Much missed magazines. Feel free to add.

[warren t claim]

A brief list of my faves from days gone by.

 

Hot Car. The first car mag I exchanged pocket money for. Edited by VW expert Keith Sueme with Dennis Foy as features writer. Morphed into Performance Car in 1982.

 

Popular Motoring. Mechanics made entertaining, even for a 10 year old! Edited by Dave Stirling and featured former PC editor John Pearson.

 

Buying Cars/Car Choice. Quentin Willsons first big break. Great writing from Ian Royce and Richard Wilshire.

 

Your turn! What do you grow up reading?

[Cavcraft]

Used Motorcycle Guide.

 

It was a right laugh, full of tales from people who'd ridden Cossacks/Urinals/CZs/MZs and the like for hundreds/thousands of miles. Their used bike guide was always worth a read as they never pulled any punches.

 

Mind you, for pure comedy factor Parker's Guide takes some beating.

[trigger]

Popular Classics - This was the magazine that got me into old cars more then anything.

[M'coli]

From the age of 10 until a few years ago I bought Motoring News. CCC was a favourite, but the best was finding about 30 assorted scud mags in a skip when I was 15...

[warren t claim]

Used Motorcycle Guide.

 

It was a right laugh, full of tales from people who'd ridden Cossacks/Urinals/CZs/MZs and the like for hundreds/thousands of miles. Their used bike guide was always worth a read as they never pulled any punches.

 

Mind you, for pure comedy factor Parker's Guide takes some beating.

UMG went online until recently. A cracking read! Happy Henry the retarded giant and loadsa great travellers tales!

[lancashireclamper]

Predictably I'd have to say Jalopy, the Holy Grail,

 

Bought the first 3 editions then subscribed and got the full set, only to have then thrown away by mistake in 1995

 

Now have full set again bought one by one from ebay over a period of several years, still love reading them.

[catsinthewelder]

I loved UMG as well, always fantastic and made me lust after 2 wheeled shite

 

There was very briefly a four wheeled equilalent called 'Original Tin' which turned up a couple of years ago. I bought issue 1, thought it was fantastic and subscribed, then it disappeared after they had sent me 2 copies of issue 2

 

I'm guessing that Dollywobbler was one of the contributers

[Alexg]

I've picked up a few copies of 'Alternative Cars' from Ebay. Great magazine covering kits and small volume car makers from late 70s early 80s.

 

When I joined this forum in january there was talk of 'Old Tin' magazine and it making a come back. There were old issues available on here and I snapped one up and enjoyed it. Any news on anymore....?

 

Edit - 'Original Tin' magazine

[seth]

Popular Classics - This was the magazine that got me into old cars more then anything.

Gah! I was going to say Popular Classics and then out myself as Jonno. But then maybe you're Jonno?

 

I remember buying a copy of "Supercar Classics" because it had a 512BB on the cover. I think that publication didn't actually last very long?

[warren t claim]

Can I add Your Classic to the list? Heavy Rover P6 bias due to Chris Horton but the buyers guides were well written. Top Gear presenter for a day Zoe Harrison was a staff writer iirc.

[Albert Ross]

Off Road and 4 Wheel Drive, featuring the AWDC.

 

Famous for the Editorial team turning up to a Land Rover ARC only Comp Safari in a G-Wagen. Tidy. Introduced me to TEW 78X. A proper hybrid if ever there was one, and the notion of running an 88 on 900s. Also the Aliperti Brothers, a Gama Goat, and HVTs featuring Leyland Martians and the AEC Militant.

 

If any of that made sense to any of you, then PM me.

[DCLane]

Popular Classics as well for me. When it merged with Practical Classics the result just never seems the same

 

Jalopy - I only bought a few issues and then it dissapeared. Perfect Autoshite reading.

[eddyramrod]

Popular Classics as well for me. When it merged with Practical Classics the result just never seems the same

 

Jalopy - I only bought a few issues and then it dissapeared. Perfect Autoshite reading.

Popular effectively disappeared into Practical, I remember that... but I still subscribe to Practical. I have a few issues of Jalopy too, maybe 3 or so...

 

Grew up with Hot Car when Tony Bostock was the editor, and Custom Car was run by Mel Nichols. Ah, the 70s... Kim Durdant-Hollamby, Ken Kessler and Steve Myatt....

[CreepingJesus]

Growing up, it was CCC, Street Machine, and Truck, all of which I miss dearly. AWOL was a later favourite, along with the UMG and Jalopy. I miss the time when BSH didn't have half undressed girls in. That's why I don't buy it any more; if/when I want porn, I'll buy some proper porn much ta.

[Pete-M]

CCC (84-89), Street Machine (84-90), Car (85-95), C&SC. Supercar Classics.

 

CCC used to be superb. Loads of interesting bits on how to get more poke from any old shed. Full of adverts for bits that didn't really cost that much. Bargainous mad converted cars in the classifieds, stuff like Rover V8 engined Manta As for £600.

 

Street Machine for Nik Mann's Minor and Steve Green's Cortina Mk1. The mad welsh bloke who used to get 300 bhp from a Pinto in a Mk4 Cortina. A brown one. With tons of NOS. Ford Pops doing 1/4 miles in 9 seconds. All excellent fun.

 

Car from Ian Fraser and Steve Cropley era, through Gavin Green / James May / Colin Goodwin / Matt Bishop / George Bishop / LJKS etc. Went shit shortly after Jason Barlow turned up. He was good for a while and then disappeared right up his own arse. Tom Ford was quite good for them though. I've noticed Matt Jones from PC seems to be writing for them now, and Horrell is doing stuff on the TG website.

 

C&SC just makes me drool.

 

Supercar Classics was good. Didn't last long though as every article appeared to be about serious exotica in exotic locations and shot expensively. Great while it lasted, but it must have cost about £15.00 an issue to make..

[Mr H Sceptre]

Popular Classics - This was the magazine that got me into old cars more then anything.

Popular Classics was the dogs bollocks.

[Negative Creep]

I never read car mags when I was younger. Never really buy them now either as they take up too much room and after half hour I've read everything I want to. Dad used to get me plenty of brochures when I was younger but I used to love cutting them up to make my own ones. And yes, I wish I still had them

[Spottedlaurel]

Being less than competent mechanically, but being a bit of a daydreamer, I bought loads of mag's. Still do, but old ones as nowadays there's little on the shelves that takes my fancy.

 

Ones I bought regularly (never did subscriptions, but had the newsagent save them for me):

 

Auto Performance - Happened to buy the first issue, I liked its approach to budget motorsports and road car buying and tuning. Still my favourite magazine, I have every issue. It was a Link House publication so CC/CCC people like Peter Chrisp and Terry Grimwood were on the staff, and with Paul Huggett on board autograss and short oval racing featured heavily. Ran from 1982-1985 I think, then merged into CCC which I then bought for some years but AP was always more down-to-earth.

 

 

Found one or two issues on eBay.

 

Street Machine and Custom Car - SM in the '80s was excellent, CC I always found to be trying a bit too hard but I still liked the cars. Latter went a bit odd from the mid-80s.

 

Classic & Sportscar - Another one where by chance I got the first issue. Bought it on and off for years afterwards. Also bought Your Classic when they started that up.

 

Car - Little needs to be said. Think I stopped buying it in the late-90s, but thanks to Trigger I have a rather large collection now going up to 2009.

 

Jalopy - Fate again saw me finding the first issue, and I bought every one up to #30 when it just got too difficult to find (think I'm therefore missing only #31).

 

I can pick up one of the old issues of any of the above and it seems so familiar to me, the cars featured and even odd bits of wording.

 

Nowadays I buy lots of old copies of Autocar, Motor and What Car? but back in the day they didn't appeal much, older/modified cars were always of more interest to me.

[CreepingJesus]

Street Machine for Nik Mann's Minor...

It turned up in CCC as well, and was everything I thought building a car for yourself should be. Mad, ingenious, and utterly inspirational. Oh, and quicker up Shelsley Walsh than Hannu Mikkola in a works Quattro, iirc.

Actually, there was one I forgot - Performance Bikes. It does still exist, but as some sort of coffee table cum lads' mag glossy. Back in the Rupert Paul edited era, it was nearly biking's answer to CCC. With Rupert's ability to crash anything, John Robinson's top drawer technical knowledge, and Trevor 'Pwalo of the fens' Franklin's ability to fix stuff/chain smoke/drink, it was epic.

Mark Forsyth testing Keith Flint's heavily tuned 'Blade; Jamie Whitham insisting the ZZR1100's frame was 'too flexy' at 170mph, round the IOM TT course; some of the awesome/awful reader's specials; stripping a Bimota Tesi... all highlights, all solid gold. Much missed.

[Vin]

Popular Classics for me too. I bought a copy in 1990 and that got me into old cars.

 

I also liked the short lived 'Your Classic' from the early 90's.

[M'coli]

Street Machine for Nik Mann's Minor...

It turned up in CCC as well, and was everything I thought building a car for yourself should be. Mad, ingenious, and utterly inspirational. Oh, and quicker up Shelsley Walsh than Hannu Mikkola in a works Quattro, iirc.

Actually, there was one I forgot - Performance Bikes. It does still exist, but as some sort of coffee table cum lads' mag glossy. Back in the Rupert Paul edited era, it was nearly biking's answer to CCC. With Rupert's ability to crash anything, John Robinson's top drawer technical knowledge, and Trevor 'Pwalo of the fens' Franklin's ability to fix stuff/chain smoke/drink, it was epic.

Mark Forsyth testing Keith Flint's heavily tuned 'Blade; Jamie Whitham insisting the ZZR1100's frame was 'too flexy' at 170mph, round the IOM TT course; some of the awesome/awful reader's specials; stripping a Bimota Tesi... all highlights, all solid gold. Much missed.

I used to buy PB too, started reading it when Rupert Paul was the staff writer and Matt Oxley was the editor. I loved the things they got up to, like riding learner-legal 125s to the Bol D'or in the south of France over a weekend. Mad. I used to buy Road Racer too, and occasionally Superbike, but found SB a bit too puerile(and I was a teenager at the time ).

[ashmicro]

Used to get PB myself, mainly for the free stickers - thanks to that publication, by ZZ-R looked a right dogs dinner!

[AnthonyG]

As Pete M says, I miss Car magazine when it was good.

 

Now it is just good photography and a bored 'we all know you're going to buy a Mini Cooper/Golf GTI/BMW 3 series but heres the latest 'special' Porsche 911 to wank over'... editorial attitude.

 

If it was still like it was in the early 1980s it would be doing Giant Tests on Citroen C3s and the like .

[seth]

Juts remembered another one I'd occasionally get as a yoof. Performance Car, from this kind of era. (photo from a current ebay listing) I seem to remember being impressed with the photography even as a teen and rather than just covering the normal stuff had things like this monster Testarossa etc.

 

[CreepingJesus]

Used to get PB myself, mainly for the free stickers - thanks to that publication, by ZZ-R looked a right dogs dinner!

I found a collection of old sticker sheets from PB, CC, CCC and others hiding in the back of a bookcase, recently. Lots of fun stuff!

Oddly, I've never felt like putting them on a bike; but one of my basses, and any helmet I've owned are plastered with the damn things. It always seems funny at the time, until they go all manky with road shite!

Agreed about Superbike; it's never really taken my fancy. Same for MCN, it usually just leaves me feeling a bit depressed that these knob'eads get to swan about on the best gear, while feigning anger at irrelevant stuff. I do like scanning the breakers section, and 'assembling' a 'special' () tho'.

Anyone remember Road Rocket? 'Twas a very short lived A5 size UMG/Jalopy type thing, from the early 90's.

[Peter C]

Your Classic got me into old cars, approx 23 years ago? With hindsight it was a shit mag. The early issues had A-Z supplements based on various themes - performance cars, saloon cars.... I remember a comment about the Mk1 K-10 Nissan Micra, which suggested that the car is a modern day Mini Cooper. Whoever wrote that knows absolutely fuck all about cars.

 

I also regularly bought Used Car Buyer magazine. I think that Steve Cropley of Autocar & Motor fame was the ed. They preached advice about how to buy and sell used cars. One month there was a long article about this great BMW E34 520i they bought from an auction. The following month, after discovering exactly what they had bought, they proudly announced that it was the later 24 valve version. The experts (dickheads) didn't even know what fucking car they bought! Laughable.

[dollywobbler]

I loved UMG as well, always fantastic and made me lust after 2 wheeled shite

 

There was very briefly a four wheeled equilalent called 'Original Tin' which turned up a couple of years ago. I bought issue 1, thought it was fantastic and subscribed, then it disappeared after they had sent me 2 copies of issue 2

 

I'm guessing that Dollywobbler was one of the contributers

Yeah, I was a contributor to OT, and Peter of this parish was the mastermind behind it. Sadly, breaking into publishing is far from easy, though I think Peter still hopes to resurrect OT in one form or another.

 

Problem is, to keep a mag going, you need advertising, and when you're preaching to a market full of people who buy cheap shite and look after it themselves, it's hard to get advertisers in.

 

That said, I loved Original Tin because it was a big two-fingers up to the general classic press as it didn't have to woo advertisers, and so could say what it liked and steer away from commercial classics like MGBs and TRs.

[Marshall]

Your Classic - have quite a few still and they are a good read.

 

Also Popular Classics. Remember the first I bought had an Avenger tiger on the front and came with free screwdriver set (back then it was probably why I first started buying it LOL)

[garethj]

The best magazines I've read recently are Trigger's road test scans from the early '90s and before.

 

Wouldn't mind a look at some Original Tin or Jalopy mags though

[Formula Autos]

Jalopy was great, but I only managed to get the first half dozen or so issues before it stopped being stocked by my newsagent. I assumed it had died at that point. Now I know it achieved 31 issues I'll be trawling the Bay for more.

 

I used to love Car in the latter days of Setright's reign. They weren't afraid to put their opinions in print either. They relentlessly banged on about how good the Renault Alpine thingy was in the early '90s, and still the Regie couldn't shift any of the buggers. I remember one issue where they had a feature on odd looking cars, including the Ford Scorpio and Fiat Coupe, giving them a right slating despite the fact that both Ford and Fiat advertising heavily in the mag at the time.

 

If anyone wants a good read, the Car compilation books are worth a look. Though they only cover the '60s to the '80s. Surely one from my era (the '90s) is in the offing?

 

Top Gear magazine were similarly forthright, but only about manufacturers that rarely advertised in the mag (Pacific rim companies, usually). The used car buying advice seemed OK too - I think Count Quentula was in charge of/regularly contributed to that section. The best feature they ever did was one about buying a banger for IIRC £100 and driving it from Lands End to John O'Groats. They bought a spectacularly grotty Avenger estate with mismatched panels and it actually made it -albeit with a few bodges along the way to keep it running.

 

TG mag was 're-booted' at the same time as the TV show. I stopped getting it then.