Blogs
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Meteor Strikes the 2016 Arizona Concours
One-hundred eighty-seven miles north of the Arizona Biltmore is Meteor Crater, one mile wide and 570 feet deep. When the meteorite hit the earth, some 50,000 years ago, it impacted with an estimated force equivalent to 2½ million tons of TNT. At 3 p.m. last Sunday, another meteor was observed — but this one’s impact was visual, not physical.…
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How Perfect Should the Volvo Amazon Be?
SCM’s 1967 Volvo 122S has finally returned home after relaxing for a couple of months in the care of Swedish Relics, Volvo expert Cameron Lovre’s new shop. I had Lovre do a few things that, strictly speaking, weren’t necessary for the car to be driven, but that were necessary for me to be able to enjoy the car. I’ve spent more…
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Jim’s Blog: Save Your VINs
Classic cars come and go. Buying and selling is just a part of gearhead life. But what do you do when regret sets in, maybe years after signing that bill of sale, and a little voice in your head convinces you that you’ve got to have that old car back? We’ve all been through…
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The Drive Home
Three vintage cars departed LeMay — America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, WA on December 27 and immediately headed into multiple winter snow storms. The 1957 Chevrolet Nomad, the ‘61 Chrysler 300G and the ‘66 Ford Mustang — all in shiny red — were on a 2,900-mile road trip that would take them across America to Detroit. The…
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Across Mount Hood in a Vintage Rover
Driving old cars turns trips into adventures. That’s exactly what happened over the New Year’s weekend when I took the SCM 1984 Land Rover Defender 90 across Mount Hood to a friend’s house near Sunriver, Oregon. It’s about 180 miles, and in a modern car not a particularly challenging trip. However, combine sub-freezing weather conditions, snow…
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What My Cars Want For the Holidays: Part 2
Last week I shared what the 1958 Alfa Romeo Sprint Veloce, 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider Veloce, 1984 Land Rover D90, 1967 Volvo Amazon, 2000 Dodge Viper GTS ACR and 2001 Porsche 911 Turbo had on their wish lists. Here’s what the rest of the gang asked for: From your 1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale: I’m your sexiest car, and…
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What the SCM Cars Want For the Holidays: Part 1
For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been finding little notes folded up on my desk. Some are written in cursive, others in block letters. They all have one thing in common – they are being composed by the cars in the SCM collection. Of course, all the cars asked for some seat time. My…
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Jim’s Blog: The Best Buys of 2015
The new year is just a few days away, and 2016’s Scottsdale auctions aren’t far behind. But before we move into reporting on the new year’s market, it’s time to take a look at some of what I think were the best buys at auction in 2015. ACC includes a list of our five Best…
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Making the SCM Volvo Amazon Better Than New
This saga illustrates how much time and energy an old car can cost you — even when it’s solid when you buy it. My 1967 Volvo 122S came from Volvo P1800 racer and retired academic Jim Perry. He had combined the rebuilt drive train of one car with the very nice body and interior of another. I purchased it…
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Keith’s Blog: La Dolce Vita in Modena
Today, I’d like to share this space with Mark Wigginton, a veteran SCM writer — I’m sure you’ve enjoyed his “Speaking Volumes” column. Wigginton recently traveled to Modena, Italy for a visit with Pierangelo Masselli of Modena Classic Works. Take it away, Mark… So, when the boss says, “Can you go look at some vintage…