We’ve just completed our fourth SCM 1000, a thousand-mile tour for pre-1975 cars. There will be more about it in upcoming issues of SCM. But with my bags barely unpacked and the SCM cars still being put away, here are the highlights. First, riding with SCM contributor Ken Gross and […]
Author: Keith Martin
Keith’s Blog: Another Day in Traffic Hell
I played hooky from work last week and took our 1971 Jaguar E-type V12 coupe for a 150-mile drive. Our lunch destination was Skamania Lodge, the home base of the 2022 SCM 1000. It’s about 50 miles away. There are a couple of ways to get there. My co-driver, Lou […]
Keith’s Blog: My Hook is Always Baited
When we asked Somer Hooker to be the SCM Concours Ambassador, I envisioned his role as finding cars at events that deserved SCM recognition. I didn’t realize he would also start sending me links to cars for sale that he thinks might interest me. For instance, this vintage 1965 BMW […]
Keith’s Blog: A Classic Tour for Modern Cars?
I recently completed the 2022 SCM 1000 AMG Invitational. There were 25 performance Mercedes of various vintages entered. The star car was the 2009 SLR McLaren Stirling Moss entered by Wynn McCaw. The event was set up exactly the same as SCM 1000 Classic events we have put on in […]
Keith’s Blog: Bad Driving and the End of Tours – You Respond
Last week my blog stressed the need for all of us on tours to drive responsibly. Thoughtless drivers can not only leave a lasting poor impression of sports cars with the communities they pass through, but they can also end up creating accidents with potentially fatal consequences. Here are a […]
Keith’s Blog: The End of Car Tours?
The next five years will be a telling time for car tours. If entrants and organizers don’t play their hands correctly, tours as we know them may disappear. There is a growing dichotomy between the performance ability of new cars and the consequences of a mishap. We were reminded of […]
The Original Jaguar
This is all Miles Collier’s fault. I attended one of his early symposiums on collecting. I was the guest of noted collector and Lamborghini expert Simon Kidston. During the seminar, I was first introduced to the notion that we were not owners, but just the current caretakers of our cars. […]
Keith’s Blog: An Alfa Romeo Junior Zagato for Free
I saved myself $63k this weekend. As I continue to explore the world of vintage manumatics, Porsche 911 Sportomatics have been on my radar. I’m willing to give up the third pedal, but not the satisfaction of manually selecting gears. Once unloved, Sportos now seem to be as ridiculously expensive […]
Keith’s Blog: More Thoughts on Alfa Romeo SZ #1
Last week I described Alfa Romeo Sprint Zagato S/N 001, the prototype. It was purchased by a local Alfa club member and is entered in the upcoming SCM1000. While the car is essentially complete and correct, it has been color-changed and lightly modified over the years. I asked whether you […]
Keith’s Blog: Alfa Romeo SZ #1: Restore or Leave it Alone
At a recent Alfa club meeting here in Portland, a member unveiled the prototipo Sprint Zagato, S/N 001. He had purchased it in Italy and had it flown to the U.S. He will be driving it in the upcoming SCM 1000 along with other events. The car is handsome in […]