Keith Martin

Eight years ago, my daughter Alex (then 17) and I were trying to get up the Hog’s Back Hillclimb in our 1973 Land Rover SIII 88. My off-roading skills were rudimentary. I attacked the hill with too much speed and tried to muscle my way up. I got hung up on some rocks near the…

I’m just back from a visit to the High Desert Museum. Located in Bend, Oregon, about 150 miles from Portland, it’s a jewel. It’s true to its location, the desert, and to its mission, which is to help us understand the ecosystem of Central Oregon’s high desert — and the colorful history of the area.…

Last week I took the SCM Giulia Super out for an afternoon drive. There was light rain and the roads were wet — but not slick. I drove out Oregon Highway 30 towards Scappoose, and then took the turn off to Sauvie Island, a bucolic island in the Columbia River. The highway is a gently…

Should we really take our kids in our old cars? I got word last week that Chip Star’s Race Car Resurrections, the shop that has Bradley’s 1960 Bugeye, located a 3.7 rear end and was rebuilding it. Stock ratio was 4.22, and 3.9s are common. So scoring a 3.7 was a find. However, the installation…

“I fussed around, tried to get clever and missed my chance to buy the Cobra Daytona Coupe at $4m. And I’ll never get another chance at it. ” Miles Collier was telling the attendees of the SCM Insider’s Seminar at Hilton Head about “The One That Got Away.” This was my third time attending the…

Every gathering of car owners is different. They range from the rarified atmosphere of Pebble Beach, to the chaotic exuberance of Concorso Italiano, to the “run-what-you-brung” of a local Cars and Coffee. I’ve been trying to get to the EURO Auto Festival for a decade. Founder and executive director Paul Ianuario and I have worked together…

It’s been awhile since I’ve found myself on the side of the road — and on my back under a disabled classic. When I found out that Timberline Lodge, on Oregon’s Mount Hood, was hosting an annual “Comedy Night” I thought the D90 would be the perfect rig to get me there. My co-host of…

While 100-mph hurricane winds lashed the eastern seaboard, just 300 miles away 200 classic cars sat serenely on the 18th Fairway of the Chateau Elan Golf Course in Braselton, GA. For the week leading up to the inaugural Atlanta Concours d’Elegance, I anxiously checked the forecast, watching as Hurricane Matthew moved inexorably north and west.…

The classic-car touring frenzy of August and September has come to an end. As the temperatures drop, it’s time to assess the condition of the cars in the SCM collection. We’ll perform automotive triage to decide which cars need attention right now — and which can wait their turn. Three of the SCM cars are…

Great car shows don’t happen by accident. The ingredients that go into a successful car event are similar all over the world. You need a good location, great cars and a thoughtful, hard-working team to pull it all together. Bend, Oregon is located 162 miles south and east of Portland, Oregon. With a population of…