Whatever happened to Peter Filby, creator of Kit Car mag?
Discussion
My first job in motoring journalism was on Alternative Cars magazine, the first magazine title published by Peter Filby.
He went on to create various other magazine titles such as Kit Car, Roadster & Replica, GTS and others.
I left fairly early on and (many years later) published Car Import Guide and Carbuyer magazines before selling my company.
I can see here on PistonHeads Peter Filby went back to writing books and I believe he sold used kit cars and magazine back issues for some time.
But I'd be fascinated to find out what he has been up to. Can anyone give me a clue what has happened to him?
He went on to create various other magazine titles such as Kit Car, Roadster & Replica, GTS and others.
I left fairly early on and (many years later) published Car Import Guide and Carbuyer magazines before selling my company.
I can see here on PistonHeads Peter Filby went back to writing books and I believe he sold used kit cars and magazine back issues for some time.
But I'd be fascinated to find out what he has been up to. Can anyone give me a clue what has happened to him?
I have to say I'd be intrigued to know too.
I was really into kitcars in their 90's heyday. I submitted a few articles to Which Kit? on local club activities and my own builds. Peter Filby phoned me one evening for a chat off the back of some of them, which I valued.
He and Den Tanner were a pair of characters back in the day. Their public spats via their respective magazines were less than professional but there's no doubting what each of them contributed to the kitcar scene.
I was really into kitcars in their 90's heyday. I submitted a few articles to Which Kit? on local club activities and my own builds. Peter Filby phoned me one evening for a chat off the back of some of them, which I valued.
He and Den Tanner were a pair of characters back in the day. Their public spats via their respective magazines were less than professional but there's no doubting what each of them contributed to the kitcar scene.
First time I heard about kit cars was seeing his Kit car mag, with a Eagle SS on it, I was blown away by the car. I would think it was late 70's, I have no idea how many times I read that magazine, then more, then the shows, Then at the age of 14, after a few years saving buying a Dutton Phaeton 3 with my father, trouble was that the letter saying it was ready for the kit to be collected arrived before we got around to telling mum. We both got into a bit of trouble.
I still have a stack of the magazine and just cant seem to throw them away. They always were well written and seemed like it was more of a passion that he just wanted to share.
I still have a stack of the magazine and just cant seem to throw them away. They always were well written and seemed like it was more of a passion that he just wanted to share.
I sent an email to Adam Wilkins, publisher of Complete Kit Car, who was kind enough to reply to my query, saying "I’m still in semi-regular contact with Peter (Filby).
"I started working for him in 2000 and stayed until he sold Which Kit Car? to Ian Stent and Justin Williams in early 2007. Ian and Justin relaunched the magazine as Complete Kit Car, and I continued working for them until I bought the company in 2015.
"After selling WKC? Peter started writing books. He has written two very detailed TVR books, and most recently a very weighty tome on 1980s Cobra replicas. A follow-up Cobra replica book is on the way.
"The books are really a retirement project – I can’t see him ever giving up writing. He still comes to the Stoneleigh kit car show every year.
"Here’s his current website – http://autocraftbooks.co.uk/#home"
Thank you Adam. I'm very grateful for the update, and (by the looks of it) so are several other people.
"I started working for him in 2000 and stayed until he sold Which Kit Car? to Ian Stent and Justin Williams in early 2007. Ian and Justin relaunched the magazine as Complete Kit Car, and I continued working for them until I bought the company in 2015.
"After selling WKC? Peter started writing books. He has written two very detailed TVR books, and most recently a very weighty tome on 1980s Cobra replicas. A follow-up Cobra replica book is on the way.
"The books are really a retirement project – I can’t see him ever giving up writing. He still comes to the Stoneleigh kit car show every year.
"Here’s his current website – http://autocraftbooks.co.uk/#home"
Thank you Adam. I'm very grateful for the update, and (by the looks of it) so are several other people.
Given that the TVR books only the early years through to the Lilley Years, there are at least another couple of volumes to do.
'TVR: a Passion to Succeed' needs to be followed by 'TVR: a Passion to Part Fools from their Money' (the Wheeler years) and 'TVR: a Passion for Embarrassing Incompetence' (the Smolenski and Edgar years).
'TVR: a Passion to Succeed' needs to be followed by 'TVR: a Passion to Part Fools from their Money' (the Wheeler years) and 'TVR: a Passion for Embarrassing Incompetence' (the Smolenski and Edgar years).
Years ago Dolby was writing his 1st book on tvr
He was driving something like a status mini power that broke down and he couldnt get it started.
He was in the middle of nowhere in the thetford forest in norfolk.
My friend was sent out to try to get the car started.
There was filby with every other book that had ever been written about tvr spread all over the floor.
Copying bits from every one
He was driving something like a status mini power that broke down and he couldnt get it started.
He was in the middle of nowhere in the thetford forest in norfolk.
My friend was sent out to try to get the car started.
There was filby with every other book that had ever been written about tvr spread all over the floor.
Copying bits from every one
f1rob said:
Years ago Dolby was writing his 1st book on tvr
He was driving something like a status mini power that broke down and he couldnt get it started.
He was in the middle of nowhere in the thetford forest in norfolk.
My friend was sent out to try to get the car started.
There was filby with every other book that had ever been written about tvr spread all over the floor.
Copying bits from every one
Basing your writing on copying from a single source = plagiarism.He was driving something like a status mini power that broke down and he couldnt get it started.
He was in the middle of nowhere in the thetford forest in norfolk.
My friend was sent out to try to get the car started.
There was filby with every other book that had ever been written about tvr spread all over the floor.
Copying bits from every one
From multiple sources = research.
Equus said:
Given that the TVR books only the early years through to the Lilley Years, there are at least another couple of volumes to do.
'TVR: a Passion to Succeed' needs to be followed by 'TVR: a Passion to Part Fools from their Money' (the Wheeler years) and 'TVR: a Passion for Embarrassing Incompetence' (the Smolenski and Edgar years).
As a past owner of 4 TVR (1 x 350i "Wedge" and 3 x Chimaera) I find that both amusing and very close to the truth.'TVR: a Passion to Succeed' needs to be followed by 'TVR: a Passion to Part Fools from their Money' (the Wheeler years) and 'TVR: a Passion for Embarrassing Incompetence' (the Smolenski and Edgar years).
Darryl247W said:
I have to say I'd be intrigued to know too.
I was really into kitcars in their 90's heyday. I submitted a few articles to Which Kit? on local club activities and my own builds. Peter Filby phoned me one evening for a chat off the back of some of them, which I valued.
He and Den Tanner were a pair of characters back in the day. Their public spats via their respective magazines were less than professional but there's no doubting what each of them contributed to the kitcar scene.
Sadly Den died a few weeks ago. Love him or loathe him he was a huge character on the Kit car scene.I was really into kitcars in their 90's heyday. I submitted a few articles to Which Kit? on local club activities and my own builds. Peter Filby phoned me one evening for a chat off the back of some of them, which I valued.
He and Den Tanner were a pair of characters back in the day. Their public spats via their respective magazines were less than professional but there's no doubting what each of them contributed to the kitcar scene.
Nice to see Peter is still keeping busy.
Equus said:
He will be in his mid-70's, if he's still with us, so hopefully enjoying a well-earned retirement.
Evening all.Peter will be 75 this October. I am married to his youngest daughter. He lives a pretty quite life in the Surrey countryside with his partner Jane. He has just published a book on Cobra replicas (Snakes Alive!)
He continues to write most days. I keep on to him that he should write another TVR book to cover the 90's etc. as there is a much larger audience for them, perhaps he will get round to it one day.
He's run out of garage space so I'm 'looking after' one of his cars, a Marcos TS250 which was owned by Jem Marsh
Edited by rehab71 on Thursday 28th May 20:54
rehab71 said:
Evening all.
Peter will be 75 this October. I am married to his youngest daughter. He lives a pretty quite life in the Surrey countryside with his partner Jane. He has just published a book on Cobra replicas (Snakes Alive!)
He continues to write most days. I keep on to him that he should write another TVR book to cover the 90's etc. as there is a much larger audience for them, perhaps he will get round to it one day.
He's run out of garage space so I'm 'looking after' one of his cars, a Marcos TS250 which was owned by Jem Marsh
Thank you for the update.Peter will be 75 this October. I am married to his youngest daughter. He lives a pretty quite life in the Surrey countryside with his partner Jane. He has just published a book on Cobra replicas (Snakes Alive!)
He continues to write most days. I keep on to him that he should write another TVR book to cover the 90's etc. as there is a much larger audience for them, perhaps he will get round to it one day.
He's run out of garage space so I'm 'looking after' one of his cars, a Marcos TS250 which was owned by Jem Marsh
Martyn-123 said:
Hi Rehab71,
Mr Filby a Marcos owner, thats interesting to hear.
Was there some suggestion he was doing a Marcos book, i heard this some years ago but nothing since, could you jog his memory ?
Martyn
HiMr Filby a Marcos owner, thats interesting to hear.
Was there some suggestion he was doing a Marcos book, i heard this some years ago but nothing since, could you jog his memory ?
Martyn
I doubt it, but you never know.
Peter knew Jem Marsh and the car I have used to belong to him. Think Pete has had a few Marcos over the years.
Hi David, despite being a total caveman when it comes to modern technology, I was mucking around on the computer with my partner Jane when I was amazed to see your name. How are you - hope you're ok?
My last magazine was Which Kitcar? which I sold to Adam Wilkins and Ian Stent in 2007. Prior to that, I had been involved in running highly successful kit car shows at Donington Park, and Stafford Show Ground, while prior to that I had bought and sold quite a lot of kit cars such as Westfields, Tigers and Daxs plus the odd Cobra replica.
Having retired, I turned to writing and self-publishing high quality books. Due to my detailed, pernickety approach I've only produced three books in the last 14 years, these being two volumes on TVR and one volume on Cobra replicas called Snakes Alive. My hobby during 2020 was to write a rather self- indulgent book on all the cars I've owned - about 95 of them. This book won't be for public sale unless anyone out there is desperate to get a copy.
So that's it basically. I live near Oxted in Surrey with partner Jane and keep myself fit by playing tennis three or four times a week. At least that's what I used to do before the lockdown. Hopefully we will get back to it soon. I'm still dead keen on cars and my garage contains three fine machines.
Finally, I'd be very interested to hear how you've got on since knocking at my front door all those years ago. All the best to all petrol heads.
My last magazine was Which Kitcar? which I sold to Adam Wilkins and Ian Stent in 2007. Prior to that, I had been involved in running highly successful kit car shows at Donington Park, and Stafford Show Ground, while prior to that I had bought and sold quite a lot of kit cars such as Westfields, Tigers and Daxs plus the odd Cobra replica.
Having retired, I turned to writing and self-publishing high quality books. Due to my detailed, pernickety approach I've only produced three books in the last 14 years, these being two volumes on TVR and one volume on Cobra replicas called Snakes Alive. My hobby during 2020 was to write a rather self- indulgent book on all the cars I've owned - about 95 of them. This book won't be for public sale unless anyone out there is desperate to get a copy.
So that's it basically. I live near Oxted in Surrey with partner Jane and keep myself fit by playing tennis three or four times a week. At least that's what I used to do before the lockdown. Hopefully we will get back to it soon. I'm still dead keen on cars and my garage contains three fine machines.
Finally, I'd be very interested to hear how you've got on since knocking at my front door all those years ago. All the best to all petrol heads.
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