Here’s how I ended up spending $42,310 on a $25,000 car. And I’m not done yet. Last summer, I decided that our Citroën DS21 would be moving on after the SCM 1000. Longtime SCMer Allen Stephens mentioned he was pleased with his W114 Mercedes-Benz 250C as a classic four-person long-distance […]
Author: Keith Martin
Keith’s Blog: Father’s Day is AMG Day
My son Bradley and I have just returned from the successful SCM 1000 Tour. On it, he co-drove with SCM contributor Philip Richter, who joined us from Ft. Lauderdale, FL. They shared the 1971 Jaguar V12 E-type S3 coupe and the 1972 Mercedes 250C. Including the traverse from Portland to […]
Keith’s Blog: The Shark Arrives
I took Bradley and his friends to a local MAG auction in Salem, OR, a few weeks ago. For reasons I will never understand, all three 16-year-old young men were smitten by the C3 Chevrolet Corvettes on offer. I have never paid attention to these “Mako Shark” derived cars. They […]
Keith’s Blog: Join the Caravan to Monterey 2023
At 9 am on Monday, August 14 we’re leaving Portland and heading towards Monterey. There may be two cars or 10, we don’t know. Our plan is to take it easy and smell the flowers. We will take I5 South, then cut over to the coast near Eugene and have […]
Keith’s Blog: Bradley’s First Auction
It was time-travel time for the SCM gang this weekend. There was a collector car auction at the Oregon State Fair and Expo Center in Salem. That’s about 45 miles from Portland. It was being conducted by MAG Auctions. New to the area, it is filling the spot once held […]
Keith’s Blog: Bradley Meets a Belly Tanker
Car Season in Portland has officially launched. For the past 28 years, the Portland Transmission Spring Classic has been held the Saturday before Mother’s Day. In some ways it is the antithesis of a high-end concours. It is loosely organized. It is held on the city streets of inner Southeast […]
Learn and Yearn
When I first started hunting cars in the ’70s, my routine was simple: I would scan the daily classifieds in my hometown paper, the San Francisco Chronicle. That’s where I found my 1959 ID 19 for $400. It was listed under the “Citroën” heading. Yes, such a category in the […]
Keith’s Blog: Falling in Love With a Slushbox
Bradley and I just completed the Alfa Romeo Owners of Oregon 45th Annual Old Spider Tour. For me, it was a two-day, 400-mile tour. While it celebrates Giulietta and Giulia Spiders specifically, all Alfas are welcome. It was hosted this year by Alfa restoration guru Bill Gillham and his wife […]
Keith’s Blog: Porsche 911 S: Keep It or Kick It?
By the time you read this, I should have test-driven my 1975 Porsche 911 S for the first time. It’s been seven months since I bought it. Bringing old cars back to life takes time. The cars determine the rhythm of restoration, not you. I first learned about this car, […]
Keith’s Blog: Three for the Road!
Like bears waking from their hibernation, our sports cars are poking their snouts out of their caves. In the Pacific Northwest, we have actually seen the golden orb several times in the past few weeks. We expect to see much more. The only reason to own our cranky, expensive and […]