Autosport magazine to stop printing magazines at the end of the year

[Aysedasi]

Yes, spot on there, I think.

[andy97]

Originally Posted by redshoes

Motor Sport magazine hasn't really covered that much motorsports for some time. There's little in the way of news or race reports and no results. It's more of 'lifestyle' magazine these days

I disagree that it is a lifestyle magazine - it no longer has race reports and results but it is packed with excellent features and interviews about motorsport, as I would expect.

[andrewc]

Originally Posted by redshoes

Motor Sport magazine hasn't really covered that much motorsports for some time. There's little in the way of news or race reports and no results. It's more of 'lifestyle' magazine these days

It may not be reporting on many races these days, but Motorsport magazine has found itself a niche that has allowed it not just to survive but to flourish in the past few years, partly at the expense of Autosport, possibly due to the less hectic publishing schedule of having to assemble a magazine each week, allowing journalists more time to apply a little more polish to their articles.

I'll remember Autosport / MN with fondness, especially the first issue which had a byline / photocredit from me - copies of which tucked away safely for posterity.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by coppice

I Look at the 200 plus posts devoted to a shady sponsor in the F1 forum (who bloody cares ?) and contrast that with the desultory 23 marking Dan Gurney's death ...

As someone who contributed to the Rich Energy thread, but not the Gurney thread (i don't think) I believe you are missing an important nuance here.

The Dan Gurney passing is way more important to me. I have the Gurney bumper sticker.

However I am not inclined to post in that thread, I don't feel an affinity with the passing threads for various reasons. Something I've developed over the years. Even if I did I would have posted maybe once or twice.

The frivolous energy drink thread was a current topic and changing, so it would get more posts. Also it is frivolous. It is a different thing. As with journalism, there is a difference between quantity and quality.

[E.B]

Originally Posted by andrewc

I'll remember Autosport / MN with fondness,

Same here. Back in the seventies, long before the internet became info central I used to religiously get Autosport / Motoring News everyThursday morning on my way to work, spending large amounts of time in the bathroom. Sometimes Dad would come home on the Wednesday night with an early copy he had got from somewhere near Waterloo Stn.

When I moved to Australia in 1983 my Birthday present every year was an airmail subscription to Autosport.... Thursday's edition would arrive always on a Monday morning. Then that got a bit beyond my Birthday present budget and stopped. Compounded by work that involved being away for much of the week and missing its arrival.

It was my only way at the time of catching up on UK clubbie news / results of categories I used to run in. Plus catch up on the international scene. Buying hard copies nowadays in something I only do at airports etc to help pass waiting time.

Happy Days.

[Tourer]

Autosport's Facebook page not confirming anything re print edition - yet.

[Fiorentina 1]

It's a done deal. The editor is gone. There are 2-dozen ads in the October issue of F1 Racing advertising their Plus service, overpriced b.s. I'd be surprised if the Suzuka issue gets printed. That massively sucks....

[midgetman]

Everything that I was about to post has been written here!

So nice to know I'm with like minded people.

It's such a shame about AS and MN, but I contributed to their demise because I haven't bought them for years. I was always disappointed there was no online MN of any importance, maybe the name would have been saved had it had one.

The problem is there's so much info these days and no more time to consume it. Even typing this has to be at the expense of reading something else e g. Autosport.

Motor Sport magazine has found a great niche IMO combining in-depth F1 technicals with a love of sports cars, Le Mans and a great affection for the cars, personalities and happenings of the past. The articles are well written and have passion. It is the only magazine I read from cover to cover, and there is only one place in the whole house I have the peace and quiet to do so.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[coppice]

Originally Posted by Adam43

As someone who contributed to the Rich Energy thread, but not the Gurney thread (i don't think) I believe you are missing an important nuance here.

The Dan Gurney passing is way more important to me. I have the Gurney bumper sticker.

However I am not inclined to post in that thread, I don't feel an affinity with the passing threads for various reasons. Something I've developed over the years. Even if I did I would have posted maybe once or twice.

The frivolous energy drink thread was a current topic and changing, so it would get more posts. Also it is frivolous. It is a different thing. As with journalism, there is a difference between quantity and quality.

A good point. I rarely post in such threads either as I often find them mawkish and crass . But I was (perhaps clumsily) making the point that ,for many , modern motorsport begins and ends with current F1 . I suspect only a tiny percentage of modern F1 fans even know about , let alone attend, the huge array of live motorsport we have in the UK .


For them , some ephemeral trivia about whose logo appears on an F1 car seems far more important than who was fastest at Shelsley Walsh (where?) or the programme for 2020 National racing events('that's like Goodwood innit ? ') and Autosport reflects this . We no longer have motorsport enthusiasts in any number, but we have a big F1 fanbase for whom such status just means watching too much TV .

[mark_l]

I feel sorry for the longtime freelance photographers and journalists who are now going to struggle to make a living if their Autosport/MN contracts are terminated.

These are the guys and girls who brought you the weekly club news. They are not f1 photographers who are on nice retainers from big teams but the humble people stood in tabards at some cold, wet club meeting trying to make an interesting photo from a 5 car race.

You have seen their names tagged in photos “Walker, Jones, Bourne etc” but these are the kind of people most affected by the demise.

[midgetman]

Originally Posted by coppice

A good point. I rarely post in such threads either as I often find them mawkish and crass . But I was (perhaps clumsily) making the point that ,for many , modern motorsport begins and ends with current F1 . I suspect only a tiny percentage of modern F1 fans even know about , let alone attend, the huge array of live motorsport we have in the UK .


For them , some ephemeral trivia about whose logo appears on an F1 car seems far more important than who was fastest at Shelsley Walsh (where?) or the programme for 2020 National racing events('that's like Goodwood innit ? ') and Autosport reflects this . We no longer have motorsport enthusiasts in any number, but we have a big F1 fanbase for whom such status just means watching too much TV .

That's really unfair. It's 2019 not 1969, no matter how much we wish otherwise.

Surely the problems of today are far more important than the victories of years ago? We can't affect what's happened but we can be interested in and try to influence what's happening.

As for fans only watching F1, I've no real interest in football or rugby but sometimes watch the top international games. Should I be banned from doing so because I don't also read about Dagenham Boadecias playing the Bromham Owl Appreciation Society in the Southern Zone 2 Wednesday League for Left Footed Players? If doesn't make me a bad person.

And your point about "rarely posting in tribute threads" really has echoes of my Woolworths comment earlier on.

IMHO of course

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by mark_l

I feel sorry for the longtime freelance photographers and journalists who are now going to struggle to make a living if their Autosport/MN contracts are terminated.

These are the guys and girls who brought you the weekly club news. They are not f1 photographers who are on nice retainers from big teams but the humble people stood in tabards at some cold, wet club meeting trying to make an interesting photo from a 5 car race.

You have seen their names tagged in photos “Walker, Jones, Bourne etc” but these are the kind of people most affected by the demise.

But won't they still have a place on the t'interweb?

That said as far as historics/hillclimbs and rallies are concerned Retro-Speed magazine may find its readership increase.

[mark_l]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

But won't they still have a place on the t'interweb?

That said as far as historics/hillclimbs and rallies are concerned Retro-Speed magazine may find its readership increase.

How much club Motorsport is reported on the Autosport.com website, certainly no club race reports

[Rob29]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

But won't they still have a place on the t'interweb?

That said as far as historics/hillclimbs and rallies are concerned Retro-Speed magazine may find its readership increase.

Where is Retro Speed? never heard of that one-think that is covered by Motorsport mag?
have been reading mags since 1955 but guess no further need for print.

[Peter Mallett]

Here you go.

http://www.retro-speed.co.uk/

[andy97]

I have just seen in one of my FB feeds and advert for this:

https://motorracinguk.com/2019/10/03...available-now/

Issue 5 apparently. Not seen it before. Digital and print issues. Anyone know anything about it or read it?

If someone thinks this can work, maybe this is the answer for those of us that are national and club racing addicts?

[andrewc]

I've not seen an actual copy of that.

For a while I tried to run an online news portal catering for clubman level racing - I considered the series where a well funded amateur could race and covered those.

The biggest problem was finding people who were willing to write reports for their particular series - despite those series probably writing a race report for their own website of social media stream. Photographers were slightly easier to find.

Maybe I should resurrect it.

[P38 in workshop]

I must admit to not having read Motorsport News since it assumed that title.Autosport is an occasional indulgence if there is a report on an event I have an interest in,but sadly it has succumbed to the inevitable triumph of electronic media.It couldn't compete with something that put the information in front of the enthusiast in a fraction of the time.The publications that are less focused on the currency of their content and which produce interesting and well researched articles are better placed for survival.I had noticed quite a churn in the editorial staff of Autosport and I hope the people who have the advantage of listing the title on their CV's will find alternative jobs where they can use their experience.


As a side question,what happens to the show at the NEC now?It would be a bit odd to call it the Autosport International if the publication ceases to exist.Maybe an online version will find a niche as a subset of motorsport.com-any ideas?

[cos]

£10.99 per issue from this week!

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by P38 in workshop

I had noticed quite a churn in the editorial staff of Autosport and I hope the people who have the advantage of listing the title on their CV's will find alternative jobs where they can use their experience.

We can all agree with that.

Originally Posted by P38 in workshop

As a side question,what happens to the show at the NEC now?It would be a bit odd to call it the Autosport International if the publication ceases to exist.Maybe an online version will find a niche as a subset of motorsport.com-any ideas?

According to the Twitter stuff (usual caveats), there will be no change to these including the Autosport/McLaren Driver of the Year Awards etc.

[JohnMiller]

Autosprout now £10.99 per week!

[rdjones]

Originally Posted by JohnMiller

Autosprout now £10.99 per week!

I have just seen that I nearly fell of my chair.....

BTW I have not bought a copy of Autosport for 3 or 4 years now. Up untill about 7 or 8 years ago I used to buy it ever week and did for about 15 years.

[Fiorentina 1]

Originally Posted by JohnMiller

Autosprout now £10.99 per week!

If I were in the UK, I'd steal a case of them and sell them on E-Bay for a quid just to **** them off!

[andy97]

Originally Posted by JohnMiller

Autosprout now £10.99 per week!

No one will buy it, so they can close it down, and they can then say it was because sales dropped below economic levels. It is just a self fulfilling situation.

[andrewc]

Last ever issue may be collectable one day...