New-driver Bradley has nearly 1,000 miles under his belt now. The last 250 came behind the wheel of his mother’s manual Boxster S. He prefers the manual but appreciates the time he has had just “driving” with automatics. He has spent a little time driving friend Chris Bright’s 1300-cc Alfa […]
Author: Keith Martin
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: Join the Caravan to Monterey 2023
At 9 am on Monday, August 14 we’re leaving Portland and heading towards Monterey. There may be two cars or 10, we don’t know. Our plan is to take it easy and smell the flowers. We will take I5 South, then cut over to the coast near Eugene and have […]
Keith’s Blog: Bradley’s First Auction
It was time-travel time for the SCM gang this weekend. There was a collector car auction at the Oregon State Fair and Expo Center in Salem. That’s about 45 miles from Portland. It was being conducted by MAG Auctions. New to the area, it is filling the spot once held […]
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 […]