and pilot/owner’s profiles.
The insurer has given top speeds, but they appear not to take into account their hyper drives and ability to travel at lightspeed. We haven’t pointed that out to them, though, because that would reveal us as massive geeks…
So, which will tip even the strongest Jedi to the dark side when they see the bill? Let’s find out.
X-34 Landspeeder — £544
The X-34 Landspeeder was the first vehicle of Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker — still a moisture farmer at time of ownership.
With a low insurance cost of £544, the small hovering craft would be a wise choice for any young galactic traveller.
Khetanna — £5,483
For what looks like a bodge-job boat with Repulsorlift engines strapped on, £5,483 may seem like quite an ask.
But as intergalactic gangster Jabba the Hutt’s hang out — with space for 500 passengers, a pub on board hosting live bands, as well as cannons to fend off any space criminals – it was quite a machine and that premium actually looks like quite a bargain.
Sebulba’s Podracer — £9,545
Pod racing is the Formula One of the galaxy — albeit with slightly less-stringent safety rules.
What we have here is effectively two engines strapped to a seat to sort of form a vehicle designed for high-stakes motorsport.
Although £9,545 may seem cheap compared to others on this list, the spacecraft-to-cost ratio is pretty low, and we’re pretty sure this thing wouldn’t be civilian space-route legal.
TIE Advanced x1 — £112,932
Piloted by Sith Lord Darth Vader, the one-off TIE Advanced X1 is one of the sportier choices of spaceships in the galaxy, designed to seat one while hitting speeds of 745mph thanks to twin ion engines.
Perhaps the icon of the dark side has plenty of no claims bonus, as the insurance cover for the x1 comes in at a not-so-extortionate £112,932 despite its performance. We think the underwriters may be worried about death by lightsabre.
Slave 1 — £169,624
Galactic bounty hunter Boba Fett inherited the Slave I pursuit vessel from his father and then used it to carry out his vigilante work, until he was knocked into the jaws of the Sarlacc by Han Solo.
Despite the high-stakes work it’s used for, the spacecraft is actually one of the more reasonable to insure in the galaxy with a £169,624 annual cost.
T-65 X-Wing Starfighter — £217,323
Fast forward a few years, and Luke Skywalker has upgraded from his little Landspeeder to the agile and performance-packed T-65 X-Wing Starfighter.
Despite few modifications, Luke’s Starfighter can be seen at the heart of many space battles and as a result, would be a high-risk vehicle for insurers — hence the £217,323 premium.
Millennium Falcon — £414,533
Perhaps the most iconic ship in the galaxy, the Millennium Falcon is the trusted steed of slick smuggler Han Solo and his Wookiee companion Chewbacca.
The heavily modified Corellian Light Freighter commands a hefty insurance premium of £414,533 — mostly because of the high-risk jobs undertaken by the duo over the years.
It does make Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan’s 17,000 Credit payment for a ride to Alderaan on the Falcon seem like quite the bargain, though.
Corellian Corvette — £4,643,460
The most expensive on this list to cover annually, the Corellian Corvette wouldn’t be an ideal choice for a young first-time spacecraft owner.
It’s one of the largest ships out there, capable of carrying up to 600 passengers, as well as packing a handful of Girodyne Ter58 high-output ion turbine engines that can take it to a top speed of 590mph — although you’ll need to charge up the Jedi credit card to the tune of £4,643,460 for annual cover.