Car Mechanics Magazine Celebrates 50 Years

Car Mechanics Magazine Celebrates 50 Years

The UK’s only dedicated practical motoring magazine for modern cars, Car Mechanics, celebrates 50 years of publishing with its April 2008 edition, on sale from Thursday 20th March; this makes it the second oldest motoring monthly publication in existence.

Launched in April 1958, the editor was John Mills, who stated that “Car Mechanics has one simple purpose: to help you run your car on the most economical basis.” That ethos still holds true to this day; so while the cars have undoubtedly changed, Car Mechanics magazine remains the only newsstand publication that reaches out to the technically minded motoring enthusiast with hints and tips on maintaining modern cars.

The current editor of Car Mechanics, Peter Simpson, who has been in the hot seat since 1995, believes the magazine has remained relevant to the reader by slowly evolving to adapt to the challenges of the modern motorist: “Today’s cars contain computers up to ten times more powerful than those on Apollo 11 and are better made and more efficient than ever. They still, though, need looking after, and having the correct information to do that is vital. Car Mechanics continues to provide that; and to help people save money on their motoring.”

When Car Mechanics first hit the newsagents, there was no MoT test, there were no motorways and tens of thousands of pre-war cars, including Austin Sevens, were still in everyday use. Cars often needed servicing every 3,000 miles, while grease nipples sometimes needed seeing to every 500 miles! Today, cars have become more sophisticated and are generally far more reliable as a result. Service intervals are as great as 25,000 miles or two years, while the cars generally produce more power, using less fuel and emit fewer emissions.

In its special anniversary issue, Car Mechanics has packed in many special features: there’s a 50 year service shoot-out between a 1958 Land Rover Series 1 and the latest 2008 model Defender; we test out a 1958 Hillman Minx in modern day conditions to see how it fares; there’s also a look at the past five decades of the magazine and a special service feature on the DeLorean sports car – star of the hit Hollywood trilogy, Back to the Future.

In addition, Car Mechanics’ birthday issue has an interview with John Sharpe, aged 71, who it believes to be Britain’s longest serving mechanic. Having started in the motor trade in 1952, John has been working with cars for 56 years, and is still going strong to this day!

With product giveaways, competitions and money-off vouchers, there’s also a treat for every reader, plus all the usual regular features from buying guides, to engine management advice and a free technical help service.

While the market is undoubtedly different than when the magazine was first launched, editor Peter Simpson is passionate about the magazine’s future: “Proper car maintenance will, if anything, become more vital over the next decade with the increased importance of minimising exhaust emissions – a well maintained engine is also a clean engine. Today’s long service intervals also mean it’s now important for owners to carry out their own basic checks between services, otherwise small problems won’t be spotted before they become serious and/or expensive. Car Mechanics has an important role to play in helping people to look after what for most is still the second-biggest financial investment of their life, and I fully expect it to carry on doing that for another 50 years.”

When Car Mechanics was launched in 1958

• There was no MoT test for cars of any age
• There were no motorways, no Severn Bridge and no national speed limit
• Hit songs in the charts included Jailhouse Rock by a certain Mr Elvis Presley
• The Austin-Healey Frogeye Sprite had just been launched, priced at £455
• Queen Elizabeth II had reigned for just six years and Prince Charles was nine years old

Little known facts about Car Mechanics magazine

• It’s the longest running motoring monthly that’s been published continually since its launch
• TV motoring presenter, Vicky Butler-Henderson started her career on the title in 1990
• Has been produced by four publishing companies since 1958
• Was once owned by the infamous Robert Maxwell
• The Kabin in Coronation Street used to stock it but suddenly stopped when Jim Macdonald was jailed