'Motor Sport' online archive

Seemingly with no fanfare whatsoever, Motor Sport have put their entire archive of back issues online. Free!

The main part of the database is the same as the DVDs which were released some years ago, but it has been updated to include - at the time of writing - every issue up to January 2014. This of course has both up- and down-sides: the OCR standard of some of the original scans wasn't great, but they have added an error reporting tool and also enhanced the database to point you to 'related' articles. Presumably they would be happy to receive corrected versions of OCR-ed articles in order to improve the search: Google site search may perhaps return better results since you can use wildcards with it.

Unless I've missed something, it's not possible to (easily) download the full-size original pages, but there seems to be nothing to stop you simply copy/pasting the OCR versions as a text document.

http://archive.motorsportmagazine.com/

Enjoy!

Can I just say that this is stupendous news

Edited by Risil, 03 May 2014 - 10:45.

I'd had an idea this was coming, since it suddenly started appearing on Google searches about a year ago and for about two weeks it was actually possible to use it. It was then blocked, which led me to assume that it was going to be paywalled and/or only for subscribers: at that time it only contained the stuff which had been on the DVDs, so I was very pleasantly surprised to find they had brought it right up to date!

Those of us whose 42-year run of bound volumes of MS became valueless when the DVD version was published will have little sympathy for those who paid good money for those DVDs which are now also valueless

Those of us whose 42-year run of bound volumes of MS became valueless when the DVD version was published will have little sympathy for those who paid good money for those DVDs which are now also valueless

It still dosn't get rid of  those dusty piles of magazines under my bed, though! Now nobody wants them X 2. Can you remember the time when good collections went for hundreds of pounds?

Still, musn't grumble. A huge free archive at the click of a mouse. Can't be bad.

 

A huge free archive at the click of a mouse.

 

But is it really free, not much ever is. I vaguely remember that they're going to start charging for access after a short introductory period, has anyone here read the small print?

But is it really free, not much ever is. I vaguely remember that they're going to start charging for access after a short introductory period, has anyone here read the small print?

P.50 of the new edition of MS tells us that it will be free for three months after which there will a 'variety of subscription options'  So jump in now!

P.50 of the new edition of MS tells us that it will be free for three months after which there will a 'variety of subscription options'  So jump in now!

I hope the cost won't be off-putting. Wonder how much Allan would charge to let people rummage around under his bed, I can see a business opportunity here...

Seemingly with no fanfare whatsoever, Motor Sport have put their entire archive of back issues online. Free!

 

The main part of the database is the same as the DVDs which were released some years ago, but it has been updated to include - at the time of writing - every issue up to January 2014. This of course has both up- and down-sides: the OCR standard of some of the original scans wasn't great, but they have added an error reporting tool and also enhanced the database to point you to 'related' articles. Presumably they would be happy to receive corrected versions of OCR-ed articles in order to improve the search: Google site search may perhaps return better results since you can use wildcards with it.

 

Unless I've missed something, it's not possible to (easily) download the full-size original pages, but there seems to be nothing to stop you simply copy/pasting the OCR versions as a text document.

 

http://archive.motorsportmagazine.com/

 

Enjoy!

Vitesse, looked at the offer, tried to ZOOM the offered pages. BUT:loading ,loading,loading....nothing opened up. Is there a trick, or is it SOO slow??

Michael

Vitesse, looked at the offer, tried to ZOOM the offered pages. BUT:loading ,loading,loading....nothing opened up. Is there a trick, or is it SOO slow??

 

Michael

It's more or less instant for me, using Firefox 29 on W7, but it does open in a separate viewer in the same tab. Perhaps something in your settings - a popup blocker or something similar? It uses the same system as Karting and Commercial Motor - although with a larger viewer. Do those work for you?

http://karting.archi...py.co.uk/issues

http://archive.commercialmotor.com/

It's more or less instant for me, using Firefox 29 on W7, but it does open in a separate viewer in the same tab. Perhaps something in your settings - a popup blocker or something similar? It uses the same system as Karting and Commercial Motor - although with a larger viewer. Do those work for you?

 

http://karting.archi...py.co.uk/issues

 

http://archive.commercialmotor.com/

Thanks Vitesse, Karting does the same (loading....)..I have Firefox 30 on W7...

Not too important!!

Michael

Kudos to Motor Sport. This is excellent.

A small gripe, and one I raise in all humility, is that you can't nip from issue to issue without going back via Issue Browser.

I well and truly forgive them such OCR atrocities as the description of the opening lap of the 1961 International Trophy: "Brabham made the best start and was first round Woodeote on lap one followed by McLaren' Moss, Suttees, I Lerirv Taylor and I3rooks. Natili Obviously paid little attention to his briefing, fOr he overt tinned on this lap at Club without personal damage." OCR is a bugger at the best of times, constantly lying in wait to reveal your haste or poor proof reading skills and I encourage all to avail themselves of the "Report an error" facility Motor Sport has included.

The thread starter said, "Unless I've missed something, it's not possible to (easily) download the full-size original pages." He's right but if one wants to grab a whole original page for some reason, there is a workaround of sorts (at least on Safari/Mac OS.) Zoom the page, then, using the text size button on the (Safari) menu bar, reduce it until it just fills the monitor, and then take a screenshot. My monitor is 22" and the following screenshot shows the size and resolution that results.

A bit of a workaround but better, perhaps, than a poke in the eye with a blunt stick.

If that is the case, ie free access for the world and his dog, I can think of one subscriber in his 55th year as an MS reader, having recently paid the necessary premium for archive access, who will be having a very interesting conversation with Damien Smith on Tuesday, more so since that subscriber cannot find how to access it through his normal link.
Roger Lund

Ditto Roger, makes me wonder what exactly it was the I was paying for! So while everyone else pillages the archive FOC for three months, you and I will be paying for it?!