Collecting Thoughts

In early August, Barrett-Jackson announced that IMG had acquired a 55% interest in the collector-car auction company. The sale price of $261,250,000 gives Barrett-Jackson a total valuation of $475m. However, what makes this story about more than money is the strategic fit between IMG and Barrett-Jackson and how that will benefit bidders and consignors at…

The 2022 SCM 1000 AMG Invitational was born out of a phone call. About two years ago, SCM Publisher Keith Martin called me to discuss his next serial car purchase. I suggested he consider an R230 Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG. I explained that it is a near-supercar bargain, bestowed with one of the most refined AMG…

Dr. Frederick Anthony Simeone, whose extraordinary car collection featured many racing cars with Le Mans history, died on Saturday, June 11. He was 86. Fittingly, his last moments were spent at the hospital he regarded as a second home, as the 24-hour race was well underway. “Dr. Fred,” as many people called him, was a…

In my just-released book The Archaeological Automobile, I write that all restoration is fictional. What I mean is that despite the most careful effort and the most meticulous research, the resultant job will be no more than an approximation of the automobile’s lost reality. “But surely not!” I hear hundreds of SCMers cry out. “My…

You have certainly heard the adage, “Come for the cars, but stay for the people.” Our hobby is full of personalities, which often make it enjoyable. But the transactional nature of car collecting means it is unique compared to other pastimes. Nothing is so revealing of a person’s traits — for better or worse —…

“Buying and selling online has fundamentally changed the dynamics of the collector-car market. Presentation plays an essential role in this. Comprehensive photo galleries, videos that range from simple to truly inspirational, and the ease of being able to provide more photos and footage moments after a commenter’s request give buyers all the confidence necessary to…

“That’s a really valuable collector automobile.” Or, “This car will be a very important addition to a collection.” What do we really mean when we make such judgments? Whenever we go to shows, auctions, tours, and races, we hear these remarks. But have you ever wondered what goes into making a car important or valuable,…

Luftgekühlt is a one-day car show — of sorts — only for air-cooled Porsches. From afar, it appears as an “in-crowd, secret-handshake” event meant only for the most socially well-connected Porsche owners. The 2021 edition was held nearby in Indianapolis, IN, in September. My son Max got the bug to go, so I went along…

The 2021 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance played host to a special class of Porsche 917 race cars. That this gathering — 50 years after the 917’s overall win at Le Mans in 1971 — would occur there, rather than in the paddock of some storied racing circuit, is significant. We spoke with Revs Institute founder…

I am obsessed with the Mille Miglia, so when I was pondering my next collector car, I set my sights on a ’50s-era Italian sports car. Immediately, I ran into a chicane: The top-tier cars were far north of my $150,000 budget. My search downshifted and I began chasing a few Stanguellinis, Bandinis and other…