The voice of L J K Setright

The voice of L J K Setright

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anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

jmcc500

644 posts

217 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
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One of my career highlights was meeting Mr Setright. Must have been around 2002 or thereabouts, when he came to Ricardo to look at a diesel hybrid we had put together. He was the most technically literate journalist, and humoured me by chatting about his beloved Prelude with its 4WS! Sadly missed.

Russell Bulgin another great writer died a couple of years earlier - seems like we lost a couple of great writers around that time...

Terminator X

14,920 posts

203 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
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RB had some great articles in the early EVO mag days.

TX.

otolith

55,899 posts

203 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
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I liked Bulgin's writing style when he was writing it. Unfortunately it has spawned a whole generation of Troy Queefs, inferior imitators.

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
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I have attempted to pastiche Setright, but have encountered naught but egregious infelicitude in undertaking this Sysyphean endeavour.

Mound Dawg

1,915 posts

173 months

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
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Hadn't read anything by LKJS since I stopped reading Car in the early 90s then a few years ago I picked up a copy of his book "Drive On". Excellent stuff, recommended if you can find it.



12TS

1,806 posts

209 months

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
quotequote all
When I was a student in Nottingham, killing time in the library I came across his book on Bristols which I took out to read. I still hanker after one, although I'm sure they can't be THAT good! As a side note had I not returned the book I'be sat on a few quid now, it's quite valuable.

I wish someone would put out a collection of his best writing; the stories of his car radio, getting caught speeding, clutcheless gear changing, economy drives etc etc. I'm sure there'd be a market for it.

Sad that his wife committed suicide though.

SimesJH

768 posts

150 months

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
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Breadvan72 said:
I wish I knew where he bought his gloves. He probably had them made for him by someone just off the Row.
From what I recall from one of his articles, he recommended kangaroo skin because it was soft, thin and supple.

I do agree, LJKS was supreme in his abilities. I rather loved the contrast between him and George Bishop.

I'll never forget (and will forever cherish) Russell Bulgin's article on the Lotus Carlton entitled 'Rain Stopped Play'. One of the finest writers ever to exist and very sadly missed.



Edited by SimesJH on Wednesday 22 October 07:50

Limpet

6,292 posts

160 months

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
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Car magazine in the Setright and Bulgin era (late 80s-early 90s) has never been equalled, in my opinion.

jhoneyball

1,764 posts

275 months

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
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Everyone today are just amateurs. I cant imagine Setright talking bks about power and torque like all the modern scribblers do

12TS

1,806 posts

209 months

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
quotequote all
When I was a student in Nottingham, killing time in the library I came across his book on Bristols which I took out to read. I still hanker after one, although I'm sure they can't be THAT good! As a side note had I not returned the book I'be sat on a few quid now, it's quite valuable.

I wish someone would put out a collection of his best writing; the stories of his car radio, getting caught speeding, clutcheless gear changing, economy drives etc etc. I'm sure there'd be a market for it.

Sad that his wife committed suicide though.

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
quotequote all
I think that there was a book called "the Best of Setright", but it is now hard to find. His memoirs (with an afterword by James May, who met Setright when May was a young writer for Car Magazine) go for north of forty quid a copy.

Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 22 October 10:26

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

55palfers

5,892 posts

163 months

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
quotequote all
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Long-Lane-Turnings-Motorin...

Found this on Amazon.

Note that the hardback is £100!

Edit

Just searched on eBay!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_tr...

Edited by 55palfers on Wednesday 22 October 09:16

ChasW

2,135 posts

201 months

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
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I had a copy CAR (June 1994) in which he decided how to spend £540K, the cost of a new McLaren F1, on cars of his choice. Among them were two Honda NSX, manual and auto, as he reckoned they would last him the rest of his life.

crostonian

2,427 posts

171 months

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
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I got caught reading an LJKS piece in CAR in a GCSE English lesson back in the 80s, having had the magazine confiscated I noticed my (lady) teacher reading it while we were reading some boring book, she then got up, walked over to me and handed the magazine back and told me to read the article to the class!

CAR was such an education back in those days and really helped me with reading, I still have every issue from the 80s, some great writers then besides LJKS - Phil LLewelyn, George Bishop, Bulgin and a few still plying their trade - Steve Cropley, Gavin Green, Jamie Kitman and Georg Kacher. I still get CAR and despite general opinion I feel it's at as good now as it has been for a long time and far superior to EVO.

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
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At least Car has not succumbed to the "check how enormous my watch is" ethic of "Octane".

Garvin

5,156 posts

176 months

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
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The problem with modern automotive journalists is that none of them have any clue about engineering so resort to just regurgitating the manufacturers' offerings which are aimed at selling and not understanding. LJKS understood the engineering and could then combine this with his love of words and his journalistic prowess to describe things eloquently rather than appear to be just 'techie'. I doubt we will ever see his sort again in our dumbed down modern world where cliches and sound bites now seems to rule.

otolith

55,899 posts

203 months

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
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He wouldn't, for example, have talked about how much "mechanical grip" a car has unless it was in a context where aerodynamic grip was relevant. Stop it!

robinessex

11,046 posts

180 months

Wednesday 22nd October 2014
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I also read that he was quite a driver! Terrified those who passengered with him, and lapped a circuit somewhere within a time that would have put him halfway up the grid for the race for that particular car.