I will admit to featuring this book because Keith Martin was the emcee for the Kiawah Island Motoring Retreat this past weekend. But it isn’t pandering, it is because I honestly became interested in Keith and his collecting interests. The fact that he is restoring a Bugeye Sprite and was quite interested in the WSM Sprite at the show doesn’t hurt. For those of you who don’t know, Keith Martin is the editor OKand publisher of Sports Car Market Magazine.
Anyway, about the book. In Strange but True Tales of Car Collecting, Keith Martin and the staff of Sports Car Market Magazine recount the wildest car-collecting stories of all time, focusing on tales of the most eccentric and over-the-top collectors and collections. Have you heard of the fellow who squirreled away dozens of Chevelles, Camaros, and other classic muscle cars in semi trailers? How about the president of Shakespeare fishing rods who in the 1960s sold 30 now-priceless Bugattis for a mere $85,000? The English nobleman who cut up and buried his Ferrari horde in an elaborate insurance scam? Or how about the Duesenberg abandoned in a Manhattan parking garage for decades and uncovered by Tonight Show host Jay Leno
These are just a few of the amazing stories explored in this entertaining book, a must-have title for any car enthusiast. Both car collectors and fans of outrageous classic car, muscle car, and sports car stories will find entertainment in these tales of collectors who’ve gone off the rails.
If you are a fan of books like The Cobra in The Barn or other barn-find tales then I would highly recommend Strange but True Tales of Car Collecting. And, while you are at it, check out Sports Car Market Magazine, I always find something of value between its covers.