BROADCAST
G’DAY and welcome to the June 2020 issue of Street Machine. You may well be wondering who the hell I am and what I have done with Telfo. If you missed his editorial last month, he gave you the heads-up that he was taking a step back from SM to focus more heavily on a broader publisher’s role. It’s a good thing for our business, because it means other mags in our stable get to benefit from his passion, experience and publishing smarts.
As a result, this is my first issue in the big chair at Street Machine, and if I’m honest, that’s something I haven’t completely wrapped my head around yet. I’ve read the mag religiously for longer than I can remember. I’ve been working on it as features editor for the past three years and as a contributor for the 10-odd years prior to that. My mum reckons she can remember me telling her I wanted to become editor of Street Machine when I was a young bloke, so I guess that makes this the realisation of a childhood dream, and that’s a little surreal.
First up, I’d like to thank Telfo for having faith in me to do this incredibly important job, especially at such a challenging time with bastard coronavirus currently gripping the world by the goolies. I’m beyond fortunate that Telfo is sticking around as editor-in-chief, which means I can – and very often do – look to him for guidance and advice.
As he explained last issue, the COVID-19 pandemic has meant we’ve had to think laterally and make some difficult decisions, but you have my word that we will continue burning the midnight oil to deliver you the best possible product. I know a lot of you will be feeling the pinch at the moment, so thanks for picking up the mag, watching our Youtube videos, buying our merch, consuming our web content and interacting with our social channels.
Thanks also to our small but talented team of Street Machine staffers for their tireless work, and to our champion contributors for their endless support, especially at the present time. Like everyone else, we’re all looking forward to business as usual on the other side, doing things we used to take for granted like racing, cruising and shows. I for one plan on making up for lost time once the restrictions are eased.
One positive to come out of the pandemic is all the beaut spanner work you guys and girls have been up to in your sheds during isolation. We were so inspired by your efforts that we have a feature dedicated to your isolation projects, and you can check that out from page 64.
I’D LIKE TO THANK TELFO FOR HAVING FAITH IN ME TO DO THIS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT JOB, ESPECIALLY AT SUCH A CHALLENGING TIME
I’m also stoked to have the Ogilvie family’s Torana on the cover of my first issue as ed. I’ve always been a Torana nut, and have owned my LC (pictured below) since I was 14 years old. Along with other iconic Torries like Mark Hayes’s LC4540 and Howard Bell’s LITRE8, Clint Ogilvie’s FRONT/BACK LC has long been an inspiration to me, and I always look forward to catching up with him for a chinwag at various events around the place.
Before I leave you, just a quick reminder to check in with your mates and family. This whole coronavirus mess has taken a huge toll on so many people, and while it’s encouraging to see restrictions starting to be rolled back in most states, the reality is that the effects will be long lasting. Hang in there, look after each other, and remember we’ll be back doing what we love in no time flat.
Cheers, Broads