Will classic car mags run out of stories?
Discussion
Just got my latest Classic Cars magazine through the post and it seemed a bit light. Lo and behold it’s down from 186 pages to 162 pages. I guess with CV-19 they can’t get to do road tests, restorer visits, collector stories, most events are off and advertisers are probably pulling out. They will probably have a long look in the archive next month and start printing repeats!
Was wondering the same thing myself.
Just before the CV19 thing properly kicked off I took up C&SC on another of their generous offers of 3 issues for £3. So far I've had one issue which I guess had already been edited and gone to press before lockdown started. There is a brief comment about Corona in the editor's comments on the first page but little else... presumably hastily added in at a late stage which I think is fair enough.
I would think that articles, road tests, photography and so on are all done well in advance of publication so I suspect that in the short term it will be fewer adverts as opposed to content that will result in a thinner magazine. I'm old enough to remember the market crash in the 80s; I was an avid reader of C&SC back then and seem to recall the mag pretty much halving in size between the two issues pre and post crash.
Things are very different now though; not a crash as such (at least not yet, but there's plenty of comment about that elsewhere) so it will be interesting to see how things all pan out.
Just before the CV19 thing properly kicked off I took up C&SC on another of their generous offers of 3 issues for £3. So far I've had one issue which I guess had already been edited and gone to press before lockdown started. There is a brief comment about Corona in the editor's comments on the first page but little else... presumably hastily added in at a late stage which I think is fair enough.
I would think that articles, road tests, photography and so on are all done well in advance of publication so I suspect that in the short term it will be fewer adverts as opposed to content that will result in a thinner magazine. I'm old enough to remember the market crash in the 80s; I was an avid reader of C&SC back then and seem to recall the mag pretty much halving in size between the two issues pre and post crash.
Things are very different now though; not a crash as such (at least not yet, but there's plenty of comment about that elsewhere) so it will be interesting to see how things all pan out.
Not being able to keep all the staff together in an office because of 'lock-down' is a big problem.
For well-organised writers, and researchers, interviews can be carried out on the phone, and producing the material can be done at home, but cars can't be photographed by remote control, nor can the magazine pages be properly designed on a domestic lap-top, I guess.
And yes, the advertisers tend to cut back on spending, and cancelling/postponing major innovations ....
For well-organised writers, and researchers, interviews can be carried out on the phone, and producing the material can be done at home, but cars can't be photographed by remote control, nor can the magazine pages be properly designed on a domestic lap-top, I guess.
And yes, the advertisers tend to cut back on spending, and cancelling/postponing major innovations ....
neutral 3 said:
I was buying C and S from the first issue ( and it’s Original Old Motor ) I just could not wait for the issue to hit the news stands back in the 80s!
I have the second issue (Fiat 130 Coupe vs BMW 3.0CSi; Lamborghini Countach LP400...) totally tatty and dog-eared but a treasured possession. Also many issues from 1983 which I'll never throw out, they're a major part of my past! Look through them now and it's a different world, loads of grainy black & white photos and hardly any talk about investment potential and so on.In fact I'm going to go up in the loft later and have a look through them for old times sake
It'll be a while before current mags reduce back to their size though!
Yes, I know for a fact that some magazines are running out of NEW stories as most photo shoots take place in the better weather months. However, for instance, Bauer were already using more and more stock photography for many of their features to cut cost, and also circulating the same material round their different classic titles. On the other hand, Classic American always have stacks of unused photoshoots on hand, so the interviews can be done on the phone. Obviously the event features will be dead.
It doesn't matter anyhow because they can't even send the issues to their subscribers. "outside of their control" apparently.
Classic and Sportscar (HayMarket) have a slightly better way with words than Practical Classics (Bauer Media) I understand that the editor is slightly detached from the printing and distribution department too.
Props to both Clements (as per below) and also Danny Hopkins though, for getting involved.
I cc'ed Danny Hopkins (editor of practical classics) in my rant to the Practical Classics department and he personally offered to post me the missing copy from last year.
Dear Subscriber,
Due to an admin issue out of our control we are aware that you have not received the latest issue of Practical Classics (June issue).
We would like to apologise for the inconvenience and can confirm that your subscription has been extended by one issue to compensate as we are unable to source replacement copies.
Funnily enough I asked a family member to pop down to WHSMITH and he had no problem sourcing a replacement copy and posting it to me.
Classic and Sportscar (HayMarket) have a slightly better way with words than Practical Classics (Bauer Media) I understand that the editor is slightly detached from the printing and distribution department too.
Props to both Clements (as per below) and also Danny Hopkins though, for getting involved.
I cc'ed Danny Hopkins (editor of practical classics) in my rant to the Practical Classics department and he personally offered to post me the missing copy from last year.
Classic and Sportscar said:
I am aware that some of you have experienced delays in receiving your issues as a result of difficulties in our postal services at present.
While this is ultimately outside of our control, and of course an understandable result of social distancing restrictions, staff sickness and a surge in mail-order delivery, I thought I should write to you to apologise and offer my reassurance that we are doing everything in our power to get our magazine through your letterbox on time each month.
If I, or any member of the Classic & Sports Car team, can do anything else to help, please let me know – my email address is at the end of this letter.
fair enough but this is just a joke (from last year)While this is ultimately outside of our control, and of course an understandable result of social distancing restrictions, staff sickness and a surge in mail-order delivery, I thought I should write to you to apologise and offer my reassurance that we are doing everything in our power to get our magazine through your letterbox on time each month.
If I, or any member of the Classic & Sports Car team, can do anything else to help, please let me know – my email address is at the end of this letter.
Practical Classic said:
Dear Subscriber,
Due to an admin issue out of our control we are aware that you have not received the latest issue of Practical Classics (June issue).
We would like to apologise for the inconvenience and can confirm that your subscription has been extended by one issue to compensate as we are unable to source replacement copies.
I subscribe to 2 monthly magazines. Motor Sport turned up on 14 April (published 1 April) and Classic & Sportscar arrived on 20 April (published 2 April).
I attempted to phone C & SC but it was clear I was going to listen to muzak for a long time and I aborted. Bought a copy first thing Monday at Tesco and my subscription copy turned up that afternoon. Typical. Looks like there are going to be problems on a monthly basis.
I hope they can drag things out of the archives to print rather than provide slim volumes. Surely Motor Sport of all magazines should be able to maintain decent content by doing that. Bill Boddy kept it alive during WW2 with his pompous crap and we know have digitalised records.
I attempted to phone C & SC but it was clear I was going to listen to muzak for a long time and I aborted. Bought a copy first thing Monday at Tesco and my subscription copy turned up that afternoon. Typical. Looks like there are going to be problems on a monthly basis.
I hope they can drag things out of the archives to print rather than provide slim volumes. Surely Motor Sport of all magazines should be able to maintain decent content by doing that. Bill Boddy kept it alive during WW2 with his pompous crap and we know have digitalised records.
They ran out of anything new many years ago. I have Evo magazine from 1997 when they tested my E-type against a new XK, (the E-type won the slalom test) along with an Anglia against a Fiesta. (They didn't try the 0-60 test with the Anglia. They only had one day) and frankly all the tests are the same. And - I truly mean this - many are a pack of lies anyway. The June 2004 copy of Motor Sport has a 50 years-on test of the short nose D-type. Page 38 shows the car with the Dunlop bridge behind at Le Mans. Later they talk of the handling, how "the torsion bars do the twist,the dampers go soggy and that lumbering rear axle comes alive". I quote that as one example, and it is good journalism. As a motoring journalist I salute them. Except that, in my case I try and only write about the truth. In this case the journalists did not have the right to have the keys to the car. The transporter was taking XJ13 to the launch of the X-type at Monaco, along with the prototype D-type OVC 501. I ended up driving the Toyota Previa with the journalist, pudding-basin helmet and old gloves in place, at the wheel. The snapper, James Mann, was in the rear of the Previa while I drove it, towing the D-type round the circuit for three laps at a maximum of 30 mph. You'll note they airbrushed out the tow rope.
Move on 15 years, and I was contacted by Autoretro in France to write an article on my Lynx XKSS. I drove the Seat, trying on a two-lane road to keep alongside while the snapper in the boot took the photos. His article talks of 140 mph (I never saw 60) and so on. All of these articles are written to titilate your senses. It didn't happen. Doing 140 mph (220 kph) on a public road limited to 80 kph? C'mon, get real. Here's a photo of that event.
The speed looks impressive, but it was 50 mph, aided by a slow camera speed and Lightbox. So, I subscribe to not one magazine nowadays. I gave up on fairy stories years back.
Move on 15 years, and I was contacted by Autoretro in France to write an article on my Lynx XKSS. I drove the Seat, trying on a two-lane road to keep alongside while the snapper in the boot took the photos. His article talks of 140 mph (I never saw 60) and so on. All of these articles are written to titilate your senses. It didn't happen. Doing 140 mph (220 kph) on a public road limited to 80 kph? C'mon, get real. Here's a photo of that event.
The speed looks impressive, but it was 50 mph, aided by a slow camera speed and Lightbox. So, I subscribe to not one magazine nowadays. I gave up on fairy stories years back.
Edited by lowdrag on Thursday 23 April 19:47
restoman said:
Will Classic Car Mags run out of stories?
I was under the impression that this had already happened a little while back . . . . .
Started buying Classic Car at Issue No 1. They ran out of stories around 7 years later and have been regurgitating stuff ever since. The only thing that changes is the s/h car prices!!I was under the impression that this had already happened a little while back . . . . .
I suppose it depends what you regard as classic. There will come a time when the exploits of Colin McRae will be discussed alongside those of Stirling Moss in classic magazines.
If you think anything after 1970 can't be classic, ever, then yes you will run out of new stories.
I like C&SC but it does consist of an awful lot of adverts. I tend to enjoy having flights of fancy whilst looking through these but often wonder how thick the magazine would be if you removed most of them.
If you think anything after 1970 can't be classic, ever, then yes you will run out of new stories.
I like C&SC but it does consist of an awful lot of adverts. I tend to enjoy having flights of fancy whilst looking through these but often wonder how thick the magazine would be if you removed most of them.
In some ways they ran out years ago!
I subscribed to Classic & Sportscar for several years in the late 80s and loved that most of the cars featured were ones I remembered from my youth.
Then in either 2013 or 2014 I got offered a good deal for a year, and most of the cars were the same ones as in the 80s magazines. The only noticeable difference was the values!
So while I still love looking at Classic cars I don't often buy the magazines any more, unless they feature something more recent.
I subscribed to Classic & Sportscar for several years in the late 80s and loved that most of the cars featured were ones I remembered from my youth.
Then in either 2013 or 2014 I got offered a good deal for a year, and most of the cars were the same ones as in the 80s magazines. The only noticeable difference was the values!
So while I still love looking at Classic cars I don't often buy the magazines any more, unless they feature something more recent.
The one thing that really brings home the 'nothing new for years' point is when you are looking to buy a new type of car and start doing a bit of research into them by reading reviews and articles. You find the same 'experts' quoted, the same 'facts' quoted and quite often it's the same car test driven and reviewed, years apart, or just the same old article chopped up and changed around with just the cars values changed.
Trying to find honest unbiased opinions on classic cars is quite a hard thing to do, most journalists just seem inherently lazy!
Trying to find honest unbiased opinions on classic cars is quite a hard thing to do, most journalists just seem inherently lazy!
The driving articles tend to be prepared and written quite a long time ahead of actual publication.
My own car was featured by Classic Cars in an article in which two journalists drove it on a tour to various well known beauty/interest spots in Northern Ireland. The resultant article actually appeared in the magazine some 14 months later. I know from previous experience, when other cars of mine were used, that this is not uncommon.
I would imagine on that basis that they have plenty of material to keep producing a magazine for several months ahead.
My own car was featured by Classic Cars in an article in which two journalists drove it on a tour to various well known beauty/interest spots in Northern Ireland. The resultant article actually appeared in the magazine some 14 months later. I know from previous experience, when other cars of mine were used, that this is not uncommon.
I would imagine on that basis that they have plenty of material to keep producing a magazine for several months ahead.
Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff