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.
I once asked Craig Jackson why he thought that Restomods were so popular. He said that buyers got the looks of a classic car with the comfort, convenience and performance of a modern one.
Sometimes people new to collecting would buy a restored old car — say a 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible. Then how an old car drives gave them a big surprise.
By modern standards, many old cars are slow, have terrible brakes and squishy suspensions. They don’t Read More
January 5 was a crisp and clear Saturday in Portland. I had no inkling that my life, in the blink of an eye, was about to turn upside down.
I ran an easy three miles along the Willamette River that morning. That afternoon I watched the NFL playoffs. The Ravens were playing catch-up to the Chargers. I lost interest and decided to take a shower during halftime.
While in the shower I noticed my left leg getting wobbly, but I Read More
SCM is gearing up for our annual madcap tribute to Martin Swig.
Swig, the founder of the California Mille, was famous for setting off on car trips at the drop of a hat. Thanks to him, I participated several times in the California Mille, along with the Carrera Nevada — a dash across the back roads of Nevada in vintage American cars.
The Third SCM Caravan to Concorso is a Swig-inspired event that runs from Portland to Monterey for Read More
Over the years, I’ve found that the size of my collection is directly related to the number of slots I have in my garage.
At one time, I had a 30’ x 40’ pole building in Northeast Portland that came along with a rental house I purchased. Not only did I immediately fill it with cars, it had a space behind it for another six cars under an open-faced shed. I quickly went out and bought six Alfa parts cars Read More
“I learned to drive on a stick” is a gearhead’s mantra. We all tell tales of the first three-pedal car we learned to operate.
For some reason, it’s a badge of honor that we learned to drive a car and learned to operate a manual gearbox at the same time.
I’ve taught several of my children to drive, most recently 10-year-old Bradley in his 1960 Bugeye Sprite.
Teaching someone to drive, and to drive a stick at the same time, Read More
You wouldn’t ride a horse down Main Street, and soon you won’t drive a collector car down your town’s main drag.
Twenty years ago, I wrote that in the future we would treat our old cars like horses. Our cars would be trailered to roads that were appropriate for them, we would use them there — and then trailer them home.
That future is now.
Increasingly, our old cars are simply unsuited for the mix of everyday traffic.
A few Read More
I’m learning that just as car restorations have their own progressions, so does physical rehabilitation.
This week I made some decisions about the restorations on my cars, and I made some steps forward with my own rehab.
I’ve decided not to proceed with the full-bore, glass-and-headliner- out interior restoration of our 1961 Giulietta Sprint Speciale.
While the body is dry and with great panel fit (partly from 30 years of indoors storage in the Cayman Islands Motor Museum), the paint Read More
In preparation for the Revs Institute Symposium on Collecting, founder Miles Collier sent out a list of questions for participants to consider. Since not all of us can make it to Naples, FL, I will share some of the questions and my responses in the next few newsletters. I also invite you to submit your own questions as well.
Miles Collier: Does every restoration have to be to the highest possible level, involving a complete disassembly and reassembly of Read More
Dear SCM Friends,
It’s been a month since my stroke, and I wanted to touch base. I continue to make progress. A full recovery seems likely, but there are still months of hard work ahead.
Doctors have found no underlying cause for my stroke. My blood pressure was 120/80 and I ran 3 miles the day before. Genetics? Bad luck?
No one knows.
I was alone in my condo when it happened, and I could easily have died.
I didn’t Read More
Editor’s note: Mark Wigginton is taking over this space for a few weeks while Publisher Martin grinds away at his stroke rehabilitation. A bunch of us from SCM World Headquarters visited him a few days ago, and he’s making amazing progress at regaining mobility on his left side. The man is even playing the piano! We’re sure he will be back very soon. In the meantime, welcome to the car-addled world of Mark Wigginton:
It’s pretty easy to read about Read More
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