Car Mechanics Magazine

Car Mechanics magazine is a long running British motoring magazine currently published by Kelsey Publishing and edited by Peter Simpson aimed at DIY motorists and the motor trade. It is currently the only news stand magazine of its type aimed at DIY and the trade, Practical Motorist having closed in 1997.

History

Car Mechanics was launched in 1958, originally published by Mercury House, who along with its successors published Car Mechanics until 1989 when the infamous Robert Maxwell bought the company. However he sold the AGB motoring publications within a matter of weeks to EMAP. EMAP relaunched Car Mechanics as a performance orientated magazine, however in this form the magazine was not successful and in early 1992 Car Mechanics was taken over by the present publishers who took it back to its DIY/practical routes. However because cars are now more complex, and more people are having routine repairs carried out professionally, the magazine also now caters for the independent motor trade.

Project cars

In the early days of Car Mechanics, project cars were an important part of the magazine and Kelsey reintroduced them, having now had over 50 project cars since 1992. The current projects are a Mazda MX-5 and a Skoda Octavia. Past projects include a Ford Escort MkIV, Ford Mondeo MkI, Citroen 2CV, Austin Metro , Jaguar XJ40, an ex police Vauxhall Astra MkIII and, more recently, an ex-police Ford Mondeo MkIII, Jaguar X300, Volvo V70 diesel and Land Rover Freelander.