From the editor
Greetings CAR readers. Wow, 65 years of South Africa’s biggest and best automotive magazine. That is 781 magazines – and it would’ve been 782 if it weren’t for the combined April/may mag in 2020 owing to the coronavirus. It was the only time in our history that there has ever been a combined issue!
That’s a whole lot of motoring, and it has me re ecting on everything the car industry has been through of late: COVID-19 restrictions, semi-conductor shortages, missed build slots and production delays. I wonder if previous editors like Robert Key or John Wright could’ve foreseen such an occurrence back then. Yet, somehow, the cogs in the machine have kept turning. Motoring folk are nothing if not industrious … and that’s why you’ve got to love ’em.
Editorially, we’ve got through it, too, despite some crazy and unexpected challenges brought about by the pandemic. Our team has adapted to this new world and we’re thriving, creating uniquely South African content for our audience. In keeping with the anniversary theme this month, we’ve dedicated more than 30 pages to historic content in addition to our regular features and in-depth road tests.
Poring over countless issues from the archive to put this issue together – particularly the iconic covers – I couldn’t help but re ect on the journey CAR has been on over six decades. Realising I have played a small part in something so storied and historic is truly humbling. It lls me with gratitude.
Beyond the slick imagery and (hopefully) entertaining and informative cover lines of those past issues, I know each cover I’ve had the honour of producing tells a profoundly personal story. I imagine it was the same for each of the editors who came before me.
So, what’s the secret to a great CAR cover? If you know, please write in and tell us. I believe there is no secret. It’s all about working your arse off and putting so much energy and work into those pages, that the cover simply cannot contain all the goodness inside. Those are the ones that really jump off the shelf.
Once again, thank you for supporting CAR for all these years. Here’s hoping you’ll continue to do so for the next 65!
Enjoy the issue.