Keith Martin
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Keith’s Blog: Revenge of the Classic Cars
SCM’s lovely, low-miles original 1971 Jaguar E-type V12 coupe has gone to a new home. On BaT, it sold for $52,763. I thought this was a good value, especially considering the recent decline in the classic British sports car market. Speaking of… if you ever wanted a Big Healey, now is your chance. I’ve seen…
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Keith’s Blog: Goodbye, V12 Jag
On Friday, March 6, a digital hammer will drop. Our 32k-mile 1971 Jaguar E-type V12 coupe, listed here on Bring a Trailer, will be going to a new home. It’s with mixed feelings that I will watch the clock count down to the final second. While I’ve owned several six-cylinder Series I and II E-types,…
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Keith’s Blog: The $3k Volvo
Last week we talked about our 1991 Alfa Romeo Spider S4. It needs a new top, which will cost around $2,000. Well, that was just the tip of the used-car repair iceberg. About a year ago, my teenage son Bradley acquired a Volvo V70. I had started him out with a 1982 Corvette Collector Edition…
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A Weighty Decision
I recently got an email from the new owner of our former 2000 Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG. He reports that after several thousand miles he has had no mechanical issues and had to replace only a few consumables such as belts and pulleys. That was always a great car, and I began to wonder why I sold…
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Keith’s Blog: Would You Spend $2,000 For a Top?
I will always recall the exact moment I bought our Alfa Romeo S4 Spider. I had found this 14k-mile car on eBay and was following it. But that was far from my mind as I enjoyed an afternoon drive in our lovely Citroën DS 21. It was twilight, and I had Bradley and his Scottie…
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Keith’s Blog: Playing Stuttgart Roulette
The newest addition to the SCM Fleet is a 2005 Porsche 911 C4S, VIN WP0AA29935S620075, Engine #M96/0366500527. I paid $32,550 for the car, fully loaded with Tiptronic. The car has 72,000 pampered (or at least what look like pampered) miles. However, there are no records of any maintenance done to the IMS bearing. I’m not…
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Rétromobile, Past and Future
This week’s blog post is from SCM Editor-in-Chief Jeff Sabatini. I just returned from Paris, where I very much enjoyed the Rétromobile show. We’ll have more on that in the May issue of SCM, including full reports from the four auctions that sold an impressive $186m of cars this year. This morning, however, my first…
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Keith’s Blog: Goodbye, V12
Last week an SCMer responded to my blog by writing, “You’re selling the Jag? That’s been the best classic car you’ve ever owned. The most reliable, the most original and the least expensive to operate? Why?” I checked my records. When the 1971 Jaguar E-type V12 coupe arrived in Portland on April 24, 2020, the…
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Keith’s Blog: Where Did That Title Go?
The folks from Matt Crandall’s Avant-Garde Collection came and picked up our 33k-mile 1971 Jaguar E-type V12 coupe. It will soon be offered on Bring a Trailer with no reserve by 911r. The transport was handled by a professional trailer manufacturer, ensuring the vehicle was moved safely and securely for its upcoming auction. It was…
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Classic Then, Classic When?
The first Monte Shelton Northwest Classic Rally was held in 1988. Sponsor Shelton was a Jaguar and Rolls-Royce dealer and sports-car racer in Portland. At that time, the Northwest Classic was the only large multi-day touring event for old cars in the region. It grew quickly, with over 100 entries some years. I entered that…