Collecting Thoughts

The Rise of the Collector-Car “Influencer”

Many of us enthusiasts who enjoy performing basic repairs on our collector cars have discovered that a play-by-play tutorial is usually only a click away on YouTube. Indeed, the Google-owned video website has become a go-to for open exchange of information and opinions among fans of nearly everything. Videos about […]

SCM’s Oregon Odyssey

To celebrate his magazine’s 30th anniversary, SCM Founder and Publisher Keith Martin, a veteran of countless driving tours in vintage cars, planned a tour of his own — and invited magazine subscribers to join him. Keith’s impressive guest list included Miles Collier, SCM columnist and founder of the Revs Institute; […]

Artistic Drive

“A roaring motor car … is more beautiful than the Victory of Samothrace.” — Filippo Marinetti, a founder of the Futurist art movement Picture the scene: a quaint cobbled London mews that once housed the horse stables of the Kensington aristocracy but had since become a mecca for classic-car collectors, […]

La Vita Riprendo

As many who read this column know, I am a retired opera singer. One of my favorite composers is Giuseppe Verdi — not least because he wrote amazing music for the baritone voice. Verdi loved Shakespeare, and one of the best baritone roles he created was that of Macbeth. In […]

Beware the Jabberwock

Way, way back in 1968, I suddenly found myself in a hospital bed. I was 7 years old, and my tonsils had to come out — right now. It was an emergency. I was forced to put on a smock that tied in the back. The room was cold, and […]

The “Bullitt” Mustang Thrills Again

The iconic Highland Green 1968 Ford Mustang fastback that co-starred with Steve McQueen in the car-chase movie classic “Bullitt” sold for $3.74 million at Mecum Auctions’ Kissimmee, FL, auction in January. This sale was the culmination of an extensive, sometimes heart-rending story that is like something from the golden age […]

North To Alaska

“Moose! Don’t hit the moose!” A full-grown moose stands six feet high at the shoulder and weighs over 1,500 pounds. Hitting one at 100 mph in a fiberglass Corvette would be a very bad idea. Downshifting from sixth to third and nailing the throttle, while swinging the car wide to […]