Keith Martin’s Adventures

Which brings us to the 2006 Lotus Elise. I think it now shows just over 21,000 miles. Based upon the recommendation of former SCM contributor Michael Duffey, I specifically wanted a 2006, with its better seat padding, LED taillights and drive by wire. I went on the hunt for it after riding with SCM’s Legal…

No matter how I try to manage my collection, I seem to end up with eight to 10 cars. I sell three and I still have 10. It’s a mystery. Where do I park them? Luckily, three or four always seem to be in a shop somewhere. (Free storage!) I will rue the day when…

Car shows large and small are just reasons to make memories. This past weekend I attended the Oregon Festival of Cars. It’s held in Bend, OR, about 165 miles from Portland. Organized by SCM Legal Files author John Draneas, along with his wife Carlyn, Ed and Barb Grayson of Consolidated Auto Works (who take care…

Here’s part three of the ongoing update of the SCM Fleet. In Part One, we discussed the coming and going of the 1965 Volvo 122S automatic. There just was not enough engine to make up for the archaic Borg Warner autobox. The 1971 V12 Jag coupe has plenty of power, so this cat stays. I…

Last week (https://www.sportscarmarket.com/blogs/keith-martin/keiths-blog-car-knitting-scm-style-part-one ) we discussed the coming and going of the 1965 Volvo 122S auto, the arrival of the 1971 Jaguar V12 E-type coupe and why the 1991 Porsche 928 S4 just wasn’t the right car for me. I then noted how our 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG has the feel of a long-timer keeper.…

The past three years have been a non-stop series of car adventures, one after the other. Unable to drive a manual-shift car since my stroke, I’ve pivoted and started exploring cars with automatic gearboxes. While my entire life I have looked at these two-pedal cars with disdain, my life has changed and my choice has…

Monterey Car Week exuded the vibes of automotive passion back in full swing. Even 700 miles away at SCM World Headquarters in Portland, the energy was apparent. Unofficial auction results totaled more than $460m, besting 2015’s previous high of $394m. SCM had a full team on site, led by Executive Editor Jeff Sabatini. From the…

A few weeks ago, at the conclusion of this year’s SCM 1000 Tour, SCM Publisher Keith Martin announced that the theme for the 2023 edition would be Cars of Germany. Precisely one millisecond later, his network of enablers started passing along leads. After a few false starts, SCMer Ron Rader connected Keith with award-winning restorer…

The Check Engine light came on again on the SCM 2000 Land Rover Discovery II. (You might ask if they ever actually stay out.) When I asked our Rover guru, Doug Shipman of Ship’s Mechanical about it, he suggested I get a code reader. “Once I see what code it’s throwing, we can proceed with…

We’re shuffling the SCM collection (menagerie?) again. Our 1971 Citroën DS21 Pallas has been an extraordinary car. Since we bought it last August, we have put 1,500 miles on it. Most recently it completed the SCM 1000 without any issues. It was driven by Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance Founder Bill Warner and SCM Contributor Ken…