Come See the SCM Gang at the Forest Grove Concours

SCM Weekly Insider: July 12, 2011

Vol. 6, #27

SCM at the Forest Grove Concours d'Elegance

Come say hi to the SCM gang at the Forest Grove Concours d'Elegance, on Sunday, July 17, on the campus of Pacific University in Forest Grove, just outside Portland. Publisher Martin will once again emcee the event, along with Donald Osborne, while SCM staffers man the booth. Keep your eyes on our Twitter and Facebook pages during the event, as we'll be offering spur-of-the-moment promotions to SCMers in attendance.

Mecum This Weekend and Transparent "Ghost Car" at RM

This weekend, Mecum holds their annual Des Moines auction. The featured consignment is a custom 1955 Chevy, with 572-ci crate engine, 4-speed, and a/c. At this sale last year, 383 cars crossed the block, with most hammering sold in the $10k-$30k price range. Click here for more.

Among the star cars at RM's upcoming St. John's auction (formerly known as Meadow Brook), is a transparent 1939 Pontiac Deluxe Six, bodied in Plexiglass and known as the "Ghost Car." The event, held in conjunction with the Concours d'Elegance of America, will take place July 30 on the grounds of The Inn at St. John's. Click here for more.

Keith's Corner: Vintage Cars Come In and Vintage Cars Go Out

The SCM garage sale continues. Our Volvo 544 has gone to a new home in Mexico, the Guzzi is going to Seattle, and the white '74 MGB has gone to Los Angeles.

This week we've got our daily-driver, extremely original Mercedes 219 with a 220S engine on eBay, along with the 1974 MGB-GT, the best driving of all the MGBs. Follow the above links to see the listings.

The newest addition to the SCM collection, aka menagerie, is the ex-Colleen Rugh 1967 GTV. Restored by her husband Dave 25 years ago, it's a car that I have admired for decades. It has a complete Rugh suspension, and a mild 1750-cc engine. It is far and away the best-driving Alfa I have ever had the chance to steer down the road.

And our 1984 D90 Turbo Diesel got a real workout this past weekend in Tillamook State Forest, going with the hardcore gang from the Pacific Coast Rover Club. The rig was terrific, the diesel providing most of its power near idle and letting me just crawl up the double-black-diamond trails.

This weekend, it's Forest Grove Concours time, and SCM will be well represented by our award-winning 1964 Nova Wagon, the 1965 Giulia Spider Veloce, the Alfa GTV and the Defender 90. Donald Osborne and I are the emcees, and we look forward to seeing you there. Click any of the thumbnails to view this week's photo gallery.

eBay Motors Double Play: "Road to Reno" 1974 MG BGT Coupe

This 1974 BGT coupe made the 1,200-mile "Road to Reno" round trip without a hitch, and it came to be the favored car of the bunch. Work done in preparation for the trip included front brake calipers, hoses, brake pads, tailgate seals, seat cushions, fuel sender, ignition switch assembly, heater valve, speedometer, tires, and more. It is now a very well- sorted driver. Decades of documentation include British Heritage certification. See the listing here.

1959 Mercedes-Benz 219

This 1959 "Ponton" retains an all-original interior and much original paint with abundant patina. It is a Euro-issue car with an unusual horn ring-operated turn signal, and the uprated, dual-carb 220S engine makes for comfortable freeway driving. It has all been thoroughly mechanically gone over down to the rebuilt clock. See the listing here.

SCM Monterey Seminar and Insider's Guide

Monterey car week is just a month away, and the pooled resources of SCM are at your disposal. Our panel of experts will present their annual Insider's Seminar on the state of the market--and make their recommendations in four price ranges: $100k and under, $100k to $750k, $750k to $2m, and $2m and up. Seating is limited, so click here to register.

Once you've signed up for the seminar, click here to read our 2011 Insider's Guide. It's jammed with tips from Monterey veterans on where to eat, where to sleep, where to park, and more. You can view it online with our page-turning software or download to your mobile device.

Cover Survey Results

Nearly 1,400 of you responded to last week's cover survey, and the results are clear. Cover #1, the 1964 Alfa Romeo TZ coupe, garnered 724 votes (51.8%), for first place. Cover #3, the 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder, earned a little more than half that, with 428 votes (30.6%), good enough for second place. And Cover #2, the 1958 AC Ace roadster, came in third, with 213 votes (15.2%). Now watch to see what Art Director Jeff Stites picked as his cover. The paper magazine arrives in early August, and digital subscribers will have it about a week before that.

More Classic Cars Available at eBay Motors

Every week, SCM will bring you a collection of vintage cars and four project cars currently for sale at eBay Motors. Don't get sniped! Place your bids today.

1967 Maserati Ghibli GT

1985 Aston Martin Lagonda

1964 Rolls-Royce
Silver Cloud III

1957 Porsche 356 "Beehive" Speedster

1972 Saab 96

1961 Triumph
TR4A Project

1971 Land Rover
Series IIA Safari Wagon

1972 Honda Z600 Restoration

None of these cars tickle your fancy? Check out the restored, vintage, and collector cars currently available on eBay Motors.

SCM Videos Of The Week: Isetta Hijinks

Onto the Flatbed

(With a Little Help)

Driving the Mille Miglia

This Week's Poll Question

Last year's Monterey sales generated $172m in sales. What do you think this year's total will be?

Click on the link above to answer this week's poll question! Click here for results from previous week's polls.

Free Classic Car Guide Mobile App

The Classic Car Guide, created by the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies and Sports Car Market, is like having a collector car Wikipedia at your fingertips, and it's totally free. Click to get the app for your Android-based phone, iPhone, or iPad.