Carbon Copies

[p261brm]

Having just returned home after a fairly hectic 36 hours driving to a location close to Zolder I opened my copy of December's Motor Sport, and 'thumbed' through, neither time or inclination for an in depth read before the copy joins all the rest, complete from the June 1955 issue to the present day. Having never needed scale model cars or other inducments to continue my support for the magazine; have enough 'real' cars to play with, and the purpose of my visit to Belgium has added a Chevron B21 to the list, had the time come to cancel, as I felt this once doyen of motoring literature had become a carbon copy of other motoring magazines available.

[zefarelly]

I've just flicked through mine, I doubt I'll read it in detail.

[Al Weyman]

Yep I cancelled mine about a year ago as I am afraid I just got fed up reading about the old greats. Surely there is only so much you can write about a mans racing career before it become repetitive. I am sure they must struggle finding good original copy after being around so long.

[john ruston]

Needs Andrew Frankel back full time.

[Al Weyman]

To be honest I am subscribed to Octane now which is sort of OK but I have become disappointed with the lack of race oriented copy and reports I also cannot understand why they put the race reports tucked away in the suppliement which I believe only subscribers get. I actually thought this months edition was partcularly dull.

[John Turner]

Ok, so probably should be renamed 'Motor Sport - A Carbon Copy?', and transferred to Armchair Enthusiast. However, before doing so, could someone please name any other mags it is a carbon copy of? And is it not one of the oldest, so if it is like others, who is copying who? The only mag which I know that is similar is Octane which, compared to Motor Sport, is in its infancy.

What is it you want/expect from this magazine?

Surely, Al, the debate over historic racing reports is another issue? They do not seem to be covered that well anywhere, although HSCC has its own mag, and then there is Historic Motor Racing News.

[midgetman]

Completely disagree. I look forward to every month when it pops in my letter box. Well written articles, good contemporary and historic photography.

Mind you I'm a comparative newcomer. I read my father's copy when it was a monthly mag about the contemporary scene in the 70s, we stopped reading it for a time & I only picked it up again in its latest incarnation. I'm still learning about the greats, suppose I'll get grumpy about it as I get older ;-)

[simon drabble]

I threw away about 30 years worth of Motorsport when I could not find anyone to take it from me - if I am in an airport I will buy it for the flight but the top post is right - they are all a pastiche of each other, they all test the same cars. The one I do read is The Automobile

[RickP:Clio51]

Most admit I think it's come on leaps and bounds recently and I really enjoy it.
Was a period when I struggled with it and I still think it's time to put BB out to pasture but I think they've done a great job re-inventing it over the past year or so.
Octane my def. fave each month but Motorsport a close second.

[simon drabble]

my guilty pleasure are the historic commercial magazines (incredibly there is more than one!) but I flick through those at WH Smiths - I would hate to be caught buying one!

[andy97]

I must admit that I really like the mix between reporting/ analysis/ comment on modern issues and the historic stuff. I particularly look forward to reading the Roebuck column. I want to read a magazine with features rather than race reports so it suits me.

[zefarelly]

Originally Posted by simon drabble

my guilty pleasure are the historic commercial magazines (incredibly there is more than one!) but I flick through those at WH Smiths - I would hate to be caught buying one!

Why do you think I enjoyed working for Bedford so much, we got them all, every month, gratis . . . I was paid to read them.

I'm slightly dissapointed it hasn't lead to a more lucrative position fettling WO's trucks, but hey ho.

Motorsport has improved a lot in the last year, but has just started getting repeptitive. In my opinion . . . .

I stopped reading Octane about a year ago as I felt 2/3 was adverts, USA concours and wannabe rich bu11sh!t. Motoring news might not be shiny but at least it has some (mostly rally admittedly)

[p261brm]

Originally Posted by zefarelly

I stopped reading Octane about a year ago as I felt 2/3 was adverts, USA concours and wannabe rich bu11sh!t. Motoring news might not be shiny but at least it has some (mostly rally admittedly)

My point, why do we not get the entry, the race and results on race articles, etc that Jenks and and Michael Cotton were a past masters at, something perhaps Historic Motoring news should consider

[zefarelly]

HMN does publish a lot of results, but possibly only the top end and, regardless, they'll only publish what they know about/gets reported.

If you want to read a nice race report about your race, write it yourself!!!

[John Turner]

Good report, Zef; always good to get one from behind the wheel.

[p261brm]

Originally Posted by zefarelly

HMN does publish a lot of results, but possibly only the top end and, regardless, they'll only publish what they know about/gets reported.

If you want to read a nice race report about your race, write it yourself!!!

Not interested in the events attended, it is the events I have not, where a little more detail makes the difference between bland Joe Soap won and how he/she managed to out fumble the rivals

[Derwent Motorsp]

I look forward to MS each month. I learnt to read with MS (so I am told!) and have taken it ever since other than a time in the eighties when it nearly died but I do like the current format and the background to F1 etc. Can't see that it carbon copies anything. I enjoy "Lunch with..." as well. I would like to see more reporting on current historic racing, not just the Masters events.
It's the only monthly I subscribe to, I get C&SC for flights and holidays. I still get MN althought it takes 5 minutes to read these days, so eventually I might cancel it.
Is there a place for a mag like "Historic Race & Rally" of some years back?