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Demise of Retro Cars Magazine?
Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2006 10:57 pm
by White Flame
Word on the street is Future publications are pulling the plug on Retro Cars Mag.
I am well annoyed with this as this mag has done more for the Dolomite than any other publication.
Scotts car being just one of the many featured...........
A link to another forum.......
http://www.retrocarclub.co.uk/forums/in ... topic=4057
Thoughts.......
Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2006 11:01 pm
by 1300dolly
complete bar stewards i have every copy since issue one.
I willl try to contact them after the weekend to find out for sure
not sure why they would pull it as retro cars sell more copys then some of their other mags. maybe some one at future started the rumour to get more peopleto buy.
^
Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2006 11:07 pm
by White Flame
See my posts on page 2 of the link! Like you I am an an issue one guy.
Can't miss me I'm algtj!

Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2006 11:19 pm
by Lewis
>edited to sound a little less harsh

<
It was an interesting premise which showed excellent grounding at the start of it's run but rapidly went downhill - I don't think the staff really appreciated what they were writing about or where to direct the magazine.
Unfortunateyl, after it's downfall over the last year, I'm not going to miss it. Content was usually poorly written, with an uninteresting, repetitive selection of articles which more often than not were factually incorrect - somehow the articles seemed to be lacking a certain je ne sais quais regarding the love for all things auto.
However, I guess it is a sad loss of a magazine which covers a gap that no others, at the moment, do.
I think when you look at the 'staff cars' section, you get a real good idea on how interesting the magazine will be - like PPC, with Charlie's aero engined Meteor, whatever sheddy car Kev is hacking about, Dale's totally intense antics and so on....you think "Yea, this is a rocking lot."
Then you compare it to Retro Cars as it is now :
'we bought a Citroen off ebay and polished the wheels a bit'
'we bought a pub-landlord-spec Jaguar off eBay and changed the wheels'
'we bought a van-engined porsche and made a half-ars'd track car by taking the carpet out'
Just really makes you think "hm, maybe not this month, 'eh?" It's gone to pot as well on features, it seemed to be come MG and Alfa monthly for the most part. When a magazine starts using the same photos & text from previous feature cars in its "Buyers guide" you do have to wonder if they're actually bothered or not...
The early ones were really quite good
Shall have to step in with an alternative magazine, then!
Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2006 11:21 pm
by Mad Mart
Just counted through my copies, didn't realise I'd been getting them for 2 years!
Hope they keep it going.

^
Posted: Fri Oct 20, 2006 12:04 am
by White Flame
Bit harsh Lewis, I think you were in it at some point!?
For me, it picked up where CCC left off, but like you say with a bit more conviction from the right staff it could go from strength to strength.
And as previously stated, our beloved Dolomites have had more than the normal press coverage in Retro

Posted: Fri Oct 20, 2006 8:14 am
by Lewis
Yea I was...well, it may sound harsh but it just seems that they let it go to ruin and it kind of irritates me, it had so much potential and I did love the early ones - with Darrens Cosworth in it, twin cam conversions - I still leaf through the early ones and I do enjoy reading them....but pick up a recent one and I just put it back on the shelf and pick up PPC, Custard Car or Street Mach...<Cough> "American Car World" instead
Or maybe Practical Classics, that seems to be enjoying a bit of a resurgance at the moment

Posted: Fri Oct 20, 2006 2:33 pm
by AdamF
Never really got into Retro Cars for some reason.
I'm a PPC and Practical Classics man myself...
Posted: Fri Oct 20, 2006 10:16 pm
by smifter
It'll be a big shame if it does go.
Its not as good as CCC but it makes the other classic car mags look incredibly dull - probably because it isn't written by v-neck pullover wearing 50 year old virgin obsessive complusive types with dodgy facial hair (and thats just the women!).
Typical hairy classic car magazine editor:-
I know some of the articles are getting it a bit of max power for classics image but the cars featured are almost always built by joe average and there are some innovative conversions. This months has got everything from a 2.3 lotus twincam Vauxhall Viva to a Skoda Estelle!
Nah, you can stick your picking gravel out of tyre treads monthly, Retro cars floats my boat!
p.s. No offence to you beardy types - just having a laff
Posted: Sat Oct 21, 2006 12:31 am
by 1300dolly
got to agree with lewis about the buyers guide section.
buying a second hand head and
buying second hand wheels seem to be a very regular feature with the odd buying second hand brakes thrown in.
The staff were changed after about a year and their own cars feature heavily but is this because there is a lack of intrest in readers sending in their own storys. acase of i' cant be arsed to write a story but want everyone else to'
But i do hope they carry on as i has done a lot of good for the retro scene.
Didn't miss you Al, looks like we are reading from the same book.
Posted: Sat Oct 21, 2006 9:20 pm
by Doc Hudson
Yep,just stood in Tesco's and read it... But didn't Buy it !!!!.

But there again i couldnt see anything about dolomites in it .... If we are talking about recyling material though the front page of classic car weekly features Carl Dandridge (and hat) in his purple herald coupe. This upgrading feature was used in practical classics years ago.................
Andy
Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 7:42 pm
by Mr.Speedy
I've just had a comformation letter from retro cars for another 12 months subs so I don't think their packing up just yet.
Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 8:29 pm
by SprintV8
Mr Speedy Said,
I've just had a comformation letter from retro cars for another 12 months subs so I don't think their packing up just yet.
That's handy should have the Sprint done before then(Touch Wood).
Only fitting it should go back in there once it's finished.
Anybody else had there car featured twice for the same mag?
Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 8:36 pm
by xvivalve
My old gym sent out the demands for further 12 months subscription just a month before they closed the doors and legged it! As I hadn't been in the previous 18 months I didn't renew, but according to the local paper lots of folk did!
Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2006 12:34 am
by ALGIK
SprintV8 wrote:
Anybody else had there car featured twice for the same mag?[/color]
Yes
