Keith Martin
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Keith’s Blog: Snow White’s Coffin Flattens My Wallet
The Volvo 1800ES has pulled a fast one on me. I got it back from Guy’s Interior Restorations last week, with the front seats redone and a very nice match on the blue vinyl. Other items attended to during the general freshening include new interior door hardware, carpet pad in the rear and struts for the…
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Two Coasts, Two Weekends, 5,000 Cars
“To Infinity, and Beyond!” That’s how I felt as I left Scottsdale, AZ, where 2,694 cars had crossed the block, and headed to Kissimmee, FL, where another 2,326 consigned vehicles were looking to find new owners. For 25 years, attending the January auctions in Scottsdale has been a fixture in the SCM calendar and in…
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Keith’s Blog: Why Amelia Belongs on Your Bucket List
I’m sitting in the Jacksonville terminal as I compose this, decompressing from my 15th annual trip to Fernandina Beach, FL, and the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. 17 years have now passed since founder Bill Warner went out on a very long limb and put on the first of what has grown into a world-class event. The…
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Keith’s Blog: Collector Car Therapy, Rover Style
Sometimes it’s good just to get away from it all. As you read this, I’ll be on a 6 a.m. flight out of Portland, with an eventual destination of Amelia Island, FL. During my week there, I’ll be shooting episodes of What’s My Car Worth at the Gooding auction, with Donald Osborne as my co-host.…
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The Future of Collecting
Dear Mr. Martin, I’m a 20-year-old college student from Dallas, TX. I’ve been a car guy since birth. A few years ago I stumbled upon television coverage of Barrett-Jackson and Mecum, and that’s when I discovered my passion for the collector car market. However, whenever I watch televised car auctions, I notice that the majority…
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Keith’s Blog: Are there any good reasons to buy this Alfa?
For the past 15 years, I have watched a three-car mini-collection, parked on the street, slowly degrade. The cars all have some interest. They include a 1967 Duetto, a chrome-bumper 914 and a first-generation 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle 300 Deluxe. They were all parked within four blocks of SCM World Headquarters. All three cars carry current…
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Keith’s Blog: Alfas and the Affordable Sweet Spot
We took the Alfa (non-identical) twins out for their first run together yesterday. The occasion was the (post) Valentine’s Day Tour organized by Neil d’Autremont for the Alfa Romeo Owners of Oregon. Wendie and I drove the 1967 GTV, and good friends Michael Cottam and Andrea Allen took our 1965 Giulia Spider Veloce. This was the…
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Keith’s Blog: The Thin Line Between Day-Tripping and Tragedy
In the end, it was a choice between walking 12 miles in the snow with my wife and our four-year-old, or just turning around. Here’s how the story unfolded. We made a quick trip to Bend, OR, this weekend, to attend an organizational meeting for this September’s Oregon Festival of Cars (formerly the Sun…
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Keith’s Blog: Driving a Super Car on Super Sunday
The Martin family had its traditional Super Bowl Party Sunday, and we all wished we had placed a bet on the first possession of the Patriots ending in a safety. Someone, somewhere did, and we hope they’re buying a Ferrari today with their winnings. Two SCMers from opposite ends of the spectrum brightened up our…
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The Anatomy of a Buy
Chances are good that you are preparing for the Scottsdale five-ring circus while you’re reading this. You’ve pored over the SCM Arizona supplement and used the digital edition to instantly link to the auction company web sites.You’ve probably hooked up with a transport company, insurance company and even a finance company so that you’ll have…