Lookback at the Best Auto Magazines

A lookback at automobile history requires a lookback at the best auto magazines. Ever since the beginning of the auto industry – even before normal people could afford the automatic vehicles – people read and purchased magazines, featuring articles that told of these legendary vehicles.

But which magazines reigned supreme? Which magazines proved, when all is said and done, to endure in both memory and popularity? While many magazines have come and gone outlining the auto industry, a few auto magazines stand apart as the best.

Autocar

Auto magazine content starts here. If you intend on doing a lookback at the best auto magazines, you end up always starting off at 1885, when this British magazine hit the shelves.

Autocar, which has been in publication for over 130 years, first emerged as a means to talk about the remarkable six or seven machines in the UK that could travel without the aid of horses. These remarkable machines were the first, and took England by storm. The magazine spread the word of these automobiles.

But rather than fizzle away once articles no longer captivated imaginations as they first had, Autocar redirected their focus by publishing material about new car models that had yet to hit the market.

While sales had waned in recent years, it is a testament to this magazine's strength that it has lasted in publication for this long, all to spread the word on what was at the time just a novelty.

Automotive Industries

Possibly the second oldest auto magazine, Automotive Industries, when it started back in 1895, was named The Horseless Age. The magazine's earliest topics of discussion? The death of the horse and buggy in favor of this automatic carriage. In 1909, the auto magazine became known as The Automobile, until, finally, in 1917, it became Automotive Industries.

For awhile, it was one of the only auto magazines around. For decades, no other magazine discussed the manufacturing of cars in any meaningful detail. Not like this. Within its yellowed pages lies articles from the old days of auto engineering. Information lost in the passage of time. For any car historian, these volumes are no doubt a fascinating read.

Oh, and it's still in publication, by the way. Like, today.

Road & Track

Road & Track. Car and Driver. These two sister publications have, for many years, been two of the key auto magazines around. No lookback at the best auto magazines is complete without reviewing these volumes.

Road & Track is the older of the two, being first published in 1947. Though it struggled for its early years, the magazine eventually found success after editor John Bond became a regular article contributor and editor of the magazine. Road & Track published articles primarily on the racing scene, describing the various drivers and cars that made it to the track.

As the magazine grew in popularity – and as racing became more popular and larger – the magazine went into far more detail about just about everything. The magazine featured road tests articles of the latest car models, insights on the technology behind the engines and structure of the cars, and (for awhile) Top 10 special issues of the best race cars around.

Car and Driver

The prior magazine's sister publication, Car and Driver has, in some ways, surpassed its original in popularity, in part due to its blunt, "say it like it is" attitude about just about everything.

Originally titled Sports Cars Illustrated, this auto magazine (founded in 1955) changed its name in the early 60s to signify a shift into general automobiles. Like Road & Track, it went into great detail discussing the power and capabilities of numerous cars on the market.

However, until Road & Track, Car and Driver's editorial decisions ("say it like it is") led to some rather intense controversies. The magazine has exposed numerous false claims by advertisers that overstated a car's potential by putting their statements to the test. These expose articles have proven to be among its most popular, and have gotten the little magazine in trouble with the big auto industry more than once.

Some argue the auto magazine has an elitist stance on all things auto related, looking down on less-expensive, less high end cars.

Fans? They love it.

Also, this magazine led to the creation of road races during the 70s, which, in some ways, inspired numerous auto racing film franchises, like the Cannonball Run, Gone in 60 Seconds, and, more recently, The Fast and the Furious.

Car Craft

One of the most important auto magazines of the 1950s, it is impossible to lookback at the best auto magazines without looking at Car Craft. Unlike the prior magazines, which focused mainly on the newest car models and the like, Car Craft focused on two things: drag racing and car customization.

The magazine offered articles advising auto enthusiasts how to properly modify their cars so they could blow the competition away in drag races across the country. This magazine helped spur on the advancing popularity of drag racing in rural America, and, as time went on, promoted drag races to readers all over.

If you like drag races, you have this auto magazine to thank for just about all of them.

Autoweek

Another 50s magazine that remains in publication (and was one of the first to be available to readers via the iPad), Autoweek has a single mission: tell you things about cars and racing that no one else will tell you.

Providing up to date coverage on races, cars, and drivers, Autoweek is a classy, no nonsense publication that releases a stream of articles offering up to date information about all things cars...

Until television took off. As Autoweek could not offer information about the races faster than the television could, it decided to diversify its content a little. The auto magazine even worked with Discovery Channel to release shows about racing on cable.

One remarkable thing about this magazine is how, rather than fight the progress and change of entertainment, it works with it.

Parker's Car Guides

The longest running price guide publication, Parker's Car Guides started up in the early 70s, and exists today as a website. Its mission? Compare estimated prices on automobiles so you don't get ripped off.

While it lacks detailed articles initially, the magazine did provide information about all the then-current or upcoming vehicles on the market.

Over time, however, the magazine provided articles reviewing and comparing automobiles. While never the ultimate authority on which cars were best, it tried to diversify its content for the better of the auto community.

For that reason alone, it is worthy of merit.

Car

Simply titled Car, this successful British auto magazine focuses on the little vehicles of cars. Stylish cars. Fast cars. Cars on the market. Cars now discontinued. Cars.

Every article is pretty straight forward, featuring some beautiful, stylish images. The magazine peaked in popularity in the mid-90s, but even in this era of magazine declines still remains a high selling volume.

There are numerous magazines that were just fun little publications. Nothing ground breaking or the like. A lookback at the best auto magazines need not only contain masterpieces or landmark publications. Sometimes, to understand what makes an auto magazine great, you only have to look at popular, fun magazines.