Car and Driver
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Car and Driver is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. Its total circulation is 1.37 million. [citation needed] It is owned by Hachette Filipacchi Magazines. Originally headquartered in New York City, the magazine has been based in Ann Arbor, Michigan since the late 1970s.
It was known as Sports Car Illustrated until the early-1960s, when editor Karl Ludvigsen renamed it to show a more general automotive focus. 2005 marked the 50-year anniversary of Car and Driver.
| Issues | Owner |
|---|---|
| Jul 1955–Feb 1956 | Motor Publications |
| Mar 1956–Apr 1985 | Ziff-Davis |
| May 1985–Dec 1987 | CBS |
| Jan 1988–1992? | Diamandis Communications |
| 1992?– | Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. |
Car and Driver once featured Bruce McCall, Jean Shepherd and Dick Smothers as columnists and PJ O'Rourke as a frequent contributor. Former editors include William Jeanes and David E. Davis, the latter of whom led some employees to defect in order to create Automobile Magazine. The current magazine editor is Csaba Csere. Other notable staff members are Patrick Bedard, who raced in the Indianapolis 500 in 1983 and 1984, John Phillips, Mark Gillies, Barry Winfield, Aaron Robinson, Larry Webster, Patricia Eldridge Maki, Dave VanderWerp, Tony Swan, Tony Quiroga, André Idzikowski, and Mike Dushane.
Rather than electing a Car of the Year, Car and Driver picks ten "best" cars each year.
Car and Driver is home to the John Lingenfelter Memorial Trophy. This award is given annually at their Supercar/Superfour Challenge.
[edit] Editorial direction
| Issues | Editor |
|---|---|
| Jul 1955–Nov 1955 | George Parks |
| Dec 1955–Feb 1956 | Arthur Kramer |
| Mar 1956–Dec 1956 | Ken Purdy |
| Jan 1957–Nov 1959 | John Christy |
| Dec 1959–Jan 1962 | Karl Ludvigsen |
| Feb 1962–Feb 1963 | William Pain |
| Mar 1963–Jan 1966 | David E. Davis, Jr. |
| Feb 1966–Oct 1966 | Brock Yates |
| Nov 1966–Jan 1968 | Steve Smith |
| Feb 1968–Dec 1969 | Leon Mandel |
| Jan 1970–Mar 1971 | Gordon Jennings |
| Apr 1971–Nov 1974 | Bob Brown |
| Dec 1974–Sep 1976 | Stephan Wilkinson |
| Oct 1976–Oct 1985 | David E. Davis, Jr. |
| Nov 1985–Feb 1988 | Don Sherman |
| Mar 1988–May 1993 | William Jeanes |
| Jun 1993– | Csaba Csere |
The magazine is notable for its irreverent tone and habit of "telling it like it is", especially with regard to underperforming automobiles. However, critics of the magazine state that this somewhat pejorative nature has diminshed somewhat in recent years. The magazine has not shied away from delving into controversial issues, especially in regard to politics.
The magazine was one of the first to be unabashedly critical of the American automakers. However, it has been quick to praise noteworthy efforts like the Ford Focus and Chevrolet Corvette.
The magazine has been at the center of a few controversies based on this editorial direction, including the following:
- Their instrumented testing is considered by some to be rigorous among automotive magazines. It has twice revealed false power claims by manufacturers: Both the 1999 SVT Mustang Cobra and 2001 Mazda Miata tests showed these vehicles not producing performance equivalents to their claimed power output. In both cases, the manufacturers' claims were proved wrong, forcing buybacks and apologies.
- Their tests of radar detectors have consistently shown the Valentine One detector, a major Car and Driver advertiser, trouncing all competition. The magazine contends that their tests are accurate, while some question its objectivity.
Car and Driver and Road & Track are sister publications at Hachette and have for many years shared the same advertising, sales, marketing, and circulation departments. However, their editorial operations are distinct and they have separate publishers.
Car and Driver Television is the television counterpart that formerly aired on Spike TV's Powerblock weekend lineup. Larry Webster, one of the magazine's editors, usually hosted with Csaba Csere adding occasional commentary and news.
