From that very first issue you see above, subtle changes over the decades have gradually evolved CAR into the magazine you know and love today. Here are 20 iconic covers from the past 60 years…
May 1960
Who says a car magazine should have a car on its cover? Editor Robert Key marks the arrival of Aussie-sourced Holdens in our market with this cartoon.
December 1961
Editor Cedric Wright’s first issue in charge. Wright would be at the helm for 21 years and was instrumental in building this illustrious magazine into what it is today.
February 1967
Our 10th anniversary issue with the first major change to our logo since launch and a colour scheme right out of the psychedelic Sixties.
December 1972
Back when foldout covers were still a novelty, this introduces what would be a hugely popular car in SA. That logo is starting to look more familiar, too.
January 1976
This issue heralds some big changes … another tweak to the logo, a new look and feel inside, and we incorporate sister magazine, Technicar, for the first time.
February 1977
We celebrate two decades in the business with this minimalist design. As was standard practice since inception, the cover was sold to a manufacturer.
May 1980
Our first-ever editorial cover and one that sets the template we have followed closely ever since. It features the comparative test everyone wanted to see.
August 1983 Cost
The early days of what’s to become CAR’s iconic Performance Shootout. We feature 21 cars and two race drivers, Basil van Rooyen and Brian Sims.
February 1986
1986 marks 100 years since Karl Benz first patented his rickety belt-driven car and we celebrate the occasion by driving a 1888 version owned by South African Tom Watson.
January 1992
January issues are always our bestsellers, but this sets the high-water mark. A 911 Turbo, Viper and BMW 325iS help us sell a whopping 150 543 issues this month.
July 1992
The logo change may have been very subtle, but our story on the Chevrolet Geo Storm was momentous. It was our first-ever drive of an electric car.
May 1995
The late John Wright’s 11-year term as editor begins and, with his strong focus on tech, he starts his tenure with a focus on Audi’s ground-breaking all-aluminium A8.
February 1997
A bright and busy cover marks our 40th anniversary and in it we retest a 1957 Ford Anglia De Lux that we first tested four decades earlier. Once again, it gets our approval.
September 1998
This, bumper 288-page 500th issue, signals a new logo that remains the one we use today, albeit now in slightly larger form.
January 2000
We publish our inaugural Top 10 Best Buys feature, later, of course, to become CAR’s much-read Top 12 Best Buys section that appears in our March issue each year.
February 2007
In his letter, editor John Bentley restated CAR’s credentials: “Editorial independence and integrity, and a determination to present the facts, good or bad, in the interests of the CAR reader.”
May 2011
Editor Hannes Oosthuizen introduces augmented reality that allows you to access video content directly, using QR codes in the magazine from your mobile phone.
August 2012 (subscribers only)
Unless you received your CAR in the post every month, you will have never seen this issue with its unique logo execution and minimalist, monotone image of a Pagani Huayra.
November 2013
The logo change is minor, but inside sees both a major design change and a restructuring of the content. CAR’s hallowed editorial pillars, however, remain untouched.
March 2016
Not only the most anticipated comparative test in a long while, this was acknowledged as one of 2016’s 10 best local magazine covers by media commentators, marklives.com.
