Car (magazine)

Car

Car (UK edition), September 2002 issue
Categories	Automobile magazine
Total circulation (June 2013)	48,370
Year founded	1962
Company	Bauer Consumer Media
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Website	www.carmagazine.co.uk

Car is a British automotive enthusiast magazine published monthly by Bauer Consumer Media. International editions are published by Bauer Automotive in Brazil, China, Greece, India, Malaysia (since December 2012, through Astro),Mexico, the Middle East, Poland (under the title Cars), Romania, Russia, South Africa (under the title topcar), Spain, Thailand and Turkey. A Japanese counterpart, Car Magazine (カーマガジン, kaa magajin^?), is published by Neko Publishing.

Car features a regular group test under the 'Giant Test' name, which was originally developed by the magazine in the 1970s. It also features 'newcomer' first drives of new cars, interviews with significant figures in the motor industry and other features.

The magazine was launched in 1962 as Small Car and Mini Owner incorporating Sporting Driver . It was renamed as Car in 1965. In the 1960s Car pioneered the 'Car of The Year' (COTY) competition that was subsequently decided by motoring journalists on a Europe wide basis. In the 1970s and 1980s Car was far ahead of other motoring magazines for the quality and depth of its writing, artwork and photography. Significant contributors during the magazine's heyday included Henry Manney III, Douglas Blain, George Bishop, L. J. K. Setright, Ronald Barker, Mel Nichols, Steve Cropley, Russell Bulgin, Philip Llewellin, James May, Alexei Sayle and Rowan Atkinson. L. J. K. Setright in many insightful series of articles, linked the development and history of the motor car to its social, technological and historical contexts. Car was also renowned for its 'scoop' photos and drawings and took delight in the irritation it caused to car manufacturers by revealing significant new models ahead of time. Car regularly featured the spy shots of Hans G. Lehmann, featuring his work with its own image-stamp emblazoned with the words Hans G. Lehmann - Fotograf. In the 1990s and early 2000s (decade), the artist Hilton Holloway was responsible for a number of projected images of cars in development, first through graphic art, followed later by Photoshop compositing artwork. In 2001 one of his concepts for a Lotus Formula 1 was so accurate that 'Project Hilton' became the code-name for the F1 project within Lotus.