Passions and opinions run deep in the world of sports cars. To the many, many people who emailed me their suggestions as to whether the next addition to the SCM stable should be an Alfa Berlina, a BMW 2002 tii “roundie” or a Volvo P1800, I thank you.
Just when I thought I had settled on an 1800, a subscriber from Colorado opined that the one-year-only 1995 Audi S6 was better than all three of the older cars combined. Turbocharged, five cylinders, all-wheel drive, locking diff heated rear seats, what more could anyone want? I’m not fluent in modern cars but look forward to reading your blog comments on this one.
As far as the older cars go, a few sentiments resonated particularly strongly: “The Alfa looks like the tissue box the other cars came in. Nothing beats the sound or the handling, everything else beats the appearance and lack of reliability. You’ve already got two Alfas, get something else.”
“You’ll never be happier than when you wind out the tii and scoot away from the competition. Not much of a looker, but comfortable and easy to live with. Best updated with a 5-speed from a 320i. At the end of the day, just one more BMW.”
“Who would ever brag about owning a Swedish car? Drivetrain sourced from a tractor. Goofball looks. Terrific reliability.”
Keith’s Blog: What’s Next – P1800, 2002 tii or Berlina?
Christmas is approaching, and I’m wondering what to get SCM to celebrate the holidays. In the past few months, we’ve sold our Series III Land Rover 88, our Volvo 544 and all three of our MGBs. Our Mercedes Ponton went away as well, but through mishap rather than planning.
So it’s time to think about what to add to the SCM collection. Topping the list of my current first choices are an early, pre-1968 Volvo P1800, a roundie BMW 2002tii or a euro-spec Alfa 1750 Berlina. I think decent driver examples of each can be found under $15,000 and should provide entertainment for the coming winter months.
Keith’s Blog: Sensory Bombardment at SEMA
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 is no amount of mental preparation for such a massive event. You could walk for three days non-stop and still not see it all—which is exactly what the SCM team did. It’s an industry-only event focused on aftermarket parts, and you have to either be buying something, selling something, or a member of the media to score a ticket. In addition to repping SCM, we handed out promotional materials for our new title American Car Collector. The magazine was very well received, and we returned home eager to put the finishing touches on the first issue, slated to hit mailboxes and newsstands by the end of the month. Here are a few shots from our trip.
Keith’s Blog: Our 25th Anniversary
Our January issue, which ships to the printer in a couple of weeks, will mark the beginning of our 25th year of publishing Sports Car Market. The 1960 MGA that was 27 years old in 1987, when we began, is now 52. In 1987, chances are it was very, very worn out, or “gently used” at best. At that time, “restoring” an MGA or almost any inexpensive car meant giving it a paint job (more often than not an imperfect color change to red), doing a quickie rebuild (avoiding new pistons and turning the crank if at all possible) and finding a nice JC Whitney seat cover kit.
Keith’s Blog: The SCM Fleet Settles in for Winter
The SCM Isetta which so nobly sacrificed itself in Monterey is at the shop, and the initial diagnosis looks quite bleak. Watch this space for updates as we learn more. “Rangie,” our a1984 Range Rover, is in good running order and will be ready for the mud and snow as soon as winter tires are on. Rangie’s stablemate, the Defender 90, is doing well but will sit neglected until my foot sufficiently recovers from surgery to manage the third pedal.
Keith’s Blog: Looking for the Perfect Road Trip Car Under $10,000
As we settle into winter, we’ve started thinking about next year — and the next road trip. We invite your suggestions for the next under $10,000 road trip — both for vehicles and destinations.
I’ve been kicking around driving C4 Corvettes from Portland, OR to Anchorage. 1992-1996 only, with the 6-speed gearbox (or auto) and the magnificent LT1 engine. I’ve actually done this once before in a 1992 coupe, and what a terrific drive. That time, I was lucky enough to have a friend fly up to Anchorage and drive the Corvette home — it’s a long enough road one way, it would be crazy to do it both ways.
Keith’s Blog: The Corvair I Let Get Away
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 automatic of some novel flavor.
The search narrowed to either a Corvair or an XJ6. My friends don’t really understand the Corvair, but they also don’t have any objections to it. With the XJ6, however, they overwhelmingly tell me I’m nuts. I respond to them, “But I’ve never owned a car with built-in picnic tables before.”
A local Craigslist advertisement caught my eye – a 1960 Corvair (first year!), four-door, auto, 32k original miles, original paint and interior, $5,500. Pricey, but worth a look. I had my operation on Thursday, my pain med intake had slackened by Sunday, and I was out on the hunt.
Keith’s Blog: Cars and Carousels
Then it was down to Boca Raton, FL for more T.V. work. We’re working on a new series called Million Dollar Collections, and on this trip we took an in-depth look at the Milhouse Collection. The unique collection features an incredible array of mechanical musical instruments, carousels, and automobilia on a massive scale. RM will offer items from the Collection in February.
Keith’s Blog: Hard Hat and High Heels at the LeMay
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 will be an “everyman’s” car museum, where cars representing all facets of production will be featured, from the most mundane Chevrolet Sedans to the most exotic Lotus Formula cars. The museum is in a perfect location, just off of I-5 in Tacoma, next to the Tacoma Dome.
I came prepared to be impressed, but even my high expections were exceeded. I was overwhelmed by the sheer magnificence of the structure and the generosity of the attending crowd. Over $550,000 was raised Saturday night alone, showing that even in these complicated times, the car community is willing to open its wallets for a cause that matters.
Keith’s Blog: A Plastic Fantastic Weekend in Effingham
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 sports car. At Mike Yager’s 18th annual Funfest in Illinois, I can unabashedly wrap my ass in fiberglass for three glorious days.
Unlike some snooty events (I’m sorry, I meant exclusive), Funfest is open to all Corvettes, from pure stock to personalized to resto-mod to outrageous. What the owners have in common is their passion for their thundering beasts.