When we produced our first issue of the then-Alfa Romeo Market Letter, I was 38 years old and had never had children. Now, more than three decades later, I have watched my daughter, Alexandra, and my son, Bradley, grow and prosper in this car-centric household. They both started their automotive […]
Shifting Gears
VIN-dicated
CARFAX was founded in 1984 in Columbia, MO, by a computer professional named Ewin Barnett III. He worked together with Robert Daniel Clark, an accountant from Huntingdon, PA. It started with a database of 10,000 records, but the company was soon getting reports from all 50 states. CARFAX is now […]
Recognizing the Next Gen
We are now accepting nominations for SCM’s second group of 40 Under 40 honorees. First awarded in 2017, this program became our most popular in terms of industry recognition and resultant newsstand sales. It’s time to revisit it. In the October issue, SCM will again honor 40 enthusiasts under 40 […]
Risky Business
Some shy away from doors that open to unknown places. I have always been drawn to them. I don’t recall what caused my instant and all-consuming obsession to own a 928, this most-unloved of exotic Porsches. But once I got onto the roller coaster and the safety bar clicked down, […]
A Busy, If Not Boisterous, Market
Enthusiasts are buying and selling cars. Although the market is not boisterous, it is busy. The current COVID-19 situation has not eliminated or diminished our love of cranky old cars. Rather, it has caused us to find appropriate, safe ways to enjoy our cars and each other, all while modifying […]
Back to the Basics
One year ago, my 12-year-old son Bradley and I were getting ready for a Caribbean cruise. We didn’t think twice about the flights from Portland, OR, to Chicago to Fort Lauderdale, FL. The lines at check-in didn’t faze us, nor did the wait to get through security. While short, the […]
Travels with Bradley
“A journey is a person itself; no two are alike.” — John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley: In Search of America Buffalo, elk, coyotes and wolves. Yellowstone National Park. A 2,000-mile route. A 500-horsepower Mercedes-Benz. A 13-year-old boy just itching to get out of the house. Those were the perfect ingredients […]
From Successful Upstart to Corporate Ownership
Hearst can buy the Bring a Trailer community but it can’t own it.” As the shock and awe of the sale of Bring a Trailer subsides, we asked the founder of eBay Motors, Simon Rothman, for his thoughts about the sale and his predictions for the future. He said, “Over […]
Bring a Trailer’s Big Step
There’s someone I’d like you to meet.” That’s how Martin Swig introduced me to Randy Nonnenberg, co-founder of Bring a Trailer. We were in front of the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, where the cars for the California Mille were staged. “Randy has created this great website called Bring a […]
Every Car Is a Book
Think of the world of collectible cars as a giant lending library. While every book is different, most have just five chapters. Aware. Acquire. Activate. Exult. Farewell. These are the five chapters that mark the relationship with every collector car that comes into your life. When the last chapter is […]