Keith’s Blog: Where Did That Title Go?

January 19, 2026

Keith Martin

The folks from Matt Crandall’s Avant-Garde Collection came and picked up our 33k-mile 1971 Jaguar E-type V12 coupe. It will soon be offered on Bring a Trailer with no reserve by 911r. The transport was handled by a professional trailer manufacturer, ensuring the vehicle was moved safely and securely for its upcoming auction.

It was with mixed feelings that I watched it go.

During the five years I have had the car, I have put over 10,000 miles on it, including three SCM 1000s and other tours as well.

I recently moved from one condo to another, and I have discovered that I have mislaid my Jaguar file, and all my supporting paperwork.

Internet to the rescue! I plugged in the VIN of the Jaguar: 1S71487BW. There were a host of hits, including our listing in the SCM Platinum database from a Kruse auction in 2001, when its mileage was recorded at 16,800 and the car was described as “mostly original.”

Further, the original BaT listing I bought the car from was comprehensive, with many photos and questions and answers in the comments.

My bit of advice today is to gather up your car materials and put them in one easy-to-remember manila envelope in a familiar place.

I’ll be able to get another title, and all but the most recent receipts are saved in the cloud. But I wish I had simply taken a large envelope and stuffed every piece of paper into it.

Have you ever had the lack of a title keep you from putting a deal together?

Read my previous blog posts here.

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Keith Martin

Keith Martin has been involved with the collector car hobby for more than 40 years. As a writer, publisher, television commentator and enthusiast, he is constantly on the go, meeting collectors and getting involved in their activities throughout the world. He is the founder and publisher of the monthly Sports Car Market, now in its 37th year. Keith has written for the New York Times, Automobile, AutoWeek, Road & Track and other publications, has been an emcee for numerous concours, and had his own show, “What’s My Car Worth,” shown on Velocity. He has received many honors, including the Lee Iacocca Award, the Edward Herrmann Award, was inducted into the Concorso Italiano Hall of Fame, and more. He has served on the board of directors of The LeMay Museum and Oregon Ballet Theater, and was formerly the chair of the board of the Meguiar’s Award.

14 responses to “Keith’s Blog: Where Did That Title Go?”

Glenn Krasner

January 19, 2026

Keith,
Ironically, in about 7 years, when you are moving some stuff around in that new condo, you’ll actually find that file long after you needed it.

My fiancee has very relaxed attitude towards things and sort of just flies by the seat of her pants. It seems like she misplaces her Chase Debit Card every two weeks, and numerous other items at different times. I always ask her where these things can possibly be, and her standard reply is “Somewhere in Brooklyn.” Thankfully, she’s right about 95% of the time and the missing items reappear a short time later. Probably the best one was when she put her passport in a Las Vegas hotel room safe for safekeeping, and then returned to Brooklyn without it. Getting the Flamingo Hotel to first find it and then return it probably took more legwork on my part than what you’ll have to do to get a new title for your Jag.
Glenn in Brooklyn, NY

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CaptainDave

January 20, 2026

The scanner is your friend. The scan of a title can’t replace the real thing but may be of help when getting a replacement. I’m a squirrel — saving all kinds of things — and can’t bear to part with the receipt for an oil filter purchased in 1998 for a car I sold in 2010. This means that I can advertise a car “with full service records since purchased” (and also that I need some psychotherapy!). A fat ring binder of service records is a lovely thing. A flash drive with the same is worthwhile too, and having both makes you some kind of saint.
Here in Connecticut, you’ll hear people say “you can’t get a title for a car over 20 years old.” It’s not true. Getting a classic car titled here is cumbersome but if you have an old CT title or the title from another state, quite do-able. Without those it’s harder and more expensive but still possible.
Now, if only I had original window stickers!

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Frank Barrett

January 20, 2026

My titles are in my safe-deposit box; they survived even when my bank burned to the ground.

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Bob FitzSimons

January 20, 2026

I write this as a member of the Untitled Aristocracy. I agree with Glenn- most of my titles are somewhere in my house, which is not as big as Brooklyn, but plenty big enough to get lost in, if you are a sheet of paper. But I have bought cars where a title was promised and not delivered, where a registration was sent, because cars in that state or of that age didn’t have a title, or where they sent me everything and I failed to follow through. I have titles that are endorsed that I should have had reissued in my name. And I have at least one title that needs to go into the binder with the rest of them, but sits on my bedside table “for now”.

Possession is 9 points of the law. There are days when I would gladly hand over one of my cars to anybody who offered a legitimate claim superior to mine. Like the day I learned that getting my $7000 car to start and run had become a $20,000 project.

I have heard tell of services that will get you a title for a few hundred dollars. Your mechanic probably knows somebody who knows how if you don’t.

These days, it’s simple enough to have photographs and/or scans of all of your important papers. And a small file cabinet to store the originals. Even a $100 car deserves a $10 file box.

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Nick Hartnack

January 20, 2026

Dear Keith
I think what the incident has proved, that what you desperately require(d), is a custom made and personalized vehicle document and history file (or box!) It could be made in the same colour as the car (hard to miss) with appropriate branding and car details on the cover and spine (again, hard to miss) and furthermore it will look really great on your bookcase!
One last added advantage, is that now you are coming to sell the Jag, any new prospective buyer will think, “Hey! This guy must have really liked this car, he even got a custom made binder for it”.
There is a company that occasionally advertises in SCM that make them called Hartnack & Co, you can find them here – https://hartnackandco.com/pages/car-document-and-history-files
Just a thought 🙂

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Hans Kleinknecht

January 20, 2026

No Thanks Keith for reminding me that I’m pretty sure I know where five of my 11 titles for cars/motorcycles/boats are and have some general ideas about the others. One of these days I swear I’ll get my act together, but the day hasn’t come yet. Luckily I only play in the shallow end of the hobbies pool, if we were talking Ferraris I’m sure I would do better!

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Dave Hedderly-Smith

January 20, 2026

Too many cars = too many titles to keep track of and occasionally one escapes from the car’s file. Fortunately the state of Washington can provide a duplicate at a nominal cost if I’ll give them a couple of weeks or my local licensing agency can give me one today at a somewhat higher, but still not onerous, cost. Washington’s DMV has seen me coming.

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Dennis White

January 20, 2026

Good to have your titles in a safe with other important docs to grab when the wildfire is bearing down!

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Nick Cornelius

January 20, 2026

Keith,
Strange how you seem to squarely hit the head of the nail on these issues… almost like you’re a car guy experiencing car guy things, just like the rest of us. Lost a few, found a few waaaay later than when I actually needed them, and so for a while now they have lived in a combination lock box. Recently forgot the combo on that, by the way… had to have my supervisor/wife open the damn thing, and then I took heat for engaging in car guy behavior without prior authorization. I can’t win.

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David Andersen

January 20, 2026

Maintaining records on multiple cars is a PITA, for sure. I do keep files, both paper and electronic, on all my cars, even the ones I’ve sold, but sometimes neglect to keep them current. Email/electronic files I usually print out to add to the paper file only if I’m going to sell the car, and sometimes I have to do a bit of searching to find, say, an email with a particular receipt that I know is there but may have saved in the wrong email file. And, yes, I too have “misplaced” a title (or two). I do keep a scanned color copy of every current car title, and the previous owner’s title (if I remember to do it before getting it re-titled).

Fortunately, getting a replacement title where I live is pretty simple. Have to go to the DMV (not a big hassle if you go at the right time of day), but only need your driver’s license, current car registration and $15 fee. A scanned color title copy helps but not needed. Never been a problem.

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anatoly arutunoff

January 20, 2026

i bought one of michael pistol’s ‘art cars’–my term–in ’02 and since it wasn’t street legal never got an oklahoma title for it. recently sold it–way too cheap–and went to get a title for it. decades ago there was a 3-year penalty, tops; registering the car every year was about $30. they changed the law. cost me $1,700 to get a title to send to the buyer in california! jeepers!

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Leslie Roberts

January 21, 2026

One time I bought a Miata that didn’t have a title. I was optimistic but various roadblocks caused me to realize that there was no way for me to ever title the car, and I had just bought a very large paperweight. Fortunately the seller took the car back and refunded my money. It only cost me two trips across the state of Missouri. Now I’m a lot more careful about getting proper titles when I buy cars. 🙂

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Dave Peterson

January 21, 2026

I was able to purchase one of the Super V8 Jaguars. When I saw it I was dazzled by that beautiful black metallic and the wheels didn’t hurt, either. Then, the bombshell……. he had lost the title. I suddenly understood the very low asking on a really special car. In California , no less. I have yet to tackle the need for paperwork (official). But even if all hell breaks loose, for the price I paid I would be able to part it out profitably. That would be the very last resort, as it works flawlessly – something you never hear when discussing Ford -era Jaguars. But, no hill for a climber, right?

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Todd

January 24, 2026

I’m surprised that you are selling this car.
Try to find another original and unrestored in such good condition.

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Keith’s Blog: Where Did That Title Go?

14 responses to “Keith’s Blog: Where Did That Title Go?”

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