We are gearing up for our annual Caravan to Concorso.
Run “cowboy-style” as tribute to Martin Swig’s love of irreverent motoring, we know only a few things for sure.
Everyone is welcome, but sports cars are preferred. There are no entry fees or route books. You’ll get an SCM hat and a sticker.
Some of us will leave the Portland area the morning of Saturday, August 7. Others may join at convenient points along the route. We will cut over to the Oregon Coast around Bandon.
We expect to spend Saturday night in Eureka, CA. After that we plan to head through Fortuna and drive along the Lost Coast. We won’t miss The Trees of Mystery, Paul and Babe and the Drive-Thru Tree.
Sunday night will be spent in Novato, CA. We will wait for the morning traffic to clear on Monday, then all go our separate ways. Some back home, and some on to Monterey.
We will make rudimentary food and lodging plans. Unlike a Land Rover tour, you will not be expected to provide a propane stove. Starbucks is more our style on this event.
It’s a free-for-all, the exact opposite of the “all-inclusive from your low-fat latte in the morning to your after-dinner cognac” SCM 1000 tours.
This being SCM, the most heated discussion around our virtual water cooler is what car should I drive?
I have to decide between the 1971 Jaguar E-type, the 1991 Porsche 928 and the 2004 Mercedes SL 55 AMG. SCM Executive Editor Jeff Sabatini and Senior Editor Rory Jurnecka will probably pilot the SCM 1967 Duetto.
If you were me, would it be the Jag, the Porsche or the Benz you would slide behind the wheel of? And why would you pick that car?
If you’d like to be put on the C to C list for updates, please email [email protected].
I look forward to your comments and suggestions.
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2004 Mercedes-Benz SL 55 AMG -
1971 Jaguar E-type V12 -
1967 Alfa Romeo Duetto. Your choice of colors so long as it is red. -
1991 Porsche 928 and the Drive-Through Tree
Keith – I vote for the Jag, but you know I’m a little biased.
Mark Campbell (AKA “the seller”)
The Jag, for no other reason than I’m also biased!
Make it 3, though I’d prefer a Series I or II
I’d take the Porsche. Given your description of it, it seems like a good car for the job. On the other hand, the top goes down on the Mercedes… but is the Mercedes still too new to give a sense of adventure to the trip?
The Benz. August on the Oregon Coast………..top down!
Keith.
Remember there are few tow companies on this route ….drive a reliable car, like your MB 55….
Plus the comfort is critical ….!
See you there !
Take the Merc
The visual of the drive lends itself to “top down” driving the MB but the visceral part of driving a sports car on the chosen route says Jag.
The Benz is too new, the 928 too conventional in that venue. The Jag belongs. Classic lines, honest mostly original car and not pretentious for that event. Willing to bet it would be easier to find in a parking lot than any red Ferrari at Concorso. Hopefully you have the cooling system ready for traffic jams!
Somehow, the ’71 Jaguar E-Type speaks to me. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because it’s THE sexiest car on Earth, and the one I would choose for just about any touring event.
Take the 928 since in your previous posts you have mentioned that you have not yet fully come to bond with the car.
This trip will let you know whether you’ll love it, or maybe just liked the idea of it and it moves on…
For looks the Jag. For comfort the Mercedes. But the Porsche offers a little bit of both.
So, for the pleasure of driving Hwy 1 the 928!
Ahhh…
Even though the Benz is pure vanilla, I would choose it simply to be able to drop the top.
Kindly we would suggest a test run on the Lost Coast before taking the E Jag out there. We drove, bumped, bottomed our SUV on this road from Ferndale to the site of the old lighthouse, then turned around. It would take the better part of a full day to do this side route. Perhaps your Land Rover would be best if you want to take this spectacular road.
While the Jaguar is sexy choice, you know in your heart of hearts that either the Porsche or the Mercedes is the wisest.
It’s gotta be the 928. The E type is too old, the sl is too new but the 928 is just right.
Besides, I’ll be trailing you in our 911 and it’s picture perfect to see Porsche’s on a road trip.
Actually, you can’t make a wrong call from that crowd. Can’t wait!
Steve from Seattle
The Jag because you can’t go wrong with iconic styling. If the Porsche was a pre-1974 911, that would be my primary vote.
The Jag, I think the whole world is biased.
My choice is the SL. Hard to beat the fun with that one!
928 all the way! It will carve up those turns better than either the Merc or the Jag.
However, the Merc IS a droptop.
The Jaugar would be the first and only choice for me…
If only for the photo of it coming out, the giant redwood…
I would take the 928. Then bring it to the Porsche show. 928 has the right combo of nimble handling, good brakes, and decent reliability for the Lost Coast.
I had to laugh at Keith Martin’s comment about Martin Swig’s “cowboy style” comment and “love of irreverent motoring”. Having worked with him for a number of years at the San Francisco Autocenter, we would embark, on early Friday afternoons to La Feche restaurant in North Beach for a late lunch and of course prodigious amount of wine. The entourage usually included his service director Michel Caboor, myself and whomever could grab a seat and fit in whatever Alfa Romeo he chose to drive there. “Drive there” is an understatement when Martin got behind the wheel, as we traversed San Francisco streets in more than record time to the restaurant, certainly a white knuckle experience, and yes….”cowboy style”. The return, now satiated with a great lunch and probably too much wine, we all abandoned our sense of mortality, and enjoyed a rather interesting return to the dealership. Martin was a superb driver, and we all live to reminisce and talk about it today.
Tough choices- all! Will the Jag make it that far? The 928 is a comfortable cruiser and probably needs the exercise. The SL offers top-down fun. How’s you back? The 928 and SL offer much better seats! I vote for the topless SL!