National General Insurance
A United States property and casualty insurance brand with roots in automotive finance and dealership insurance.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
National General Insurance is a United States property and casualty insurance brand headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Its history combines two distinct insurance traditions: Integon, a life insurer founded in Winston-Salem in 1920, and Motors Insurance Company, established by General Motors in 1925 to provide damage coverage for GM vehicles sold through dealers and financed through GMAC. This automotive origin gives National General a distinctive place in the American insurance market: it is described as the only U.S. insurance company to originate within the automotive industry. The business developed through a series of ownership changes, reorganizations, and changes in strategic emphasis. In 1969, Integon Corporation created a holding company and expanded into insurance for high-risk drivers. Integon later experienced difficulties during the 1990s, while also expanding through acquisitions, including the 1994 purchase of Bankers and Shippers Insurance Company of Burlington, North Carolina. In 1997, GMAC announced that it would acquire Integon. The transaction was initially described as being valued at $550 million, but the completed deal in October 1997 was reported at $778 million. Integon subsequently became GMAC Insurance Personal Lines in 2000. The GMAC insurance business remained connected to the changing ownership structure of General Motors Acceptance Corporation. In 2006, General Motors sold a 51 percent interest in GMAC to an affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management. In 2009, American Capital Acquisition Corp., a unit of American Capital Partners, acquired GMAC's U.S. consumer property and casualty insurance business, GMAC Insurance Holdings. This transaction separated the U.S. consumer insurance operation from the broader GMAC ownership structure and created the basis for the brand's later repositioning. On July 1, 2013, GMAC Insurance changed its name to National General Insurance. The rebranding moved the business away from a name closely tied to a vehicle-finance company and toward a broader insurance identity. The Winston-Salem operation relocated from downtown to the Madison Park area in June 2014. National General's portfolio has included personal auto, recreational vehicle, motorcycle, home, Mexico, collector and classic car, and health-related insurance offerings, as well as small-business auto coverage, lender asset-protection products, benefits solutions, and a motor club program. National General became part of Allstate after Allstate announced in July 2020 that it would acquire the company for $4 billion. The transaction closed in January 2021. Following the acquisition, National General continued as an insurance brand within the Allstate group. Its business identity remains associated with personal and specialty property and casualty coverage, automotive distribution, and products designed for customers and risks that may not fit a simple standard-market profile.
History
National General Insurance traces its origins to two insurance businesses with different beginnings. Integon was founded in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 1920 as a life insurance company. Motors Insurance Company was founded by General Motors in 1925 to insure damage to GM vehicles sold by dealers and financed through GMAC. The combination of these lineages explains the company's unusual automotive heritage and its long-standing connection to vehicle distribution and finance. Integon expanded beyond its original life-insurance identity. In 1969, Integon Corporation established a holding company and entered the market for high-risk drivers. The company subsequently went through several changes in ownership and business focus. Its expansion included the 1994 acquisition of Bankers and Shippers Insurance Company, which was based in Burlington, North Carolina. Integon struggled during parts of the mid-1990s, preceding a major change in ownership. In June 1997, GMAC announced that it would acquire Integon in a transaction initially valued at $550 million. When the transaction closed in October of that year, the reported value was $778 million. Integon was integrated into GMAC's insurance operations and became GMAC Insurance Personal Lines in 2000. The reorganization aligned the company more closely with General Motors' financing and automotive ecosystem while preserving its role as a consumer property and casualty insurer. The ownership environment changed again in 2006, when General Motors sold 51 percent of GMAC to an affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management. In 2009, American Capital Acquisition Corp., a subsidiary of American Capital Partners, acquired GMAC's U.S. consumer property and casualty insurance business, GMAC Insurance Holdings. This transaction placed the consumer insurance operation under a different ownership structure from the broader GMAC organization. The company adopted the National General Insurance name on July 1, 2013. The new identity broadened the brand beyond its association with GMAC and reflected a portfolio that included personal auto, home, recreational vehicle, motorcycle, collector-car, Mexico, health, benefits, and lender-related offerings. The Winston-Salem operation moved from downtown to Madison Park in June 2014. National General's next major transition came in 2020. Allstate announced in July that it would acquire the company for $4 billion. The transaction closed in January 2021, bringing National General into the Allstate group. National General continued as a distinct insurance brand, retaining its association with automotive insurance and specialty personal-lines products while operating within Allstate's corporate structure.
- 2021
Acquisition by Allstate closes
[1]Allstate completes its acquisition of National General in January.
- 2020
Allstate announces acquisition
[1]Allstate announces an agreement to acquire National General for $4 billion.
- 2013
GMAC Insurance becomes National General Insurance
[1]The company changes its name from GMAC Insurance to National General Insurance on July 1.
- 2009
GMAC's U.S. consumer insurance business is sold
[1]American Capital Acquisition Corp. acquires GMAC's U.S. consumer property and casualty insurance business.
- 2006
General Motors sells a majority interest in GMAC
[1]General Motors sells 51 percent of GMAC to an affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management.
- 2000
Integon becomes GMAC Insurance Personal Lines
[1]The Integon business adopts the GMAC Insurance Personal Lines identity.
- 1997
GMAC acquires Integon
[1]GMAC announces and completes its acquisition of Integon; the completed transaction is reported at $778 million.
- 1994
Acquisition of Bankers and Shippers Insurance Company
[1]Integon purchases Bankers and Shippers Insurance Company, headquartered in Burlington, North Carolina.
- 1969
Integon enters high-risk driver insurance
[1]Integon Corporation forms a holding company and begins insuring high-risk drivers.
- 1925
Motors Insurance Company is established
[1]General Motors establishes Motors Insurance Company to cover damage to GM vehicles sold through dealers and financed by GMAC.
Products and positioning
A broad U.S. property and casualty insurer with a strong automotive heritage and a portfolio spanning mainstream personal lines, specialty vehicles, higher-risk drivers, lender services, and selected health and benefits products.
Personal lines insurance
Auto Insurance
Auto insurance is a core National General offering and reflects the company's origins in vehicle-related coverage. The portfolio developed from insurance connected to automotive dealerships, vehicle finance, and drivers with varied risk profiles. National General's auto identity has remained central after its rebranding from GMAC Insurance and its later acquisition by Allstate.
Specialty vehicle insurance
RV Insurance
RV insurance covers recreational vehicles as a distinct specialty segment within the company's personal-lines portfolio. It complements National General's broader vehicle-insurance range and extends the brand beyond conventional private-passenger automobiles.
Property insurance
Home Insurance
Home insurance is part of National General's property and casualty offering. Its inclusion gives the brand a broader personal-lines proposition than an auto-only insurer and allows it to serve household property risks alongside vehicle coverage.
Commercial auto insurance
Small Business Auto Insurance
Small-business auto insurance addresses vehicle risks associated with smaller commercial operations. It extends National General's automotive expertise into business use rather than limiting the brand to personal vehicles.
Specialty vehicle insurance
Motorcycle Insurance
Motorcycle insurance is a specialty vehicle product within National General's wider transportation portfolio. It sits alongside auto, recreational vehicle, and collector-car coverage and reinforces the company's automotive and mobility orientation.
Cross-border vehicle insurance
Mexico Insurance
Mexico insurance serves customers requiring coverage for travel or vehicle use in Mexico. It represents a cross-border extension of the company's vehicle-insurance capabilities within its broader personal-lines portfolio.
Specialty automobile insurance
Collector and Classic Car Insurance
Collector and classic car insurance is designed for valuable or historically significant vehicles that may require treatment different from ordinary daily-use automobiles. The product fits National General's specialty-car positioning and its long automotive heritage.
Motorist services
National General Motor Club
National General Motor Club is a motoring-services offering associated with the insurance brand. It broadens the customer relationship beyond indemnity coverage into services connected with vehicle ownership and roadside mobility.
Health insurance
Health Insurance
Health insurance has been included among National General's product areas, giving the brand a presence beyond property, casualty, and vehicle coverage. The available reference material does not specify the exact plans, distribution model, or current scope.
Employee benefits
Benefits Solutions
Benefits solutions represent an employer- or member-oriented extension of National General's insurance activities. The reference material identifies the category but does not provide enough detail to describe specific products or eligibility.
Lender insurance services
Asset Protection for Lenders
Asset-protection products for lenders reflect National General's historical connection to automotive finance and vehicle collateral. These offerings are intended for institutional parties with an interest in protecting financed assets rather than for ordinary household policyholders.
Brand decisions
2020
Allstate agreement to acquire National GeneralM&ABackground
National General was operating as a U.S. property and casualty insurance business with automotive and specialty personal-lines capabilities.
Action taken
Allstate announced an agreement in July 2020 to acquire National General for $4 billion.
Aftermath
The acquisition closed in January 2021, making National General part of the Allstate group.
Acquisition consideration. $4 billion announced transaction value (2020 announcement; transaction closed January 2021)
2013
Rebranding from GMAC Insurance to National General InsuranceStrategyBackground
The insurance business had become separated from the original GMAC ownership structure and served a broader market than the GMAC name alone suggested.
Action taken
The company changed its name to National General Insurance on July 1, 2013.
Aftermath
The new brand presented the company as a broader insurance provider while retaining its automotive and personal-lines heritage.
1997
GMAC acquisition of IntegonM&ABackground
Integon had undergone ownership changes and experienced difficulties during the 1990s. GMAC sought to acquire the insurer and announced the transaction in June 1997.
Action taken
GMAC completed the acquisition in October 1997. The transaction was initially announced at $550 million and was reported at $778 million when completed.
Aftermath
Integon was integrated into GMAC's insurance operations and became GMAC Insurance Personal Lines in 2000.
Transaction value. $550 million announced value → $778 million reported completed value (1997)
Recent events
- 2021
Allstate completes National General acquisition[1]
M&A
The acquisition of National General by Allstate closed in January 2021.
- 2020
Allstate announces acquisition of National General[1]
M&A
Allstate announced an agreement to acquire National General for $4 billion in July 2020.
- 2014
National General relocates its Winston-Salem operation[1]
Other
The company's Winston-Salem operation moved from downtown to Madison Park in June 2014.
- 2013
GMAC Insurance changes name to National General Insurance[1]
Other
The GMAC Insurance brand was renamed National General Insurance on July 1, 2013, marking a move away from the GMAC identity.
Sources1 sources
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