Keith Martin has been involved with the collector car hobby for more than 30 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 and bi-monthly American Car Collector magazines, has written for the New York Times, Automobile, AutoWeek, Road & Track and other publications, is an emcee for numerous concours, and has his own show, “What’s My Car Worth,” shown on Velocity.
It’s been a busy car weekend.
I spent Friday and Saturday in Olympia, Washington attending the Alfa Romeo National Convention. “Sempreverde,” Sea to Summit, attracted more than 200 Alfas and 400 registrants.
I drove the 1958 Sprint Veloce to the convention, and Doug Hartman and Julie Brown drove her 1969 GTV.
There were four “big Alfas” there. David Smith brought his 6C 2500 that just won Best of Show at the Forest Grove Concours along with one of just three Read More
Bradley and I visited a conservation and breeding facility for Galapagos tortoises last week. Located on San Cristobal in the Galapagos Islands, its goal is to help keep these giant reptiles from extinction.
They were once thought to number over 200,000 on San Cristobal alone. Now, after centuries of being used as a convenient food source for passing ships (they can live up to two years in the hold of a ship with no food or water), their numbers have Read More
I practiced shooting poison-tipped darts with a blowgun in the Amazon rain forest yesterday.
The monkeys have nothing to fear from my aim.
It was a bucket-list thing, taking my son Bradley to an eco lodge in the Amazon (La Selva) and then to the Galapagos Islands.
Our trip here came on the heels of another bucket-list experience, hosting SCM’s first 1000-mile rally for classic cars.
There will be a full report on SCM 30 in the December issue. But Read More
Can you think of a more attention-getting car to have in Monterey than a gullwing?
You could spend $1.4 million for a Mercedes. Or you could pay $17,000 for the 1992 SCM Autozam AZ-1.
This is the first year it is legal to import this car into the United States.
The Autozam joined the SCM collection a few months ago, and we will drive it down the Pacific Coast from Portland to Monterey for Car Week.
We’d like it to Read More
For the past 40 years, the Ferrari 250 GTO has been the “Mona Lisa” of the collector-car market.
They represent the last of the front-engined Ferrari customer cars that could be driven on the street and then taken to the track. They were contenders for overall victory in events such as the Tour de France. In their era, they were the ultimate usable supercar.
When one comes to market, the world sits up and notices.
In 2014, Alexandra and I Read More
A 1939 Alfa built by Ferrari captured Best of Show at the 46th Annual Forest Grove Concours d’Elegance on Sunday.
The concours is held on the tree-shaded lawn of the campus of Pacific University, 20 miles from Portland in Forest Grove. SCM Editor-at-Large Donald Osborne and I shared emcee duties for the sixth year.
With our current schedules, this is the only event Donald and I get to work together, and I thoroughly enjoy our camaraderie.
SCM and ACC have Read More
The 45 cars — and their driving teams — on SCM’s 30th Anniversary Tour are now roaming 1,000 miles of scenic Oregon backroads.
I’m along for the ride, and life is great.
The Tour started on Sunday afternoon, when the drivers brought their cars to a public display outside of the Portland Art Museum. The display was part of the museum’s “The Shape of Speed: Streamlined Automobiles and Motorcycles: 1930-1942” exhibit. The exhibit will continue through September 15. The Portland Read More
Editor’s note: Premier Financial Services recently interviewed Publisher Martin, and he had a lot of interesting things to say about his life in cars. We’re running the Residual Values interview this week instead of Publisher Martin’s regularly scheduled blog.
The nose of SCM’s 2006 Lotus Elise made a sharp cracking sound when it hit the parking lot divider. Suddenly everyone was looking my way.
There were 50 or so Porsches scattered around, with owners busily attaching their event stickers to the sides of their cars.
This was the 20th Annual Northwest Passage Tour, presented by the Oregon Region of the Porsche Club of America. SCM has been a sponsor for ten of the years, and I’ve driven on eight Read More
There was no one home at the farmhouse; I knocked on all the doors.
I had seen a rototiller in the nearby shed, with one-gallon gas cans next to it.
“Anyone here?” I called out again. There was no answer, so I picked up a can and poured the contents into the empty tank of my 1960 Bugeye Sprite.
A couple of months ago, I recalled the story of my 1958 MGA that threw a rod Read More
Sign up for a free weekly insider's report on the collector car market — and get a free gift.
