Another mag bites the dust

[Mercdan68]

Well it seems fast Ford is no more
Subscribers have received the news this months is the last issue, don’t know what that means for Ford fair Fast Ford has been the main sponsor for years

[HoTWire]

Well that sucks. I don't understand Kelsey's business model here. The way they run the magazines, how the budgets and stuff work, is kinda crazy. However their real play for income is the events space it seems. But you need the culture and the scene to exist to make the events make sense. Even if the magazines didn't adapt to the current media landscape (which they should have done, but from what I understand most weren't allowed to), you'd figure they would keep the titles running in some form even at a loss, to incubate the scene, to create the demand for the events.

It is interesting the Elliott recently took ownership of Performance VW magazine from Kelsey. Hopefully he can make that fly as an independent magazine.

[dbizzle]

The final issue is really good, promise.

[e30ben]

May have to pick one up for old time sake.

Regularly bought it mid to late 90s , then life changed etc over the years, cannot remember last time I bought any car magazine.

[ChasR]

An end of an era really! A shame. I used to read quite a few of these back in the day.

I think Dave has encapsulate alot of the issues. Alot of the rot probably began when Kelsey changed their funding structure from the editor down, and not necessarily for the better. I suppose the goal was to try and spend less cash.

The convenience and accessibility of social media for content hasn't helped, even though that feels oversaturated at the moment.

A shame really. I'll have to see if the mag is available in the shops for old time's sake.

[misteralz]

Kelsey is such a dogshit company. They seem to ruin every mag they touch.

[Mercdan68]

At least Bauer own the best mag out there practical classics so hopefully that’s safe for many years

[ducklooker]

Kelsey have also pulled everything off the library services.
So not available in library or on Libby etc.....very sad.

[jimi]

They still appear to be taking subscriptions for Fast Ford

[crossy10]

I got a letter saying my subscription would continue but I would receive Classic Ford instead.

[Mercdan68]

As much as I hate to say the writing is on the wall for cf as well……a massive shame but this publisher ain’t good
And let’s face it a subscription to fast Ford to classic Ford is like changing from a comic to the Financial Times 🤭

[crossy10]

Yeah I did find it a bit strange Dan.

Surely they should’ve asked whether I wanted my subscription to continue with Classic Ford instead.

Not ideal but it’ll give me something to read I suppose.

Shame about Fast Ford though, one magazine that I’ve bought for god knows how long

[kurt18]

last 3 were £9.99 a mag

[jayj83]

Just went to buy the last magazine £9.99!!! As good as the magazine was it is not worth a tenner

[joda]

I found out over the weekend that through the local Library, with a library ard, you can register for Press Reader, which gives access to News papers, and Magazines, so i will no longer need to buy, Classic Car Weekly or Practicle Classics, but can also now read others i wouldnt have before.

Good news for the punter, bad news for the publisher!

[jimi]

Nov 1, 2024 20:57:22 GMT crossy10 said:

I got a letter saying my subscription would continue but I would receive Classic Ford instead.

Can they legally do that ? Surely your subscription was for a specific mag and if they cannot supply that then they should offer a refund on the balance or an alternative mag. Should be your choice not theirs ?

[dbizzle]

Nov 5, 2024 19:02:37 GMT jimi said:

they should offer a refund on the balance or an alternative mag.

That’s what they’re doing - Classic Ford is the alternative mag.

Nov 5, 2024 13:11:23 GMT kurt18 said:

last 3 were £9.99 a mag

Yeah, that was unfortunate but necessary - the penultimate two issues were a higher price because they doubled as show guides (for Ford Fair and Ford Fest respectively), while the last one was also a higher price because it was the farewell issue with a higher pagination.

[akku]

I found Magazines getting untenably expensive. I get why. I just feel that it doesn't help.

I remember when I used to buy at least 6 mags a month! Hot Rod, Car Craft, Practical Hot Rodding, Custom Car, and then one of Street Machine/PPC/Retro Cars depending on what was in print at the time. I also managed to get issues of Custom Rodder, Street Rodder, Ol Skool Rodz, Practical Classics and The Automobile.

HOW DID I AFFORD ALL THAT? I think I still smoked then too.

Most of those magazines are no longer published. Car Craft was effectively the launch vehicle for Roadkill and so on. PHR birthed Engine Masters. So I guess there is some legacy.

When I was in the US recently I saw a copy of Hot Rod on a news stand. I thought that was no longer printed as a paper mag so I bought it. $15 and its gone quarterly. And it felt to have lost its soul. Maybe I picked up a bad issue but it was just promo copy for some big dollar pro shops. This is what a $1,000,000 build rat rod truck build looks like. Great

I just guess we consume differently now. So much YouTube (and TikTok) content out there. I mean last time I went to the NEC for the big classic show there I was astounded ow many guys were walking round streaming or recording video content. Much of it "me too" and much of it drivel from what I overheard. But there is good content also. I dunno. I CBA with a lot of it.

[HoTWire]

Nov 8, 2024 13:19:50 GMT akku said:

I mean last time I went to the NEC for the big classic show there I was astounded ow many guys were walking round streaming or recording video content. Much of it "me too" and much of it drivel from what I overheard. But there is good content also. I dunno. I CBA with a lot of it.

"Guy walks around show naming cars" is the genre of Youtube car video I like the least. Although "smash up something people love for shock and clicks" is a close second.

I think something like Kerrang itself and the Loudersound collection of magazines have given a blueprint of how to move in to the digital age. Sadly the car magazines ignored it... well I say that, they got bought up by a company that ran them in to the ground through mismanagement, a bunch were at Future Publishing when they should have been changing path. If only there were people telling them to, by which I mean, if only the management there had listened to the people telling them to at the time, as the editors sure knew what was going on.

[misteralz]

If someone launched a smash the curse word out of W******** D*****'s face YouTube channel I'd never tire of watching that. I'd buy all the merchandise, too.