May 2024
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Keith’s Blog: A Clutter of Spiders
Two weekends ago, there were 10 vintage Alfa Romeo convertibles lined up at a rest stop near the Santiam Pass in Oregon. Cumulatively, they represented over 400 years of driving. Each year in April, the Alfa Romeo Club of Oregon puts on the “Old Spider Tour” to celebrate Alfa convertibles built prior to 1966. This…
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Keith’s Blog: How I Bid Online, Part Two: Pulling the Trigger
Last week I noted that I always have a few cars on my watch list. At any given time, there will be a few marques I am following for no particular reason. Right now, it is Volvo 240s and Avantis. Let’s add to that Chevy Corvairs and Porsche Macans. Part of my desire to purchase…
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Money Haulers
1987 Nissan Van S/N JN8SC26SXH4018504. 120k miles. “Turbocharged 2.0-liter SR20DET inline-4, 5-speed manual transmission, welded differential, white paint, maroon cloth upholstery, 14-inch basketweave-style wheels, lowered suspension, right-rear sliding door.” Condition: 2+. SOLD AT $16,538. Bring a Trailer, 4/24/24. Few Japanese vans were sold in the U.S. in the 1980s. The Toyota Van was the most…
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People, Places and Things
Museums were on my mind recently. The same week the Mullin Collection was dispersed through a sale by Gooding & Company, I was visiting Washington, D.C., immersing myself in the capital. You are truly swimming in the sea of our country’s history no matter where you go in the city. My first stop was the…
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Avoiding the Restoration Blues
In the March issue, we featured the story of famed E Street Band drummer Max Weinberg and his bad restoration experience. Weinberg was motivated to contact “Legal Files” with his cautionary tale in the hope that fellow SCMers might avoid getting into a similar situation. To recap, Weinberg agreed to pay $225,000 for a 1957…
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Body Double
After languishing for years in California’s high desert, the 1948 Norman Timbs Special — a Motor Trend cover car in October 1949 — was restored to a fare-thee-well and won its class at several major concours. Timbs was an acclaimed race-car engineer who’d designed the Indy 500-winning Blue Crown Specials of 1946, 1947 and 1948.…
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Die Another Day
Aston Martin was under Ford Motor Company’s ownership from 1987 to 2007, an era in which even its most ardent fans would have to agree the brand was in the doldrums — or at least a bit lost. Yet Ford’s money in that era certainly saved one of Britain’s legendary marques from the graveyard, and…
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Keith’s Blog: How I Bid Online, Part One
Last week I asked about your approach to online bidding. Thank you for your thoughtful answers. I promised in return to share my way with you. First, we have to differentiate between “in the hunt” or “just looking.” Of course, everything tends to start with “just looking.” At any given time, there will be a…
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Keith’s Blog: What’s Your Bidding Secret?
What is your approach to bidding online? Some people like to bid early and stay involved clear through the process. Others figure it’s a waste of time to place a bid until the last two minutes. Do you listen to the trolls or disregard them? Tell me what your approach is, and next week I’ll…