I remember clearly when I decided to launch the Alfa Romeo Market Letter. It was 1988, and the market was beginning to heat up. I had recently left my day job as a manager of Ron Tonkin’s Gran Turismo in Portland, OR, where I sold Ferraris, Maseratis, Alfa Romeos and […]

As this is our December issue, it’s the right time to reflect on the past 12 months, and to project forward into 2013.

Sports Car Market is by design a reflective magazine; we report on sales and events that have happened, and analyze and comment on them. Our world is large and all-inclusive, as we imagine yours is. You’ll find us at the most exclusive catalog auctions — as well as sales where decrepit trucks are sold by the pound.

What all of us at SCM — subscribers, contributors and staff — have in common is a delight in old cars, from their brilliant styling to their misguided mechanicals. We glory in their imperfections, we swap tales about how they let us down, and we believe that after reading Thor Thorson’s latest encomium about an Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 or Porsche 917/10, we have become instant experts on the subject — of course!

But SCM’s primary focus has always been the market. What’s selling, where, for how much, and why. We continue to be the only magazine that offers firsthand reports from trained analysts, with exclusive photos, chassis numbers, hands-on descriptions and informed analysis. You can expect even more in the future, as our Platinum database is revved up to accept multiple photos, videos and direct feeds from the auction houses for upcoming sales.

Our Executive Editor, Chester Allen, is a dedicated surfer. He tells me there is a moment when a paddling surfrider catches the pulse of energy traveling through the water, pops up on the board and starts the ride — accelerating effortlessly as he becomes part of a wave.

This year, every auction house in Monterey had its own waves. Some bigger than others, some faster than others, and some breaking sooner or later than others. And on the face of every wave were bidders, in fierce competition, racing each other to be the last man standing when the wave crashed to shore — and stepping onto the beach as the new owner of the car of their dreams.

  Fifty years ago, Bob Russell was driving home from work when a flashy red sports car caught his eye. “I had been thinking that we needed a second car, and my wife needed to learn to drive a stick,” Russell, 84, said. “So I just bought it.” He brought […]

Here at SCM, we like to maintain two simultaneous views of the collector world, with one seen through a long-range spotting scope, and the other viewed through close-range binoculars. For example, in the short-term viewfinder, the sale of a 250 GTO for $35m is a breathtaking escalation of the value […]

We expect instant gratification from our computers. Type in “How many times have Ferraris won at Le Mans?” “Nine,” Wikipedia answers instantly. How many Corvettes have been sold since 1953? More than 1.3m, you learn after a few keystrokes. What’s the current wheel-driven land speed record over one mile? You’re […]

In the course of a year, I attend at least 30 car shows, ranging from the Beaches Cruisin at Portland International Raceway to maximus supremo, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Despite wildly varying locations, audiences and car offerings, I have come to recognize that the shows have more in common […]

  Whether it’s a cheap car or a million-dollar one, some elements of the buying decision are the same. And sometimes, even though a car is priced right and is in excellent condition — in fact, it is just what you have been looking for — saying no and walking […]

“To Infinity, and Beyond!” That’s how I felt as I left Scottsdale, AZ, where 2,694 cars had crossed the block, and headed to Kissimmee, FL, where another 2,326 consigned vehicles were looking to find new owners. For 25 years, attending the January auctions in Scottsdale has been a fixture in […]