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 horses for courses when it comes to old cars.
A modern SUV could travel easily on Interstate highways at 75 mph — and plow through snow and scramble up dirt roads. But where’s the fun in that?
Part of what makes old cars so appealing is their lack of competence. They require our skill set to make them work properly. This is why I drove SCM’s 33-year-old RHD Land Rover D90 turbo diesel 64 miles to Oregon’s Mount Hood Read More
It’s a rite of passage that we’ve all experienced.
The first time we were behind the wheel of a car, started the engine and actually drove the machine.
For most of us, that moment is lost to time and captured only by our memories.
However, it today’s world of smart phones with video cameras, nothing goes unrecorded.
Bradley’s first drive was posted to Facebook for others to see within minutes of his accomplishing it. His glorious moment has been Read More
I’ve raised a family of three over the past 30 years.
They include my daughter, Alexandra, 26, my son Bradley, 10, and Sports Car Market, which is nearly full-grown at 30.
Just as I’ve watched Alex and Bradley mature and develop, I’ve seen SCM go from a little black-and-white newsletter that we printed on our own presses to a magazine now on the newsstand at Grand Central Station.
In 1988, I never imagined that I’d be writing about SCM in Read More
I’ve known Bob Lutz (“Maximum Bob”) for more than 20 years. I served on his long-range planning committee when he was at General Motors.
I’ve also been on several new car launches and several classic car events with him.
His motto: “Often wrong, but never in doubt.”
That approach is evident in his article about the “Death of the Individual Motor Car” which was published in Automotive News.
While I disagree with his overall conclusions, there is much that Read More
This was my fourth year at the Hilton Head Concours d’Elegance, at Hilton Head, SC. Each year, it continues to develop and grow in size and quality.
Hilton Head now resides comfortably in the top tier of vintage car events.
It’s more than just a car show. The official name of the weeklong happening is the Hilton Head International Motoring Festival. It encompasses vintage racing, tours, a hangar party, and two car shows on the weekend: the Car Club Read More
It’s been a busy week at SCM World Headquarters. Oregon is having its annual days of fall sunshine, with temperatures in the mid-70s. The leaves are turning and it’s a perfect time to enjoy sports cars.
It’s also great weather to run them back and forth to repair shops. The 1967 went to Nasko for a new master cylinder, provided by Jon Norman at Alfa Parts. The Bradley GT was back at Always V-Dub to figure out why, Read More
Last Saturday I tried to give away a free subscription to SCM, but found no takers.
Volkswagen was the featured marque at the 22nd Annual European Auto Festival. A Bradley GT, which is a VW-based kit car, is arguably the most famous (or infamous) car in the SCM Collection. I offered a year of SCM free to anyone at Euro Auto Fest who could bring me a picture of their Bradley.
Of the 300 entrants and 3,000 attendees, if Read More
Our old cars haven’t changed in the past 30 years.
What has changed is the world around them.
In 1988, when we produced the first issue of The Alfa Romeo Market Letter on a mimeograph machine, our 1967 GTV would have been 21 years old.
Most GTVs in 1988 were just tired used cars that nobody cared about. They were complicated, with dual-overhead camshafts and Weber carburetors — and expensive to maintain.
I was buying running-and-driving GTVs for $5,000 and Read More
You’ve probably read the same things I have. “Kids don’t care about cars.”
That’s just not true. While young people today have many more options for social interaction than we did when growing up, they still love cars.
I recently spent a weekend with a McLaren 750S Spider. I’ll share my thoughts about driving this extraordinary and exhilarating machine with you in my column in SCM next month.
I made a point of chatting with the people that gathered around Read More
I take pretty good care of my old cars. I keep them in top shape. When something breaks, I try to get it fixed right away. They are stored in a climate-controlled garage at SCM World Headquarters.
Despite all this, after an active summer, they all seem to need attention at once when fall rolls around.
They nearly all need work — except the 2006 Lotus Elise and the 2001 Dodge Viper GTS. Is it a coincidence that the newest Read More
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