A truffle hound has nothing on Robb Sass when it comes to spotting overlooked Affordable Classics. When he posted that he had just bought a very nice 911 for under $20k, my “I need one too” alarm sounded.
I sent him a message right away. He replied that very nice 1999 – 2004 911s (996 is their internal Porsche designation) can be found for under $20,000. With a determined search and motivated seller, $15,000 is the number. These were the Read More
It was a long, improbable journey and the Bradley GT almost made it.
Nearly 4,000 miles from its starting point in Fort Lauderdale, FL, SCM’s 45-year-old kit car finally came to a halt.
It had endured the burning summer sun and torrential downpours. Its brakes, doors and ignition systems had been rebuilt en route.
It got within two miles of its initial West Coast destination, Concorso Italiano in Monterey, when it came to an ignominious halt. Simultaneously, it suffered a Read More
Dust. Thick, clinging dust everywhere.
That’s a consequence of being 7th in line on a vintage Rover tour to far eastern Oregon.
Every year or so, Doug Shipman of the Oregon Chapter of the Pacific Coast Rover Club puts together a summer tour. Camping out is a part of the equation.
Our trip started in Portland. My 10-year-old son, Bradley, and I drove across Mount Hood on Highway 26 from our condo in downtown Portland. We headed 150 miles to Read More
There was something for everyone at the 18th Annual Collector Car and Classic Boat Show on August 26-27. Held in Lake Oswego, Oregon – a suburb of Portland – this show from the Oswego Heritage Council always attracts great cars and great people.
For example, an Austin-Healey 100S was on hand, amid a Bugeye Sprite, a C6 Challenge Corvette and a 1960s pickup truck.
With just 55 built at the factory for racing, the 100S is rare and valuable Read More
Monterey Mayhem is done for the year. Thousands of classic cars are streaming away from the Peninsula — some in trailers and some driven.
During the week, I watched RM Sothebys sell an Aston Martin DBR1 for a record-breaking $22.55m, Gooding hammer a Porsche 917K for new record of $14m and Bonhams set a record for a 1995 McLaren F1 at $15.6m.
SCM will have a complete blow-by-blow analysis in our next issue, with more information in this newsletter.
But Read More
As I write this, it’s Monday morning and Day Three of this year’s journey from Portland, OR to Monterey Car Week.
Our 1967 Alfa GTV has covered over 700 miles and is packed and ready for the final leg.
My co-pilot is SCM styling and design analyst Robert Cumberford, who started this trip from his home in Saint-Geniès, France, a village about 350 miles southwest of Paris.
Traveling with someone who has spent their entire life around the giants of Read More
“Dad, there’s a big clunk from the front of the GTV.”
That was my daughter Alexandra’s message to me as she headed home from Durant Vineyards in Dayton, Oregon.
We were on the 15th Annual Wine Tour, held as a prelude to the Forest Grove Concours d’Elegance.
I enjoy this casual drive every year, as it gives me a chance to get several of my cars some much-needed exercise. SCM Editor-at-Large, good friend and co-emcee of the Forest Grove Read More
I’m on a big Land Rover club expedition through the rugged terrain of eastern Oregon right now, and I keep thinking how lucky we are to share this great world of old cars and their adventures.
Bradley is along on the trip, and he’s seeing some amazing sights — and loving every minute of bouncing around in SCM’s Defender 90.
I hope you’re having a great holiday, and please be very, very careful around any fireworks. Enjoy the day!
The crappier the car the better. That seems to be the mantra of some collectors these days.
Instead of trying to restore cars to better-than-new condition, they look for the most original vehicle they can find. The more bedraggled the better. You can even find people who will “un-restore your car” and make it look old and nasty.
Finding original, unrestored cars is becoming more difficult.
However, I came across a perfect “preservation” example a few days ago in Costa Read More
We’ve decided that our time with the SCM Mehari has come to an end.
A couple of Alfas are coming out of restoration, so we need to free up some space in the garage.
We’ve enjoyed the Mehari — and we’ve done quite a bit to make it a very good driver (all things in context, of course). It has been tuned, electronic ignition installed, the shift-linkage bushings replaced, and the brakes properly set up. It’s actually quite fun for Read More
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