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See Homepage. This page: Some car magazines from the 1920s through to the 1960s.
1930s Practical Motorist magazine

Motoring Magazines - reading for car enthusiasts years ago.

An introduction to this growing section at Old Classic Car.
Motoring magazines have been around for almost as long as the automobile itself. Many titles have been and gone, with just a few of the 'old timers' still available at the newsagent. In this section of oldclassiccar, I hope to feature some magazine titles that I've come across over the years, that relate to the motorcar in some form or other. There will be many magazine titles that previously I'd never heard of, or else never had chance to look at in any detail, but with a bit of luck I'll get a reasonable selection of car magazines into this section for your perusal.

By their very nature, magazines tend to be bought, read, then either thrown away, passed on to another keen reader, or end their days as bathroom fodder before being deposited in the bin a few weeks later. Those that are kept tend to form ever-growing piles of paper, which, perhaps during a house-move or a spring clean, end up being taken on a one-way trip to the recycling centre/tip.

A few though are stashed away carefully, 'just in case' an article might be of use in the future. The magazines that have survived to this day will have had this treatment at some point in their life - any less-than-perfect storage usually kills off an old magazine, either at the hands of the elements, or else thanks to rodents with an appetite for the printed word. Even collections carefully hoarded for many years can end their days in landfill, simply because the ear-ache received from other members of the family can be too much to bear.

A selection of motoring magazines from my own collection.

The following magazines have been bought over the last few years from a number of sources. An article looking at where to find collectable magazines might be of use to anyone else planning to collect some older titles. The following magazines have been loosely grouped into one of three categories, depending on their publisher and/or audience.

Magazines available to the general public.

Various titles easily bought from newspaper stands and newsagents from the earliest years of motoring, through to the 1960s. UK and foreign titles are included.
American Automobile Digest, August 1918
Car Mechanics, 1967
Cars & Motor-Cycles, 1927
Commercial Motor, 1928
Foreign Cars Illustr., 1958
Good Motoring, 1963
Indian & Eastern Motors, 1938
Maryland Motorist, 1928/30
Measham, 1962
Mileposts, 1946
Modern Motor Repair, 1933
Motor Life, 1958
Motor Repair & Overhauling, 1930
Motoring Weekly Advertiser, 1957
Popular Motoring, 1962/1965
Practical Motorist, 1934/1958/1973
Road Test, Nov 1965
Safer Motoring (VW), 1966
The Car, March 1903
The Light Car, April 1943 & July 1951
The Motor, June 1940
The Motor World, 1948
The Motorists Guide, 1964/1973
The New Motoring Encyclopedia 1936
The Used Car, 1938

In-house & Trade magazines produced by car manufacturers, suppliers and re-conditioners.

Mainly titles offered to company employees, loyal customers and trade contacts only, and not always available to the public.
AUSTIN, 1964 / 1965
Automobilismo, 1931
Ford Times, 1963
High Road, 1969 (BLMC)
Motor, 1935 & 1937
Motor Industry, 1959
Motor Trader, July 1950
Motoring (Nuffield Organization) 1960s
News Exchange (Nuffield Organization), 1963 / 1964
Rover, 1962/1963
Sidelights (BMC), 1961
Spares Market, 1960s
Standard Triumph Review, 1962
The Accessory, 1934 - 1956
The American Automobile, 1957
The Crankshaft Journal, 1959
The Garage & Motor Agent
The Garage Workers' Handbooks
The Leyland Journal, 1939
The Morris Owner, 1938
The Morris Owner & Nuffield Mail, 1944
The Motor Market, 1953
The Road Way, 1937
The Vauxhall Motorist, 1950-1955
The Vauxhall Motorist, 1961-1964
Transportation, 1951
Worldwide (BMC), 1963/4

Club magazines.

Magazines offered to members of motoring clubs.
BARC Gazette, 1951
Bristol Motor Cycle & Light Car Club, 1949
Iota (500cc Car Club), 1952
Junior Car Club, 1948
Maidstone & Mid-Kent Motor Club, 1954
Milestones (IAM), 1963
Nantwich & District Motor Club, 1966
Rightaway (Leeds Motor Club), 1928
Speed magazine (BRDC), 1937
The Safe Driver, 1958
Top Gear, 1951
Related links on oldclassiccar:
>Advertisements
>Car literature
>Children's annuals
>Hobbies Weekly
>Meccano Magazine
>Model Cars Magazine
>Motoring collectables
>Road maps
Some titles were much more popular than others, and this is usually reflected in the scarcity (or otherwise) of those that remain today. Some titles, such as The Motor or Autocar, can still be found fairly easily, whereas some titles, including those that were fairly specific to a make or model of car, can take much longer to track down.
Collectors nowadays might stick to just one title, perhaps focus on any motoring magazine from a given era, or else try to hunt down any mag that featured a road test on a particular car of interest. Me? I just tend to keep any old car mags that I find that are of interest, although I do try to keep a cut-off of the 1970s in mind wherever possible!
Please call back here again shortly, by which time hopefully I'll have added in some pages specific to mags, such as those shown below (Motor Sport, The Motor, Autocar, Mechanix Illustrated, Commercial Motor, Motor Trader, Practical Motorist, Measham, Autosport, Car Mechanics, and Motor Repair & Overhauling).
A number of fairly obscure motoring titles, some from overseas, will also be included in this section, hopefully including magazines that have all-but disappeared into the motoring mists of time.

Sample magazine covers

Car magazine covers

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