“A gearhead, Jeff's irrational bouts of car ownership and refurbishment have included some 35 vehicles,” said Martin, “from a 1971 Buick LeSabre convertible he bought at 16, to a 1985 Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia he Subaru-engine-swapped, to the 2000 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG he recently acquired for our SCM 1000 AMG Invitational.
“Jeff has brought tremendous energy along with industry-seasoned insight to SCM,” Martin continued. “During the past two years, the magazine has achieved a new level of professionalism, with better writing, design and innovative approaches to thoughtful reportage. SCM membership is at new heights, and support from advertisers has never been better.”
“Rejoining SCM two years ago was an incredible homecoming,” said Sabatini. “Producing those first few issues of the magazine was like putting on a favorite pair of running shoes. I am really looking forward to seeing how the collector car world evolves through this generational change we're now experiencing, and continuing to reflect those changes in SCM's coverage of the market.
“With so many Next Gen collector cars — the cars I grew up with — finally getting their due, and the recent rise of online auctions and other technologies that impact the hobby, these are really exciting times.”
As editor-in-chief, Sabatini will assume a greater role in decision making for all aspects of SCM, from membership to social media and digital enterprises to SCM 1000 tours. “He will continue to challenge us to be forward-looking, ensuring that SCM remains the definitive publication of the collector-car world,” added Martin.