14 replies to this topic

[potmotr]

I was very pleased to pick up my Autosport this afternoon and discover Le Mans, Alan McNish and his Audi on the cover. Usually the magazine seems to run Formula 1 and (often) Lewis on the cover, regardless of whether that branch of the sport is having a slow news week. Fair enough, F1 and Lewis clearly shifts more copies. But can anyone remember the last time F1 was off the cover? Andy Priaux's third WTCC title last year?
Good call on McNish Autosport!

[F575 GTC]

Great cover, rubbish headline. "McNish wins LeMans" Well yes, i suppose he did, but likewise so did Dindo & TK, it wasn't a solitary effort. Maybe it should have read "Audi Wins....Again!" or something

[pacificquay]

Originally posted by F575 GTC
Great cover, rubbish headline. "McNish wins LeMans" Well yes, i suppose he did, but likewise so did Dindo & TK, it wasn't a solitary effort. Maybe it should have read "Audi Wins....Again!" or something

Why?

The cover is to draw people in.

A British magazine using a British-focused headline is entirely logical.

[KWSN - DSM]

Originally posted by pacificquay


Why?

The cover is to draw people in.

A British magazine using a British-focused headline is entirely logical.

But the magazine is sold all over the world, and part of the critique that was raised in the thread of how Autosport have fallen from previous heights is that they have decided to slog glitter to the masses, and ignore sound and proper journalism.

So the cover should have included Tom K and Dindo as well, even if AUDI was not found worthy.

[F575 GTC]

Originally posted by pacificquay


Why?

The cover is to draw people in.

A British magazine using a British-focused headline is entirely logical.

Yes i know, which is why we get fed Lewis Hamilton photos & stories 24/7 and on virtually every cover of Autosport. I'd have just preferred it to say Audi that's all.

[F1Fanatic.co.uk]

Originally posted by potmotr
But can anyone remember the last time F1 was off the cover? Andy Priaux's third WTCC title last year?

I think so - didn't Damien Smith write a column in the Journal saying how that hurt sales of the magazine?

[kar]

Originally posted by F1Fanatic.co.uk

I think so - didn't Damien Smith write a column in the Journal saying how that hurt sales of the magazine?

You have an impressive memory :-)

It was indeed Damien Smith in his final journal piece before moving off the fields Motorsport

http://www.autosport...cle.php/id/1381

There is no denying there is more emphasis on F1 than there used to be - because that's what the majority want. When we chose to put anything other than an F1 car on the cover - as Autosport quite rightly did with Andy Priaulx last week - sales generally drop. That's frustrating and sad for everyone who works at the magazine.

It's a piece worth revisiting actually, in lieu of perhaps of the F1 Racing revamped thread. But OT there :-)

Have to say personally I'm one that is normally first in line to take a wack at the print mag. But I really enjoyed this week's edition. Spent an hour pouring over it when I got home. It seems strange, they've lost so many writers, some of them excellent (Roebuck and Smith certainly were) some of them not (Anthony Rowlinson). But somehow the magazine is much stronger this year than it was last.

This Le-mans issue probably a good example of the result of that improvement.

[jcbc3]

So do we really think that a cover with the R10 and the word 'Audi' would sell less than a cover with the R10 and the word McNish on it? I don't.

[potmotr]

It sells around the world but I presume Autosport still makes the lion's share of its cash from the UK.
So McNish is a solid cover in my opinion. But tell me, when do they roll out the green masthead.
I thought that was only when a British driver won a championship? But they did it when Dan Wheldon won the Indy 500. And when Johnny Herbert won for Stewart at the Nurbergring in 1999...

[KWSN - DSM]

Originally posted by jcbc3
So do we really think that a cover with the R10 and the word 'Audi' would sell less than a cover with the R10 and the word McNish on it? I don't.

Me neither.

Did you save the reply letter from the editor (Saward???) after Al Unser's win??

[pingu666]

its green for a f1 race, and presumably other big races...

[jcbc3]

Originally posted by KWSN - DSM


Me neither.

Did you save the reply letter from the editor (Saward???) after Al Unser's win??

Nope, they are long gone. When was it? '87? But plus ca change...


(to explain. After Al sr. won his unprecedented fourth Indy500 the cover had something else on the cover that I found utterly uninteresting in light of Al's accomplishment. I wrote a letter to Autosport and even got a nice reply. But it was basically 'yeah, yeah, eff off')

[Henri Greuter]

Originally posted by potmotr
It sells around the world but I presume Autosport still makes the lion's share of its cash from the UK.
So McNish is a solid cover in my opinion. But tell me, when do they roll out the green masthead.
I thought that was only when a British driver won a championship? But they did it when Dan Wheldon won the Indy 500. And when Johnny Herbert won for Stewart at the Nurbergring in 1999...

Green headers for special British achievements.
Tradition was long gone but revived when Jaguar won Le Mans in '88, Dumfries and Wallace British drivers too, yet Derek Bell never got them in previous years. So it must have been primarily because of Jaguar.

I believe First time GP winners from Britain also get a green cover (Button, Hamilton) but I don't have my stack of magazines available to verify that.

And I recall having seen a Blue to celebrate a special Scottish achievement but forgot when and for what. (95, McRae world champion Rally perhaps?)
I vaguely remember that the edition with Imola 1994 had a black heading.

Henri

[Blythy]

There was a blue header last year for dario franchitti winning the indy 500.

[Juan Kerr]

Originally posted by pacificquay


Why?

The cover is to draw people in.

A British magazine using a British-focused headline is entirely logical.

If they're thinking of money over authenticity yes, I would be more likely to buy it if it didn't just say McNish.