Keith Martin’s Adventures

I’ve been going to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance for more than 30 years. For a few of those, I was the emcee for part of the morning activities, interviewing owners who had cars entered. I have to confess that watching the livestream on YouTube actually gives me a better perspective on the field. (Not…

There may be many “Guides to Monterey,” but the SCM one is the best. It’s our 21st year of producing it, and in its 106 pages you’ll find event descriptions, hot tips and even recommendations on where to eat. Download it here. Monterey has changed post-pandemic. The past few years have seen a new generation…

Last week we began the story of driving our Porshe 911 C4S from Portland 244 miles down Interstate 5 to Grants Pass, OR, population 39,194. We were headed to Cruise The Rogue, the revival of a weekend-long car show that started in 1980, but had been dormant since 2020. The weekend is produced by Main…

Grants Pass, OR, is a city of 40,000, 244 miles south of Portland. The Rogue River, famous for its whitewater rafting, runs through it. But I wasn’t aware that it had a car culture that stretched back to 1988. So when information about car show named Cruise the Rogue popped into my inbox, I was…

This year marked the 52nd annual Forest Grove Concours d’Elegance. It is the longest running concours in the Pacific Northwest, held on the bucolic, tree-lined grounds of Pacific University. This concours has a mission. Every dollar raised goes directly towards Rotary Foundation Scholarships for students in the Forest Grove, Banks and Gaston school districts. To…

Even though our 2005 Porsche 911 C4S came into my life on Dec. 22, 2025, when my son Bradley delivered it to me as a 75th birthday present, I haven’t had much of a chance to drive it. My time has been spent deaccessioning our 1971 Jaguar E-type V12 coupe and 1975 Porsche 911S Sportomatic…

Imagine you are fishing. You hook a nice-sized, juicy-looking trout. You are reeling it in, and just as you are about to net it someone else reaches in, grabs it and scampers away with it. That’s the way it’s been for me with three Austin-Healey 3000s in the past two weeks. With over 73,000 Big…

Madras, Oregon (pop. 7,456), is 121 miles from SCM headquarters in Portland. The route there on Highway 26 is delightful, taking you from the lush green of the Willamette Valley up and over Mt. Hood to the Oregon High Desert. The Triumph Register of America National Meet took place there from June 15–19. This marked…