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.
Only one member of the SCM Fleet is truly excited about the onset of Oregon winter, with its cold days, rain and occasional snowfall. Yes, it’s the 1984 Land Rover D90 200 Tdi. It has started to act like an automotive bully in the garage, accusing the Alfas of being fair-weather pansies wrapped in designer outfits by Pininfarina and Bertone.
It’s been a busy year for our cars, with quite a few coming and going as we settled Read More
I was flipping through a boating magazine last year, looking for new ways to squander my wealth. I came across a small article noting that the only functioning PT boat in the world was based in Portland, and that its supporters were offering rides on the boat in exchange for a modest donation.
I did a little research and found that PT-658 was in fact one of the final PT boats delivered, “fitted with all of the latest armaments Read More
Sometimes You Just Need a Break From Sports Cars
I arrived back in Portland from a quick two days in Maranello on Sunday, October 6. The next morning at 6 a.m., I was throwing recovery gear into the back of our trusty RHD 1984 Defender 90 200 Tdi. Snatch blocks, recovery strap, winch extender, tree strap, shackles and leather gloves were just a part of the equipment.
Then it was wheels-up for the 90-minute drive to Brown’s Camp in the Read More
We just put 1,611 delightful miles on our 1965 Giulia Spider Veloce. It was our first real road trip in years, and it brought home the reasons we fool around with these old cars.
The occasion was the Alfa Romeo National Convention, held in Rohnert Park, CA, south of Santa Rosa. Good friend Doug Hartman was my co-pilot on the way down, and Wendie flew down to ride with me on the way back.
We’ve owned the Spider nearly 30 years, selling it once and buying it back during that period. Conrad Stevenson in Berkeley did the engine and transmission several years ago, Bill Gillham oversaw the redo of the interior using original materials sourced by Matt Jones, and Tom Black put the finishing touches on preserving the aged paint. In short, it has never run nor looked better.
The trip down was uneventful. Our convoy of Northwest Alfas drove Interstate 5 to Eugene, Highway 126 across to Florence, then 101 to Santa Rosa with an overnight in Eureka. All the Alfas performed well except for a 750 Giulietta Spider that lost its water pump in Eureka; it was towed to the convention, repaired and driven home.
I’ve known most of these club guys for decades, and we remarked on how much better prepared our cars were than in the 1980s. As they have evolved into collectible artifacts, we have started lavishing unprecedented amounts of care and money on their maintenance.
Just a week ago we were rolling along on the Colorado Grand, surrounded by millions of dollars of exquisite machinery. The past weekend was a little different.
Roger Dilts, the president of the Alfa Romeo Owners of Oregon, hosted the annual “President’s Tour,” a half-day event that sends those who love to drive down scenic two-lane Oregon roads.
The old car offerings were few – our 1967 GTV, an alloy-bodied Lancia Fulvia Zagato 1300cc, an Read More
I’m just back from four days and 1,000 miles of spectacular vintage motoring. The next issue of SCM will feature my full story on the Colorado Grand — along with Colin Comer’s thoughts on driving Chuck Wegner’s 250 GT TdF (a car he once owned) — but in the meantime, here are some of my favorite images from the trip.
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We’re beginning the Colorado Grand today, a four-day, 1000-mile romp through some of the most breathtaking mountains and plains in the U.S. This will be my fifth time on the Grand, and I’m looking forward to it as an escape from the ordinary, and a chance to see old friends.
What better way to get ready for the Grand than a quick dash through some undulating Oregon Read More
I’m in one of the conference rooms at LeMay — America’s Car Museum, waiting for a meeting of the marketing committee of the Board of Trustees, of which I am a member.
I’ve been involved with the museum in a variety of ways since its first public meetings over a decade ago. It has been immensely satisfying to watch the LeMay team, led by David Read More
I’ve never counted the number of cars that have passed through my garage over the past four decades, but they’ve numbered in the hundreds. They’ve ranged from mundane 1965 MGBs to exquisite Maserati 3500 GTs. Sometimes there have been 20 cars at my place, other times just one.
Fishing for my acquisitions (I hesitate to call it collecting) has always entailed the same method. I drop a hook baited with my wallet into the eBay Motors ocean, the sea Read More
The Monday after Monterey Classic Car Week feels like a ceasefire.
During the previous five days, over $300m cars had been hammered sold – and those are only the public transactions. (We’ll have complete coverage in the next issue of Sports Car Market.) But on Monday, all was quiet. Our favorite breakfast place in Carmel, Katy’s, was only half-full, compared to the hour-long wait the week before.
For the first time in 25 Read More
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