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Just posted by David Freiburger on FaceBook. Publications to be killed include Car Craft, Street Rodder, JP Magazine, and others. AutoWeek was just killed off last week.
Today is a day we’ve all dreaded. With the exception of Motor Trend, Hot Rod, and Four Wheeler, TEN Publishing will cease the print products of its magazine brands. These titles will continue as web sites and social media accounts, and major investments are being made in digital, so the editors may keep their jobs to continue with that content. As a lifelong fan of print who made his career as a magazine editor, this is a devastating heartbreak of a day—but not a surprise. 19 magazines will stop being printed. This closure of print was not a decision made by the MotorTrend company.
Sad day. I get it... but I subscribe to these and read them while traveling (been on a plane too much this year). Muscle Car Review will definitely be missed as well.
1. This is not new. These auto magazines are just catching up to what others did many years ago. I used to subscribe to PC Magazine and PC World. The former went digital-only about 20 years ago, and the latter went about five years ago. I used to subscribe to three different golf magazines (Golf World, Golf Week, etc.). All are now digital and have been for at least the past five years. The list here is almost endless.
2. Producing a paper magazine is costly and consumes resources (ink, paper, the resources involved in sending them all over the country). We'll all be reading everything on our tablets before long. I read books pretty much exclusively on a Kindle. I haven't read a book made out of paper for about 10 years now.
I don't look at it that way. There are several strong advantages to an e-reader. For one thing, you can put dozens, if not hundreds, of books on it. This is especially nice when you travel, which I do from time to time. It's very nice to be able to finish a book and start another without having to stuff your carry-on with paperbacks.
The other great advantage is discovering new authors. There are many authors whose books are available for 99 cents or $1.99 that you'd never find in a library or in a bookstore because no publisher will publish them. Yes, this means that some crappy books have made their way onto my Kindle, and I've stopped reading them after a chapter or two. (For 99 cents, I don't mind taking the risk. But I WOULD mind if the book was a $24.99 hardcover.) But this is far outweighed by the number of low-cost books I've downloaded that have turned out to be wonderful finds.
The classic example of this is the book "The Martian" from which the movie of the same name starring Matt Damon was made a few years ago. That book started out as a self-published, 99-cent Kindle book on Amazon because the author, Andy Weir, couldn't get anyone to publish it. It turned out to be one of the best books of the decade, and I even told my wife at the time that this book should be made into a movie, and look what happened. If it hadn't been for self-published e-books, we might still have never heard of Andy Weir or read his excellent book.
Your "dystopian" is another person's natural evolution of technology. I'm sure the automobile was called dystopian at one time as well. Call it what you will, but I'll keep my Kindle.
I'm not going to mourn the loss as I have not read one of those pub's in about 30 years, with the exception of occasionally picking one up while waiting at the barber shop. I lost interest as the trends moved away from styles/types of cars I'm comfortable with and/or interested in. There were was a time that I could not get enough mechanical **** whether it be cars, airplanes, motorcycles, etc... While I do prefer the shiny pages as with most our age, the younger people today are fully electronic in their dealings with subscriptions. Its a business decision that frankly I'm surprised took this long.
Dropped my sub to Car Craft, the last car mag subscription I had, late last year. Subscribed over 35+ years and I have all the issues from 1980 on stuck in filing cabinets in the basement. Plus probably 20+ other titles; Hot Rod, Popular Hot Rodding; Car Review; a plethora of Pontiac titles, some truck stuff. I've been tempted for years to just throw it all on the burn pile but I just can't let them go. All organized by title and month, year. Probably the most organized thing about me. My good friend who owns a speed shop of sorts has always called them F@*k books. I'll miss them in a way, but yes, electronic media has replaced print media for sure.
Reading a car mag on an iPad sucks. A highlight of my day is taking a car mag to lunch and being able to read it and enjoy some down time. Scrolling back and forth on an iPad is not remotely the same.
Not only that, but it sounds like the print mags will not be reproduced as digital mags, but that some of their content will be available online. So the mags really are going away, not just being transferred to digital.
Not only that, but it sounds like the print mags will not be reproduced as digital mags, but that some of their content will be available online. So the mags really are going away, not just being transferred to digital.
^^^THIS! There isn't going to be a digital edition. There will only be the "digital content". How that is distributed and at what frequency is not yet known. I get daily email blasts from Hot Rod, Motor Trend, and Autoweek. The stories are subsets of those in the print editions and the photo content may or may not be equivalent. Sorry, but I drive cars with carburetors and points. I want my magazines on dead trees.
^^^this! There isn't going to be a digital edition. There will only be the "digital content". How that is distributed and at what frequency is not yet known. I get daily email blasts from hot rod, motor trend, and autoweek. The stories are subsets of those in the print editions and the photo content may or may not be equivalent. Sorry, but i drive cars with carburetors and points. I want my magazines on dead trees.
And if you go to the TEN Publishing website, the only print or digital magazines listed are Motor Trend, Hot Rod, and Four Wheeler, so you aren't going to seen any digital versions of Muscle Machines or Street Rodder. I wonder what happens to the road trips and events that Street Rodder puts on every year?
I'll also suggest it remains to be seen if anything will be discontinued--going online doesn't mean "discontinued."
Sorry, typo on my part. I meant to write Muscle Car Review. As for "going on line", there's currently no option to purchase a digital subscription to any of the cancelled titles. TEN isn't commenting but their website only offers three digital magazines, HRM, MT, and Four Wheeler. All I know is this quote:
“While TEN Publishing will no longer print the following magazines,” he wrote, “[MotorTrend Group] will continue to offer our audiences and advertisers digital coverage for these discontinued print titles online,” adding that subscribers to the shuttered magazines will be offered digital subscriptions to MotorTrend, Hot Rod or Four Wheeleras well as MotorTrend‘s video streaming service.
I guess I should add that when I read "...digital coverage for these discontinued print titles online,” but "...subscribers to the shuttered magazines will be offered digital subscriptions to MotorTrend, Hot Rod or Four Wheeler...", I interpret that to mean that the content from the other titles will be sprinkled into the digital products offered. Today that means that the Hot Rod Newsletter that drops into my email box every day includes one article from Street Rodder, one article from MCR, one article from CC, etc. If I can't sign up for a digital version of Street Rodder to fulfill the rest of my subscription, there isn't going to be a digital version of the magazine.
Sorry, but I've seen too many similar carefully worded statements from companies that sound like one thing but mean something else.
Sadly, The Buick GS Stage 1 that I restored and was shown at MCACN was scheduled to be feature car in an upcoming issue of MCR. the online content is https://www.hotrod.com/articles/rare...5-year-rescue/. I was really looking forward to displaying the magazine on my office wall. Guess I'll have to be satisfied with what I can copy on line. ~BOB
I guess I should add that when I read "...digital coverage for these discontinued print titles online,” but "...subscribers to the shuttered magazines will be offered digital subscriptions to MotorTrend, Hot Rod or Four Wheeler...", I interpret that to mean that the content from the other titles will be sprinkled into the digital products offered. Today that means that the Hot Rod Newsletter that drops into my email box every day includes one article from Street Rodder, one article from MCR, one article from CC, etc. If I can't sign up for a digital version of Street Rodder to fulfill the rest of my subscription, there isn't going to be a digital version of the magazine.
Sorry, but I've seen too many similar carefully worded statements from companies that sound like one thing but mean something else.
Yeah that's a non-incendiary way of saying it's gone.
Barry is the writer and photographer of the feature.
On Dec 7, 2019, at 7:47 AM, Barry Kluczyk <barryk@hotmail.com> wrote:
I received a note from the editor of MCR yesterday about the elimination of the print editions. The Buick was scheduled for the Feb issue, which according to the editor will not make it to print now. It's very sad news, but that's the information I was given. If anything changes, I will let you all know. Thanks,
I saw this yesterday, it is yet another insult to my generation and age group and a perfect example of the trend to dumb down the written word to small soundbite "selections". I am not incapable of reading something on my phone or computer, I just don't want to.
Amazing that Lowrider kept the trend of girl models next to cars for all those years when everyone else stopped doing it. I always wondered how much of their fan base was due to the actual cars and articles. In a way, they were the most old school of the bunch with all those "classy" ladies on the covers
Amazing that Lowrider kept the trend of girl models next to cars for all those years when everyone else stopped doing it. I always wondered how much of their fan base was due to the actual cars and articles. In a way, they were the most old school of the bunch with all those "classy" ladies on the covers
They're Hispanic. Different culture. More manly. Less gay PC.
Sadly, even Hemmings has consolidated their foreign sports car content into Hemmings Classic Cars, which dilutes what has been a good read for those into US cars ever since it evolved from Special Interest Automobiles, but at least HCC is still print and that may help it to survive, as obviously the sports car version couldn't make it on it's own. HCC is quite cheap and I highly recommend it, we must try to support those still hanging on. Hope Collectible Automobile survives, it's the best IMO. I have no use for reading books and magazines on a screen, spend enough time in front of one as it is., and getting away from it for recreational reading is nice to be able to do.
It's a business and there's not enough old car guys left to keep them profitable. I don't think many young guys buy any magazines let alone car magazines. I've cut way back. I like Car Craft better than Hot Rod. Pretty much anymore, one article will be in the other magazine in a month or two. My favorite was Popular Hot Rodding back when Matt King was editor. I always thought they needed to start an "Orphan Brand" magazine. I'd subscribe. I find myself digging out 25 y/o magazines and enjoy re-reading them. I've always disliked Motor Trend. Nothing like reading a Hot Rod magazine back in study hall in the 1960's, just don't get caught, it'll go on your permanent record.
I condensed boxes and boxes ot 40+ years of magazines by razori-ing out the articles I wanted, so when I'm really old I can re-read and re-live my favorite era of automobiling. No screens for me!
So to solve this problem where is that one in a million guy who is rich enough to Start a new car mag after the other car mags die. Hey Jay Leno you listening.
Amazing that Lowrider kept the trend of girl models next to cars for all those years when everyone else stopped doing it. I always wondered how much of their fan base was due to the actual cars and articles. In a way, they were the most old school of the bunch with all those "classy" ladies on the covers
I don't think "classy" is the correct word.......but I still look if they aren't laden with tatoo's and piercings.
Originally Posted by Koda
They're Hispanic. Different culture. More manly. Less gay PC.
Koda, you a funny guy. Where do you come up with this stuff ?
I received a note from the editor of MCR yesterday about the elimination of the print editions. The Buick was scheduled for the Feb issue, which according to the editor will not make it to print now. It's very sad news, but that's the information I was given. If anything changes, I will let you all know. Thanks,
It's my understanding the last issue is the Feb issue. Clearly after the holiday we'll know for sure. By all means don't quote me, but keep your hopes up for good measure.
I subscribe to Hot Rod, Car Craft, Muscle Machines and Classic Car. My buddy also subscribes to the big Hemmings and Old Car. We trade them, So I get to look at all of those. I just renewed Hot Rod and Car Craft for 3 years each I have never been told that they were going out of print.... (except for here on Classic Olds!) Am I to believe this or just a rumor? I also enjoy magazines for throne reading and on the bed stand- and of course for something to take with you to look at, etc. Anyway, I would assume that these publishers would tell me they are going out of print, if I have a current subscription? As a aside, I really like the Hemmings pubs, (though just last night I skipped thru most of the big one cuz I have no interest in Peugeots, etc- not a fan of the new imported car format), I ordered the HR and CC just because they are SO cheap at about $7-8 a year even though I usually skip through most of those 2. I hope magazine will always be around, but I doubt it, unfortunately.
Anyway, I would assume that these publishers would tell me they are going out of print, if I have a current subscription?
The staffs of those magazines were informed by tweet on Friday. No other public statement has been made by the company. If you go to the company's website for subscriptions (as opposed to third party subscription websites) the only titles that are available are the three surviving ones. If you go to, say, the Street Rodder or Car Craft Facebook pages and click on subscriptions, you are directed to the same link that only offers the three titles. Draw your own conclusion.
I always like to thumb through a magazine and decide what article I am going to read first. I never read cover to cover front to back. That is hard to do with a digital publication. Nobody has made mention of advertisers. That is a huge source of revenue for these publications. I would think it would decline with the move to digital publications. But then what do I know.
What advertisers? This is the whole problem. Advertisers have been running away from print media for years now. Have you compared the ads in a current edition of Hot Rod to one from the 1960s or 70s? The old issues used to be 200+ pages. There were ads from at least a dozen OEM automakers, plus many full page ads from aftermarket companies. Today, there are zero ads from OEMs, only a handful of aftermarket company ads, and that section in the back with the small ads and the male enhancement products. The lack of advertising revenue is exactly why these magazines are shutting down. As for on-line forums, I remain mystified as to how they actually make money.
Do you always have to have such a condescending attitude? Of course the damn advertisers have declined. Ads are probably a bigger source of revenue than subscriptions. That is exactly why newspapers continue to go out of business. No, I have not gone and dug out my 1960's issues of Hot Rod and compared them to the current issue. I have better things to do.
Will be sad to see them go. Tablets to me are not bad at all, plus you can keep all the Olds content you want on it. Beyond magazines, a tablet can keep PDF's of all your shop manuals, chassis service manuals and olds diagrams. Or notes on the next thing that needs fixing. Or what you fixed and don't want to forget about.
Most of what I saw in Car Craft and Hot Rod was/is Chevy or Ford oriented right in the middle of the old car bell curve. That's where the ad revenue was, but that's not Oldsmobile. Maybe I saw one article about Olds every 3 years. I think I could count on one hand the number of quadrajet articles over 20 years. Same for the TH-400. We and our Oldsmobiles were always less covered in these titles, though they were always good for picking up ideas and seeing how people did things.
Like it or not, we're moving from broadcasting in TV and Print to narrowcasting. The upside to the modern day and sites like this is we get deeper information particular to our interests, while not having to skip over another LS swap article or Fox body Mustang article. I have nothing against any of LS engines, Ford, Chrysler, foreign, or whatever, but I like being able to focus on just what I'm interested in.
Would Car Craft or Hot Rod have ever done an article on the fine points of converting 65-70 big Olds to disc? Or give the wiring pinout for converting an Olds to HEI? Or tell us which mid-70's big Olds bushings work on mid-60's cars? No way, not a big enough audience. We're sharing that here, thanks in large part to Joe, the other mods, and you guys.
On the revenue side, the forum's ads are present, though not intrusive, so I'm hoping they're making money. I'm guessing in the background someone, somewhere is doing analytics and frequency counting to target those ads more carefully to us. Surveillance capitalism seems to be the way these days. Maybe someday the surviving manufacturers will start trawling through these forums to find new product ideas/opportunities.
