Swinton was founded in 1957 in Salford by Ken Scowcroft at a time when car insurance was normally purchased from a salesman at your door. By comparing the prices of various insurance companies, Swinton were able to offer their customers the best value. The first high street store was opened in 1964 and by 1987 they had 220 branches nationwide and had become a household name. In 1991 the Swinton brand was sold to Sun Alliance and by 2012 was pat of the Covéa Insurance group. Today, Swinton offer a huge range of products ranging from car and home insurance through to caravan and life cover.