Keith Martin
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Adventure Time
Seaside, OR, is just 78 miles from Portland. The route there, out Highway 26, is a relaxing mix of 60-mph roads traversing the Coast Range and 80-mph straightaways through Tillamook Forest. It is one of my favorite “Sunday drives” and I like to make it as often as I can — although it’s even better…
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Keith’s Blog: The Giulia Spider Veloce, 45 Years Later
In August of 1980, we were on our way to Monterey when an ad in Hemmings Motor News caught my eye: “1965 Alfa Romeo Spider. Twin carburetor version. Two owners. Gray with red. $22,000.” This was followed by a Portland phone number. Times being what they were, I waited a couple of weeks until we…
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Keith’s Blog: The Disappearing Car Show
“The Submerged Cathedral (La cathédrale engloutie)” was written for piano by Claude Debussy in 1910. It is based on an ancient myth of a cathedral that is submerged off the coast of an island. In the morning it rises up from the water, accompanied by the sounds of chanting priests, chiming bells and organ music,…
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Keith’s Blog: Mr. Bright’s Wild Ride
Until this weekend, I was unaware that Maserati had built a commercial-grade spin dryer in 1956. That was until SCMer Chris Bright poured me like tube of freshening agent into his replica Maserati 350S and took me on a Friday afternoon blast through downtown Portland and the surrounding hills. During rush hour. Built in Argentina,…
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Keith’s Blog: Cadillacs and 4Cs in Camas
Social media has its plusses and minuses, but a definitive positive is the ability to find out about events you would never hear of otherwise. Late Friday night I was forwarded a notice of the “Discovery Vintage Car Show – Vintage Wheels and Timeless Appeal.” It was being held at Discovery High School in Camas,…
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Keith’s Blog: Just Chasing a Maserati
Through happenstance, SCMer Chris Bright and I ended up living a floor apart in the same condo. As you wind down through our building’s four levels of underground parking, you see some unusual cars. The most mysterious is covered, but a discerning eye can spot the sensuous lines of a 1956 Maserati 350S. Chris has…
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Wheel of Misfortune
This whole thing started like many of my adventures, behind the wheel of an Alfa. As my stroke-weakened left leg responds to physical therapy, I have begun to be able to drive a manual-shift car again, though in a limited fashion. I took our 1965 Giulia Spider Veloce around the block a couple of times.…
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Keith’s Blog: Wouldn’t You Rather Drive a New Porsche 911?
The 2025 NW Passage — Spring, an annual tour put on by the Porsche Club of America Oregon Region, is fast approaching. From June 11-16, some 40 sports cars, mostly late-model Porsches, will set off on a 1,500-mile romp through the Pacific Northwest. Stops include Leavenworth, WA, Sandpoint, ID, and Walla Walla, WA. SCM has…
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Keith’s Blog: How the Internet Changed Swap Meets
I’ve been attending the Portland Swap Meet for more than 30 years. It is billed as the largest auto swap meet on the West Coast. In the early, pre-internet days, walking though the swap meet gates was like dropping into an Alice in Wonderland hole with no idea what magical things you would find inside.…
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Keith’s Blog: Back in the Saddle
Long-time readers will remember that I suffered a stroke in January 2019. Ever since, my left leg has been too weak to depress a clutch, and I have not been able to drive a manual-shift car. I have been working at physical therapy every day, and it has begun to pay dividends. Last week, I…