Autotrader back in the day…

[KungFuPanda]

I’m 42 years old and remember when I was in the market for my first car when I was in my early 20’s. A Vauxhall Calibra. This was obviously a time before the internet and on the way to work each and every Thursday morning I’d pop into the newsagents for the new copy of Autotrader. A thick catalogue of enticing deals printed on rough paper.

Flicking to the Sports and Prestige section first and scanning the ads for any new adverts.

So does anyone remember any other sections? Classics, bargain basement where all the pics were black and white.

Also, was it true that they sent out a photographer to take pictures of your car when you wanted an advert posting?

[jonwm]

In the later 90's I worked at a local newspaper group, again the land before the internet we would get all the other regional newspapers come through the "DX" service on a Friday morning, first thing I did was look at the motors section, often the Warrington Guardian cars were cheaper than the Croydon Guardian ones.

I think the internet certainly levelled that playing field, Autotrader was a firm favourite too, I used to like the bargain basement for some reason

[av185]

KungFuPanda said:

I’m 42 years old and remember when I was in the market for my first car when I was in my early 20’s. A Vauxhall Calibra. This was obviously a time before the internet and on the way to work each and every Thursday morning I’d pop into the newsagents for the new copy of Autotrader. A thick catalogue of enticing deals printed on rough paper.

Flicking to the Sports and Prestige section first and scanning the ads for any new adverts.

So does anyone remember any other sections? Classics, bargain basement where all the pics were black and white.

Also, was it true that they sent out a photographer to take pictures of your car when you wanted an advert posting?

Absolutely true there was a guy covering the whole of North Manchester with a Polaroid Instamatic who did our cars.

There was a Top Marques section too before it became a separate magazine.

[Phil Dicky]

av185 said:

KungFuPanda said:

I’m 42 years old and remember when I was in the market for my first car when I was in my early 20’s. A Vauxhall Calibra. This was obviously a time before the internet and on the way to work each and every Thursday morning I’d pop into the newsagents for the new copy of Autotrader. A thick catalogue of enticing deals printed on rough paper.

Flicking to the Sports and Prestige section first and scanning the ads for any new adverts.

So does anyone remember any other sections? Classics, bargain basement where all the pics were black and white.

Also, was it true that they sent out a photographer to take pictures of your car when you wanted an advert posting?

Absolutely true there was a guy covering the whole of North Manchester with a Polaroid Instamatic who did our cars.

There was a Top Marques section too before it became a separate magazine.

Loved Top Marques, full colour and once a month..major day dreaming material.

[anonymous-user]

KungFuPanda said:

I’m 42 years old and remember when I was in the market for my first car when I was in my early 20’s. A Vauxhall Calibra. This was obviously a time before the internet and on the way to work each and every Thursday morning I’d pop into the newsagents for the new copy of Autotrader. A thick catalogue of enticing deals printed on rough paper.

Flicking to the Sports and Prestige section first and scanning the ads for any new adverts.

So does anyone remember any other sections? Classics, bargain basement where all the pics were black and white.

Also, was it true that they sent out a photographer to take pictures of your car when you wanted an advert posting?

Blimey, I'm 45 and the only car I bought from Autotrader when I turned 25 was a Vauxhall Calibra Turbo. I waited ages for the right one to come along and bought it the same day England beat Argentina in the 2002 World Cup. I had to wait until the end of June when I was actually 25 for my new insurance policy so I could actually drive it.

[av185]

Quite bizarre to think buyers would be waiting outside their local newsagents at stupid oclock Thursday morning to grab the first copy of Autotrader and hopefully bag a bargain priced car.

Totally different era.

[abzmike]

Guilty - Used to be the highlight of every Thursday. Pint on the way home and a flick through the AT.

[KungFuPanda]

Newarch said:

KungFuPanda said:

I’m 42 years old and remember when I was in the market for my first car when I was in my early 20’s. A Vauxhall Calibra. This was obviously a time before the internet and on the way to work each and every Thursday morning I’d pop into the newsagents for the new copy of Autotrader. A thick catalogue of enticing deals printed on rough paper.

Flicking to the Sports and Prestige section first and scanning the ads for any new adverts.

So does anyone remember any other sections? Classics, bargain basement where all the pics were black and white.

Also, was it true that they sent out a photographer to take pictures of your car when you wanted an advert posting?

Blimey, I'm 45 and the only car I bought from Autotrader when I turned 25 was a Vauxhall Calibra Turbo. I waited ages for the right one to come along and bought it the same day England beat Argentina in the 2002 World Cup. I had to wait until the end of June when I was actually 25 for my new insurance policy so I could actually drive it.

Ultimately, I bought a 1996 N plate Calibra SE5. It was only a 2.0 8v but I loved it. Black, cream leather and champagne BBS alloys.

[Challo]

KungFuPanda said:

I’m 42 years old and remember when I was in the market for my first car when I was in my early 20’s. A Vauxhall Calibra. This was obviously a time before the internet and on the way to work each and every Thursday morning I’d pop into the newsagents for the new copy of Autotrader. A thick catalogue of enticing deals printed on rough paper.

Flicking to the Sports and Prestige section first and scanning the ads for any new adverts.

So does anyone remember any other sections? Classics, bargain basement where all the pics were black and white.

Also, was it true that they sent out a photographer to take pictures of your car when you wanted an advert posting?

American section?

My dad used to always grab a copy of autotrader or freeads and circle the cars he liked and then spend the next few hours ringing around to find out more details and book viewings.

[ingenieur]

I used to go out with a girl whose dad was the Autotrader photographer for the area.

Don't forget there were lots of other great ways to buy a car which no longer exist.

You could get some proper bargains if you knew where to look. The advert board in the local supermarket for instance.

[anonymous-user]

What was the banger section called? I forget what the criteria was, under a grand or under 500 quid. I always loved the frisson of danger buying or dreaming of buying a suspiciously cheap motor.

[jimPH]

A friend of mine used to get the out of date copy and try his luck, his thoughts being they would be more willing to sell a bit cheaper if they hadn't sold yet.

[blue_haddock]

I lived in their midlands region but a short drive away was the north west edition so i would grab the local version then head off 20 miles up the road to get hold of the northwest edition as well!

[s m]

blue_haddock said:

I lived in their midlands region but a short drive away was the north west edition so i would grab the local version then head off 20 miles up the road to get hold of the northwest edition as well!

I used to work in Market Drayton and they got both versions

Not sure if anywhere further south got both - certainly Newport/Shrewsbury didn’t in the mid 80s …..or at least all the newsagents I tried !

[s m]

Still got a few old copies from last century and some more recent ones.
The prices of stuff makes me smile

Seeing the big E30 M3 thread on the main forum and then seeing them going for 4 or 5k!

Cosworths at 3k

Capri 2.8s and 325 Sports for under 2k

[bristolracer]

And before the hi tech Autotrader with its fancy photos was the Exchange and Mart.

Big pull out motors section (all text adverts) along with masses of adverts for car spares, reconditioned motors/gearboxes and every conceivable extra for the discerning motorist.

[Portofino]

Anyone else play the game where you listed your top car on each page with your imaginary budget?

[s m]

Phil Dicky said:

Loved Top Marques, full colour and once a month..major day dreaming material.

Top Marques was a proper thick book!
Still got a couple

[CRA1G]

On occasions I would go to Leeds Train Station just past midnight to get a early copy.... I remember seeing a Merc 190E Auto advertised by a Architects company that looked very cheap,realising the telephone code was Rotherham and found out their offices didn't open until 9am I set off and waited on the doorstep for them to open, by ten past nine the deal was done with the telephone ringing away in the background,I even found a local branch of my bank to get a bank draft and left my car there to collect later so I could get the merc off there premises asap... It was cheap...! Oh these were the days...

[Pastor Of Muppets]

s m said:

Phil Dicky said:

Loved Top Marques, full colour and once a month..major day dreaming material.

Top Marques was a proper thick book!
Still got a couple

Absolute car porn that was.