Octane (magazine)

Octane Magazine

Octane magazine, April 2009
Editor	David Lillywhite
Categories	Motoring, Cars
Frequency	Monthly
Total circulation (June 2016)	38,428
First issue	June 2003
Country	United Kingdom
Based in	Wollaston, Northamptonshire
Website	www.classicandperformancecar.com
ISSN	1740-0023

Octane is a British car magazine, published monthly, and concentrating on classic and performance cars. It was launched in 2003 and is now published by Dennis Publishing. The magazine features news, road tests and buyers guides of both classic cars and some modern performance cars. It also has an extensive for sale section, showing cars from all around the world. It has a cover price of £4.70 in the United Kingdom and sells an average of 35,000 copies.

The Octane office is situated in Wollaston, Northamptonshire.

Octane magazine was launched in May 2003, following a chance meeting between David Lillywhite and Geoff Love. They were invited to a meeting to discuss the launch of a motoring magazine (eventually to be launched as Practical Performance Car), but came away with the germ of an idea about a classic magazine that focused on the upper end of the market.

A team was quickly put together consisting of Robert Coucher, previously editor of Classic Cars during its heyday; Sanjay Seetanah, ex Classic & Sportscar and Classic Cars Advertising Manager; David Lillywhite, ex-deputy editor on Classic Cars and freelance writer for a number of publications, and Geoff Love, ex Publishing Director at EMAP (now Bauer) Automotive.

Classic & Sportscar and Classic Cars were publishing magazines that targeted a broad range of cars from restoration projects to exotic supercars but there was nothing really targeting the serious collector, the historic racing driver or the serious enthusiast. This was the market opportunity that the team of four identified and where Octane was to launch into.

The editorial concept was established and the business plan created. All the team now required was funding. Obtaining finance for a magazine launch is not easy, but Sanjay was a Crystal Palace fan and knew another fan who revealed he had Simon Jordan's phone number on his mobile. In a drunken moment Sanjay challenged his friend to call the Crystal Palace Chairman and see if he wanted to invest in a classic car magazine.

As luck would have it, Simon was looking for investments, and a couple of weeks later the four found themselves in the board room of the Grosvenor House Hotel being grilled by Simon, his tax adviser, and financial advisor in a scene reminiscent of the Dragon's Den. During the day Simon had been presented to by five other potential entrepreneurs, and the Octane presentation came at 5.30pm. After an hour of tough questions, Simon turned to his advisers and agreed to invest the money.