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 a good time to be a gearhead. This is the second opportunity I’ve had in the past three months to be involved in a new car event, and both have been spectacular.
In January, I was the emcee for the inaugural Arizona Concours d’Elegance. (See my previous blog post and column.) Despite naysayers who said the organizers needed another year to put all the pieces together, Kevin Cornish pulled a mechanical rabbit out of a hat and put Read More
It’s only taken me two years to find the right car, and it was right here under my nose.
To recap, I decided last year that I would create a focus to my mini-collection. Instead of it looking like a sampling of “The Greatest Hits From Bring A Trailer,” with vehicles ranging from a Saab Sonett to a BMW 6-series to a Volvo 1800 ES, it would be just Alfas.
I picked the five Alfas that both fit Read More
After finishing up our Amelia Island shoot for “What’s My Car Worth,” we traveled south to Fort Lauderdale to record more episodes. We evaluated nearly 50 cars, and the new shows will begin airing in July.
I’ve always liked the Auctions America sale in Fort Lauderdale. Donnie Gould leads the gang there, and they are unfailingly hospitable. We stay at the Hilton across the street from the convention center, and while it is slightly bedraggled and certainly Read More
The 19th annual Amelia Island Concours has come and gone.
Our second shooting session for “What’s My Car Worth” is over.
Now all that is left is to gather everything up, throw it in the van and drive south to Fort Lauderdale, where on Wednesday we set up the cameras and start things all over again, except this time at the Auctions America auction.
The week was challenging, with blustery winds, rain squalls and Read More
It’s roadtrip time for me again.
It’s a good thing I like cars, as my next two weeks are going to be full of them.
Put Amelia Island weekend, Auctions America in Ft. Lauderdale and What’s My Car Worth into a mixing bowl, and you end up with a ticket on Delta that leaves Portland early today (Tuesday) and gets me home in the evening on Sunday, March 16.
My week starts with shooting episodes of Read More
At times, the SCM offices resemble an automotive confessional. Emails, texts, Facebook postings, faxes and sometimes even old-school, hand-written letters flood in — each missive asking for collector-car absolution or permission.
“Dear SCM, please forgive me as I have sinned and bought a car over the Internet without seeing it in person… again.”
“Keith, I am offered a great deal on a Ferrari. It’s a 308 GT4, friends tell me they are the last undervalued Ferrari, and they’re sure to Read More
First of all, this whole discussion is really the fault of Miles Collier, columnist for SCM and provocateur extraordinaire when it comes to making collectors actually think about what they are doing when they buy and sell old cars.
Prior to meeting Miles, my criteria were simple: I can afford it, and I’ve never had one. And maybe even better it’s red. That buying logic has stretched from a 1962 Thunderbird convertible to three MGBs to a Mercedes-Benz 219 to Read More
Last year I put out a call that I was looking for a 1967 Alfa Duetto and got several responses. Just as I was getting ready to pull the trigger, a tidy 1967 Giulia Super showed up on the radar. I couldn’t have both, so I took the four-door (to the delight of my six-year-old) and put the Duetto on hold.
But that was then, and this is now. With our Nova and Isetta sold in Scottsale, there’s room in Read More
The old car scene in Paris is heating up.
Last year there were just two auctions in Paris during Rétromobile week: Bonhams and Artcurial. This year there were four, with RM joining the fray, and Artcurial adding an additional auction featuring a collection of Alfa Romeos. Furthermore, the annual SCM reception has grown into a fixture on the calendar, attracting well over 100 SCMers from around the world to Café Le Jambon à la Broche every Read More
Strange things can happen to you at auctions. While shooting new episodes of “What’s My Car Worth” at Barrett-Jackson, one car, of the 1,405 there, caught my eye. Let’s not forget that what defines B-J is the acres and acres of highly polished, overly chromed, customized, raised or slammed, modified and stock American cars.
So when I strolled by Lot 1275.1, a 1955 AC Aceca coupe, I stopped short. It was quite handsome in its metallic gray paint Read More
Sign up for a free weekly insider's report on the collector car market — and get a free gift.
