Keith Martin’s Adventures

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, in that case, here is the pictorial equivalent of 25,000 words, which is still not sufficent to describe the sprawling acreage of automotive sensory bombardment that is SEMA. It wasn’t our first time at the annual Specialty Equipment Market Association trade show, but there really…

When the busy season of summer driving events draws to a close, the comings and goings of the SCM garage subsists mostly of visits to and from various shops. The 1967 Alfa Romeo GTV is finally getting its door repaired this week, after a passing cyclist dented it while parked this summer. We were also able…

Our Road to Reno trip in three 1974 MGBs last summer was a great success. In addition to the scenery and the camaraderie, we learned that for under $10,000 you can have a fun, reliable vintage sports car. As we settle into winter, we’ve started thinking about next year — and the next road trip.…

As my Facebook friends are already aware, I had a foot operation last week that will keep me driving automatics only for the next couple of months. Which, coupled with the fact that we have a four-year-old who needs to ride in a car seat, made this the perfect opportunity to look for a four-door…

It’s been another frenetic week far from home. First we flew to Pennsylvania for Auctions America by RM’s Fall Carlisle sale, where we filmed for What’s My Car Worth. The cars were excellent, but the highlight of my time in PA might have been the Boiling Springs Tavern, owned by SCMer Geoff Keith. (I recommend…

Saturday night was a game-changer for car collectors. The long-awaited LeMay—America’s Car Museum had a preview party for 650 guests. While the building isn’t scheduled to be finished for another few months, the “Hard Hat and High Heels” party showcased the facility, and I can say this: It is impressive. In many ways, the LeMay…

16,000 Corvettes. That’s just about 128,000 cylinders – and these aren’t your puny little thimble-sized European cylinders. These are the size of wine bottles. One of the pleasures of being publisher of our sister publication, Corvette Market, is that a few times each year I get to immerse myself completely in the world of America’s…

We’re just back from the 9th Annual Kirkland Concours, and my 8th as morning host and co-emcee with Ed Herrmann for the awards ceremony. The weather was sunny, and in fact a record-breaking high temperature in the 90s was recorded. If I’d swathed myself in Saran Wrap under my sportcoat and tie, I surely could…

We finished our first day of shooting at Auctions America by RM in Auburn,Indiana, and for me it was a typical love-fest of driving old cars. During the day, I got the chance to evaluate and drive a 1966 Shelby GT350H with just 20 miles on a fresh restoration (oddly heavy steering, high idle (1,200 rpms), spongy brakes,…