Number eight…
Big shoes. Not just one pair either. They’re lined up outside the CAR editor’s office and they belong to a lineage of individuals who have made this magazine great. And CAR, as you have all confirmed over the years, can legitimately claim that adjective. It truly is a great publication. Not many have managed successful print and digital offerings, withstood the cull a severe recession has meant for magazines, and fought off the challenge of new, impressive competitors the way CAR has.
Thanks to the astute stewardship of my predecessors over the last 56 years – Hannes Oosthuizen, John Bentley, John Wright, Dave Trebett, Cedric Wright, Robert Key and J. Pattinson-Knight – CAR has maintained its position as the best-selling motoring publication in South Africa. Not just the best-selling one, mind you, but the best-selling magazine by some margin.
That’s how big the shoes are. Stepping into them, then, is a daunting task.
Luckily I have a couple of things going for me. First and foremost: the CAR team. Hannes forged the talents of a highly knowledgeable bunch of motoring journalists into a dedicated team who live, eat and breathe all things automotive. And of course there’s CAR Magazine itself and, by implication, you. Thanks to the close relationship this magazine has had with its readers over the last six decades and the feedback you have given us, what you are holding in your hands is 224 pages that were carefully crafted to your needs.
Which basically means I’d be an idiot to fundamentally change any of it. Like those before me, I’ll be dedicating my efforts in maintaining CAR as the trusted source of automotive information with our independent and detailed car testing, and informed insights. Sure, I’ve got some tweaks planned – I think a magazine needs to be informative as well as entertaining, plus we’ll freshen the design a little – but most importantly, I’ll be listening to you.
Your input is a crucial element to CAR’s ongoing success and I would appreciate and value your feedback. You can get in touch with me on Twitter, our Facebook page (search “CAR Magazine SA”), or via car(at)ramsaymedia.co.za
