Author: Keith Martin

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, now in its 33rd year. Keith has written for the New York Times, Automobile, AutoWeek, Road & Track and other publications, is an emcee for numerous concours, and had his own show, “What’s My Car Worth,” shown on Velocity. He has received many honors, including the Lee Iacocca Award, the Edward Herrman Award, was inducted into the Concorso Italiano Hall of Fame and more. He is on the boards of directors of The LeMay Museum and Oregon Ballet Theater, and was formerly the chair of the board of the Meguiar's Award.

Keith’s Blog: The Drive to Monterey

As our launch date of August 14 draws closer, some of the puzzle pieces of our trip are coming together. Please join us for some or all of it. At the moment, it appears the SCM contingent will include our 1972 Mercedes 250C, along with my son Bradley’s recently acquired […]

Keith’s Blog: The Malaise Car Show

This was all my fault. I was scrolling through Facebook and came across a listing for “The Malaise Car Show.” It was for cars from 1972 to 1995. As Bradley’s C3 Corvette is a 1982, it fit squarely within the parameters. He signed up, entered my credit card, and $25 […]

I Can C Clearly Now

Here’s how I ended up spending $42,310 on a $25,000 car. And I’m not done yet. Last summer, I decided that our Citroën DS21 would be moving on after the SCM 1000. Longtime SCMer Allen Stephens mentioned he was pleased with his W114 Mercedes-Benz 250C as a classic four-person long-distance […]

Keith’s Blog: Father’s Day is AMG Day

My son Bradley and I have just returned from the successful SCM 1000 Tour. On it, he co-drove with SCM contributor Philip Richter, who joined us from Ft. Lauderdale, FL. They shared the 1971 Jaguar V12 E-type S3 coupe and the 1972 Mercedes 250C. Including the traverse from Portland to […]

Keith’s Blog: The Shark Arrives

I took Bradley and his friends to a local MAG auction in Salem, OR, a few weeks ago. For reasons I will never understand, all three 16-year-old young men were smitten by the C3 Chevrolet Corvettes on offer. I have never paid attention to these “Mako Shark” derived cars. They […]

Keith’s Blog: Bradley Meets a Belly Tanker

Car Season in Portland has officially launched. For the past 28 years, the Portland Transmission Spring Classic has been held the Saturday before Mother’s Day. In some ways it is the antithesis of a high-end concours. It is loosely organized. It is held on the city streets of inner Southeast […]

Learn and Yearn

When I first started hunting cars in the ’70s, my routine was simple: I would scan the daily classifieds in my hometown paper, the San Francisco Chronicle. That’s where I found my 1959 ID 19 for $400. It was listed under the “Citroën” heading. Yes, such a category in the […]