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i found an ancient copy of 'practical mechanics' at the dentist the other day. is it still about? i've only got a tesco, our 'propper' newsagents went years ago.
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I think Aurocar is still pretty good and not unlike what it's always been.
Auto Express seems to rely too much on computer graphics of what they think a new model might look like.
Car Magazine I went off ages ago as it is rather sniffy and the writers brag nonchalently about breaking speed limits as though it's their right to do so.
Top Gear magazine - I've never even bothered to look at!
As a Land Rover Enthusiast I used to have Land Rover Owner magazine but when I gave up the Landie I stopped having the mag. The problem is there is only so much you can say about Land Rovers without repeating yourself - but amazingly there are still 4 competing Land Rover mags, I think.
The lorry magazines are less interesting than they used to be because the content is largely: Scania, Volvo, Scania, Volvo, Scania, Volvo, Scania, Volvo, Iveco, Volvo....!
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don't forget the odd daf.
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Don't think these magazines have any relevancy in today's internet era.
Off topic: Readers' Digest filed for bankruptcy protection.
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I notice the Daily Telegraph's Saturday motoring section has become decidedly thin.... getting a little tired I would say.
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I guess it depends on whether you are looking for the more technical mags or the car-review-general mags. I used to be a regular reader of "Car" back in its golden age of the 1970/80s. If the names mean anything, the editor was Mel Nichols and writers included LJK Setright, Ian Fraser, Ronald Barker. Setright was the man who came across like he had a degreee in advanced mechanical engineering (maybe he actually did) but you felt here was someone who really knew what he was talking about when he commented on a car. Some of his pieces were like a PhD thesis, but I learned stuff I still remember to this day.
The standard of writing in that mag stood out from all the others at the time. It looked different, and it was written in a different way. For its day, it was really classy.
I've actually still got a dozen or so examples of "Car" from that era. Just taking a random glance through a few, and I'm seeing full-page adverts for a Vauxhall Chevette, or for a Chrysler Alpine. A half page advert for new Ladas at £1665. A giant test between a Renault 14, Mazda 323, and a Mk 1 Golf. And in those days alot of the adverts and photos were still only in black and white.
They used to do a feature called The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly where they summarised every car available at that time. Brutally honest. Sample entry for the Morris Marina reads....For - Performance, room...Against - Everything else utterly appalling.... Sum up - Embarrassment.
Some of the manufacturers (especially British Leyland) didn't like them at all.
I had "Car" regularly from the late 1970s to the early 90s when it became a glossy boy-racer mag looking like all the others. I still buy an occasional car mag, but I've never been a regular subscriber again to anything
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They used to do a feature called The Good The Bad and The Ugly where they summarised every car available at that time. Brutally honest. Sample entry for the Morris Marina reads....For - Performance room...Against - Everything else utterly appalling.... Sum up - Embarrassment.
Yes, they still have the GBU, and they're still just as scathing!
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pathetic is the word you were looking for ff
and motorbikes to the front
guess they are trying to clutch at some new readers that scan the paper in a newsagents eh
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Agree broadly with the general 'they're carp' sentiments expressed. I find & sieve most of the interesting/informative stuff googling or on here - the estimable NC being a good source here, for example, of techy stuff.
I buy car mags out of idle curiosity mostly & the odd glee that shiny pictures of shiny cars in print can still bring. The writing, testing & descriptions (even for a layman like me..) appear peppered with inconsistency, error & cliche.
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>Off topic: Readers' Digest filed for bankruptcy protection.
Oh heck!
Does that mean I won't be able to brag in the pub that I'm one of only ten houses in my postcode given the chance to win £100K if I return their offer in the "YES" envelope?
Kevin...
PS. Wasn't it Motor Sport that used to have detailed cutaway drawings of engine internals? I can remember a review from my youth that had some excellent drawings of the 512BB engine.
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I never look at the modern mags now. I occasionally get Practical Classics...had them from the start but gave up some years ago. It's quite good for looking at abandoned
' finds ', classified spare parts and tool comparisons.
The Automobile is good if you're into pre-war. I find all the rest just a big ego trip for contributors and page designers. I complained to one of the bike mags when they printed the second page of an interesting article over a full page colour photo of a biker out in the country with his knee down. They actually apologised in the next issue.
Two mags from 30 odd years ago were the excellent Old Motor and Vintage Commercial.......both ceased with the death of their owner, Prince Marshall, who was instrumental in saving one of the famous Paris single deckers.
IMO, the best magazine I get is the Railway Magazine, informative from start to finish with good pictures and no fancy graphics......a lesson for many car mags !
Ted
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Does that mean I won't be able to brag in the pub that I'm one of only ten houses in my postcode given the chance to win £100K if I return their offer in the "YES" envelope
Not only returning the 'YES' envelope, but returning it to the 'YES!!!' Dept. in
YESSSSS!!town, YESSSSSSS!!!hire, postcode: IW1 N10M
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I was in a large independent supermarket up on the welsh borders last week (Harry Tuffins).
They had ten different publications for tractors!!!!
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I used to be into tractors, but not any more...now I'm an ' extractor fan '
I'll get me coat
Ted
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