Author: Keith Martin
Keith Martin has been involved with the collector car hobby for more than 40 years. As a writer, publisher, television commentator and enthusiast, he is constantly on the go, meeting collectors and getting involved in their activities throughout the world. He is the founder and publisher of the monthly Sports Car Market, now in its 37th year. Keith has written for the New York Times, Automobile, AutoWeek, Road & Track and other publications, has been an emcee for numerous concours, and had his own show, “What’s My Car Worth,” shown on Velocity. He has received many honors, including the Lee Iacocca Award, the Edward Herrmann Award, was inducted into the Concorso Italiano Hall of Fame, and more. He has served on the board of directors of The LeMay Museum and Oregon Ballet Theater, and was formerly the chair of the board of the Meguiar's Award.
Sometimes it’s good just to get away from it all. As you read this, I’ll be on a 6 a.m. flight out of Portland, with an eventual destination of Amelia Island, FL. During my week there, I’ll be shooting episodes of What’s My Car Worth at the Gooding auction, with Donald Osborne as my co-host. I’m also a judge at the Amelia Island Concours.
While on the one hand I look forward to seeing the familiar faces, the terrific cars, stopping by the RM auction and lollygagging around the lobby of the Ritz-Carlton where the concours is held, on the other hand it is my day job and there’s a lot of work to be done.
The SCM gang, both auction reporters and office staff, will be there; stop by our booth at Gooding and at the concours and say hello.
Compound Low
So last Saturday, I jumped at the opportunity to go far, far away at a slow, slow speed. The Pacific Coast Rover Club, of which I am a member, held a snow run in Tillamook State Forest. The Jolly Jeepers were invited as well.
Dear Mr. Martin, I’m a 20-year-old college student from Dallas, TX. I’ve been a car guy since birth. A few years ago I stumbled upon television coverage of Barrett-Jackson and Mecum, and that’s when I discovered my passion for the collector car market. However, whenever I watch televised car auctions, […]
For the past 15 years, I have watched a three-car mini-collection, parked on the street, slowly degrade. The cars all have some interest. They include a 1967 Duetto, a chrome-bumper 914 and a first-generation 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle 300 Deluxe. They were all parked within four blocks of SCM World Headquarters.
All three cars carry current tags, and are drivable. The latter point has now been positively confirmed, as the “collection,” which had sat undisturbed for a few years (as shown in the right-hand image), was recently dispersed around the neighborhood. We surmise this was done because of complaints.
We took the Alfa (non-identical) twins out for their first run together yesterday. The occasion was the (post) Valentine’s Day Tour organized by Neil d’Autremont for the Alfa Romeo Owners of Oregon.
Wendie and I drove the 1967 GTV, and good friends Michael Cottam and Andrea Allen took our 1965 Giulia Spider Veloce. This was the first outing for the GTV since Guy’s Interior Restorations installed the new interior, provided from Italy, by Matt Jones of Re-Originals. Don’t tell anyone, but we also had Guy install seat heaters and pneumatic lumbar supports.
The Giulia Spider hadn’t been run in a couple of months, and I could sense that it just needed to go out and play for a day.
In the end, it was a choice between walking 12 miles in the snow with my wife and our four-year-old, or just turning around. Here’s how the story unfolded.
We made a quick trip to Bend, OR, this weekend, to attend an organizational meeting for this September’s Oregon Festival of Cars (formerly the Sun River Festival of Cars). As the fastest way to reach Bend from Portland is to go over Mt. Hood, we thought the 1989 Range Rover Classic would be the perfect ride.
However, Subaru graciously made a 2012 Impreza 2.0i Sport available, with Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive and Vehicle Dynamics Control. It was just a matter of moving Bradley’s car seat and our overnight bags from the Rover to the Impreza, and we were off.
The Martin family had its traditional Super Bowl Party Sunday, and we all wished we had placed a bet on the first possession of the Patriots ending in a safety. Someone, somewhere did, and we hope they’re buying a Ferrari today with their winnings.
Two SCMers from opposite ends of the spectrum brightened up our driveway with their rides. Long-time friend (and American Car Collector contributor) Michael Pierce brought his 1967 427/435 Corvette, and Round-Fendered Volvo Club founder and guru Dean Koehler drove his 1973 Volvo 1800 ES. Parking cars on the lawn is against all the household rules, but Wendie has agreed to a few exceptions – it must be a party day, and the cars must be exceptional.
Dean’s Volvo is a prize-winner at a national level, and Michael’s Corvette has received NCRS recognition. My own Volvo ES is at Guy’s Upholstery, having the interior freshened, the door-opening mechanism repaired and various small things attended to. When I get it back, I’m eager to drive it back-to-back with Dean’s.
When Michael offered me the chance to drive his 427, there was no way I could have refused – especially in the top-down, 55-degree sunny weather we had Sunday.
Chances are good that you are preparing for the Scottsdale five-ring circus while you’re reading this. You’ve pored over the SCM Arizona supplement and used the digital edition to instantly link to the auction company web sites.You’ve probably hooked up with a transport company, insurance company and even a finance […]
The weekend was fast and long, with me flying to Kissimmee and back in the span of just a few days. It was my first time attending Mecum’s mammoth Florida auction. With over 2,000 cars on offer, I’d liken the experience to wrestling with a porcupine – there was no way I was walking away without something to show for it.
The American Car Collector editorial gang has insisted loudly that the magazine needs its own swagger-worthy set of wheels, and I had a feeling Mecum would be the place that it would happen. When I glimpsed the 1963 Dodge 440 with built 700-hp Hemi, tubbed wheelwells and roll cage built to 9.9-second regulation, I was barely able to calculate my maximum bid before the red mist set in.
Another Arizona Auction Week has come and gone in a whirlwind. In addition to the SCM gang hosting another wildly successful Corvette seminar, consignment tours at RM and Gooding for Platinum subscribers, booths at Gooding, Russo and Silver, we managed to attend every auction and pretty much every after-hours gala event.
The What’s My Car Worth? production team had two film crews working simultaneously to keep Donald Osborne and me perpetually evaluating cars. We looked at 16 cars total, and test drove 14, including a 1955 Ferrari 250 GT Europa, a 1968 Aston Martin DB6 Vantage and, of course, Herbie, the 1963 VW “Love Bug” Beetle.
And now it’s on to Kissimmee, for Mecum’s annual mega-auction. I’ll be doing a meet-and-greet there on Saturday, January 28 at 2pm. RSVP by Wednesday if you’ll be attending. See you there!
Alex and I took the Boxster S out for a delightful, top-down drive a week ago. Despite 40-degree weather, the interior space was cozy, thanks to a factory windblocker between the roll hoops, windows rolled up, heated seats and a prodigious heater.
We went out along the Sandy River, through a variety of backroads towards Mt. Hood, and ended up at the Zigzag Inn – where I’ve been taking Alex since she was in a bassinette. The S once again impressed me with its combination of effortless power and comfort – but not, alas, enough to make it a permanent keeper.
