Car magazines

pburns

What do people read motoring-wise? I'm was a big car mag fan growing up, only an occassional peruser these days.

CAR - bought it when I was a nipper back in the '80's. It was at that stage probably the best car magazine in the world. Went to crap in the late ninties/early 00's... Improving lately.

AutoExpess - I read it in Easons occassionally... over-reliance on cringe-worthy puns... But great for news & ccoops.

Top Gear - has all the resources, all the ingredients, but somehow misses the mark. We've heard everything JC has to say at this stage. His Sunday Times articles are much better. James May is a very good writer & the most knowleggable of the Top Gear trio..

EVO - bought it once. Great writers but couldn't stand the juvenile obsession with power.

Irish mags
Car Buyers Guide. Hate this, dunno why. Glossy and boring. I remember when I was changing cars - the used price guides were WAY off the real prices I was seeing. Tries to be like the big-name British mags. Fails.

Karl Tsl...what 'is name from 'Drive' was good...he buggered off back to the US... It's still around I think but badly promoted. Always liked it.

colm_mcm

Buy auto express for the latest scoops, although I don't like the way they sensationalise and stretch out the most mundane of changes to a car, eg. the new 1 series set to get a 3 door option.

All we needed to know was that it was exactly the same as the 5 door,



Three into One does go - if you're BMW. Buyers have been snapping up the company's five-door 1-Series since its launch in 2004, but now there's a three-door model on the way, too!

Thanks to the exclusive spy shots in this week's mag, Auto Express can reveal how the newcomer will look. With its handsome lines, it should be one of the German manufacturer's most popular models when it goes on sale in 2007.

Stylists have lengthened the front doors and added a sweeping line to the C-pillar, highlighting the dramatic hockey-stick shape with chrome. This emphasises the car's coupé profile.

Chunky rear wheelarches and the steeply chopped tailgate contribute to the strong design. Like Volvo with its C30, BMW will be aiming the new 1-Series at single buyers and young couples. Thanks to those extended doors, getting in and out should be easy - certainly for those in the front.

With an identical wheelbase to the five-door, there will be the same amount of space inside. The firm isn't likely to alter the suspension settings significantly, while the front-engined, rear-drive chassis will give a smooth ride offering precise handling.

Under the bonnet, expect the same line-up as for the existing car, with a mix of 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0-litre petrols, as well as 1.8 and 2.0-litre diesels. There will also be the range-topping 261bhp 3.0-litre 130i version seen here, identified by its alloys and twin exhausts.

Prices are likely to start at around £15,500, undercutting the five-door model-for-model by around £500.
Sam Hardy



Fair enough, it fills up the magazine, but it's a bit annoying!

RobAMerc

Great thread.

Between my brother and I we probably have 50% of all of the Autocar/Motor magazines since he could read - that would be about since 1975 ish.

I still buy Autocar it is now most weeks and and even bought it when living in OZ where it was a terrible waist of money, never once not having a Ford Falcon or Hoden Commodore dual ( they seem to have a new incarnation every week of these two ).

And after 15 odd years I am some day going to even get a subscription

I'd say this could be interesting giving some of the obviously very informed opinions I read here from time to time LoL oL oL

maidhc

colm_mcm wrote:

Three into One does go - if you're BMW. Buyers have been snapping up the company's five-door 1-Series since its launch in 2004,

I thought they were selling very badly, but anyhow, OT.

I used to buy AutoExpress a fair bit, as well as what car. Now I just have a subscription to National Geographic!

When I want to read about something mechanical Classic Tractor fits the bill. Old Nuffields and Fordsons cannot be sensationalised.

fletch

Personally I would only buy AutoExpress because the rest of them are a rip off...AutoCAR sometimes.....but magazines like EVO, TopGear and CAR seem to spend more time setting the scene describing where the car is being tested and then tell you what you want to know in the last few paragraphs....I rather facts and figures than the whole "experience"

colm_mcm

Don't like the way Top Gear have their list of favourite cars and never stray from it. Jeremy Claskson Very entertaining though.

Find that Car has more fair reviews.

My missus won't let me keep old issues!

pburns

I have copies of Autocar going back to 1951!

My uncle bought them at an auction more than 20 years ago. Most are from the '70's, very interesting too see now.

Performance Car was good back in the '80's. That's where Clarkson got his start. Was assimilated into cars a few years ago. It was kinda the forerunner of EVO. Clarkson was a real 'angry young man' back in those days. I remember seeing an article where he drove a Ferrari for the first time.

colm_mcm

It's interesting to read back on "Clarkson on Cars" and other collections of his early stuff, I remember Jeremy being flown off to the Daihatsu factory, and shown around, his wide-eyed amazment at how the whole thing worked is a sharp contrast to his current angle of a man who's driven and flown billions of Euro worth of exotica

ds20prefecture

Completely agree with OP. CAR was THE magazine in the 80s. Wonderful rich articles, with excellent prose and superb detail in terms of engineering, history and specifications. The photography was second to none, and most cars got a fair innings. I remember a Bluebird vs BX vs 316i vs Cavalier vs Sierra giant test. Any photographer who can find the best angle for a bluebird deserves a blue peter badge of some sort. Llewellin, Setright, Bishop & Greene were all superb, with very different styles and areas of expertise. All but Greene are dead now, and my god it shows.

The muppet editor feels that the Crash! Bang! Wallop! style of the curly haired halfwit is worth copying and also feels that you don't need to drive a car to write an article about it. e.g. recent C6, Veyron, TT and Brera reviews. I like Jamie Kitman (the american columnist) but 50% of his articles are about his band or his politics. Stephen Bailey "Design Guru" wouldn't know a good design if it jumped up and tangoed him. Occasionally they have a good freelancer on - one of LJK Setright's last articles was a nice piece on the DS in CAR late last year.

Overall you've got a mag that is half as thick as it was with quarter the editorial content with half the quality for twice the price. There's barely an evening's read in CAR, whereas I remember re-reading the same article 3 months later. Unfortunately it's still the best out there. Thank god for the internet.

junkyard

Yes CAR is probably the best modern car magazine out there at the moment, most of the others would be the equivalent of the Star or Sun newspapers of the car magazine world. Top Gear isn't bad sometimes but there's too much advertising and who really cares what Jeromy Clarkson has to say about anything, hes an a*****le. Classic and sportscar is probably the best classic car magazine followed by practical classics if your into Morris Minors and Ford Anglia's.

pburns

Anyone remember the late Russell Bulgin who wrote for CAR?

He knew Ayrton Senna quite well. I remember an article he wrote after Senna's death. It was stunning, really moving and thought-provoking.

He tried his hand at Top Gear (the TV show - not the mag) but it didn't seem to work out.

He ended up as the 'big name' columist at Autocar before his illness struck.

Mac 3

I buy CAR regularly, my mates thoik I'm mad and reckon I should buy TG. They seem to think that the CAR articles are all about driving concept cars and top end stuff. I like the articles, but my favourite was Performance Car from the early nineties. Every month there were great articles and it never dissappointed. Great photos and great cars.

Alfasudcrazy

I too am a refugee from CAR mag to the internet basically. I don't have a 'regular' car magazine anymore and stopped buying CAR on a regular basis at the start of the 90's.

I don't think you will see the glory days of car magazines return as there are now too many other sources of information such as the internet and sat TV.

If I do happen to buy a car mag it is usually 'practical classics' - always useful info for the owner of the less exotic classics.

Johnny Storm

I still think CAR is the best but agree with the many criticisms already posted.
I also think Clarkson used to be really funny about 15 years ago but the joke has grown very stale...............

Litcagral

There's a good motoring supplement with The Daily Telegraph on a Saturday.

Silvera

My first car mag(s) were AUTO IRELAND in 1982 ...still have them;)

When I worked in the motor trade (1989-1996) I bought BUYING CARS/USED CARS religiously every month ......anybody remember this mag?? Great publication, used to love Quentin Willson's diary each month!

I also bought CAR MECHANICS every month for about 3 years ....great magazine. Just bought a copy today actually - as it says on the cover 'This magazine will save you money' !

I also by CLASSIC PLANT & MACHINERY now and again (my father worked in the Plant Hire business for most of his working life and I developed an interest in Draglines, HyMac's, etc)

And I buy CLASSIC TRACTOR & MACHINERY now and again to satisfy my 'tractor fetish'

.....I used to buy AUTOCAR mag in the 80's and have only bought TOP GEAR mag about 2-3 times.

......AUTO EXPRESS is also purchased occassionally.

Silvera.

BrianD3

Don't get me started on car mags, I was nearly evicted from my parents house for filling it up with them. I bought an awful lot of mags from about 1988-1999 and have never thrown one out. I got out of the habit of buying them in recent years due to ever increasing prices and the emergence of car stuff on the internet.

Most of mine are:
-Autoexpress
-Autocar (& Motor)
-Carweek
-Popular Classics
-Classic & Sportscar
-Classic Cars
-Practical Classics
-Classic American
-Autosport
-Motorsport

Although I have nowhere near a complete collection in any of these. I would get the mags whenever there was something of interest which was often but not every edition.

Bought Top Gear, CAR, What Car and Car Mechanics occasionally. Was never a huge fan of CAR magazine TBH. Oh and I also have a couple of editions of Jalopy magazine around somewhere, that mag was probably the most entertaining read of the lot of them

<edit> can't believe I forgot to mention Performance Car. Now that was a great mag. Clarkson and the legendary John Barker were probabky the best known writers it it.

pburns

Carweek?
This was the weekly edition of CAR. Same format as AutoExpress but a more sophisticated. Didn't last long, maybe a year.

John Barker now writes for EVO.

Anyone remember Steve Cropley as the editor of CAR? He's kinda elder statesman at Autocar now.

Silvera

Wasn't Steve Copley also editor of BUYING CARS/USED CARS magazine?

I like car mags with a mix of articles about both new and used cars ......hard to find such mags nowadays!

el tel

I've got an (almost) complete collection of Classic & Sportscar. The only missing issue is August 1982, which was the 3rd issue as far as I remember. My old man started buying it from day one and I took it over in 1997. It's a great magazine but since about the mid-90s the articles and cars have become a little repetitive and the magazine much too heavy on the advertisements. I don't think there is much that hasn't hasn't been featured over the years so the collection I have amounts to a complete car encyclopedia.

Interceptor

I have a subsciption to Intersection and I buy CAR from time to time. I used like the motoring suppliment in the Sunday Times but it is a bit boring since they localised it for the Irish market.

I have an attic full of bike mags from the early 80's and 90's - anyone want 'em?

'cptr

Fabritzo

I used to get Top Gear on a regular basis, gave up on it though, I still buy it in December for the calendar though, the poxy ads, broadband and the price stopped me buying it. I buy auto express from time to time.

MercMad

I gave up on the new car magazine years ago ! They just recycle eachother sh1te and I find it all quite annoying !

The actual value for money has reduced a lot too, loads of add at the back and/or a huge database thats repeated every month !

I tried 'em all and never really settled on one !

I subscribe to the classic car mags now, and recently gave up my subscription to Classic Cars, which I've collected for about 5 years. I got bored with its format and the fact that they seemed to splash and E-Type Jaguar one the front of it about 4 times a year !

Also I was afraid that it would become a collecting obsession, the more it went on the hard it would be to give up !

So I switched to Classic and Sportscar this year and I am enjoying it at the moment ..............quite refreshing and knowledgeable !

I also get Mercedes Enthusiast and have every one but again I am considering giving that up next year when my subscription finishes. I find it had got repetitive also and too many "tuners" cars.........wild 10,000BHP versions with big 30" wheels blah blah !
The new car information is good though, however I usually have already read about it in our own Mercedes-Benz-Club Gazette which I get every month, and contribute to, and I'll never give that up !

Maybe we should start our own Irish one ??

HashSlinging

auto excrement all the way, best read on the bog ever.