For more than fifty years, the last building before the line at the San Ysidro border has belonged to us. Drivers pull up to the window, hand over a sheet of paperwork, and minutes later they are covered and rolling south into Baja. That is exactly how Harry Andreoli imagined it back in 1973 – so fast, he said, it should happen in an “instant.”
A vision born in 1973
In 1973, Harry Andreoli had a business vision: provide fast, easy service so the people traveling to Mexico could buy Mexican auto insurance on the spot. He wanted the process so simple, in his words, that the purchase could happen in an “instant” – and that word became the name. With that vision in mind, he bought an empty dirt lot at the corner of Via de San Ysidro and Calle Primera in San Ysidro, California, right off Highway 5 South, one mile before the border crossing into Mexico.
Harry had an architectural background and years of business experience, so he designed the building himself – with two drive-through lanes and a true one-stop center for the American public heading south: convenient drive-through service, an office and lobby, a clean restroom, peso exchange, and a mini-mart, all in one place.
The dream began on Labor Day, 1973, with Harry and his two sons, Jeff and Hal, at his side. Half the lot was paved; the other half was being used to construct the building and one-stop center. Working out of two construction shacks on the paved half of the lot, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance opened its doors. The building was completed in 1974.
A handshake that began 50 years of racing history
In the early part of 1975, a young gentleman named Sal Fish walked into the office. He was the president of SCORE International off-road racing – and would later become known as the “Godfather of Off-Road,” a member of the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame. SCORE holds the world-famous Baja 500 and Baja 1000, run out of Ensenada, known as the off-road racing capital of the world.
That day in 1975, Harry and Sal reached a business agreement with a handshake. The first off-road race officially insured by Instant Mexico Auto Insurance was the 1975 Baja 500 – and we have gone on to provide coverage to race teams, racers and race sponsors ever since. See our off-road racing coverage.
Three generations at the border
For the next 23 years, Harry and his two sons ran the business on a simple principle – quality customer service and genuine attention to every traveler crossing into Mexico. In 1999, at the age of 81, Harry Andreoli passed away, and his son Hal took over as president, bringing more than 25 years of experience that began sweeping floors and working the mini-mart, then grew into learning insurance, processing claims, and developing specialized off-road racing coverage.
Hal attended his first off-road race – the 1982 SCORE Baja 500 – and has since been to more than 250 races over 40+ years in Baja, an experience few can match. Today, Harry’s son Jeff serves as General Manager of Instant, with over 50 years of experience of his own. Half a century on, it is still a family at the border.
Out of decades at the races, we built insurance most agencies cannot – coverage for racing and pre-running, and master policies for entire race teams. It is why race teams across Baja trust Instant. Off-road racing insurance →
Insuring Baja’s biggest off-road series
Since 2012, Instant has insured many of Baja and Sonora’s most prominent off-road promoters – NORRA (the National Off-Road Racing Association), the RECORD Off-Road Series, CODE Off-Road Racing, the Sonora Rally, and the San Felipe Desert Mayhem. And we remain the official Mexican insurance agent for SCORE International – a working relationship now more than 50 years strong. See the 2026 racing calendar.
50 years and counting
In 2023, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance proudly celebrated its 50th anniversary. From very humble beginnings on a dirt lot to serving millions of customers over the years, the success has always come from the same thing: good, reliable customer service for the traveling public on their way to Mexico.
- 50+ years at the border – a family business serving Baja-bound travelers since 1973.
- Official SCORE International agent for over 50 years, and partner to RECORD, CODE, NORRA, Sonora Rally and more.
- Licensed & regulated – California Department of Insurance License #0516723 (Casualty & Property).
- BBB A+ Accredited, backed by A-rated Mexican carriers.
- Drive-through window open every day at the San Ysidro border – or quote online in minutes.
What we cover
- Auto, truck, SUV & van – daily, weekly, monthly or annual Mexican policies.
- Motorcycle insurance
- RV & motorhome insurance
- Trailer & boat coverage
- Off-road racing insurance (issued by our office – call us)
Visit us at the San Ysidro border
You will find us at 223 Via De San Ysidro, San Diego, CA 92173, right off Highway 5 South at the last exit before the border. The drive-through window is open every day of the year. Questions before you go? Call (800) 345-4701 or (619) 428-4714, or email [email protected].
Get a genuine Mexican auto insurance quote in minutes, call us, or pull up to our drive-through window at the San Ysidro border – open every day.