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Cathelijne
Netherlands
745 Posts |
 Posted - 26/05/2013 : 19:53:05
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Hello,
I was just wondering if anyone on here might have a full set of Autocar magazines from the war years which I could borrow. If you have a set and you don't feel comfortable lending it to me, could I please ask you to do some research for me?
I'm not sure if the other pre war magazines (The Light Car & Cycle Car and The Motor) were published during the war years, but if they did, someone might have a set of these as well?
I'd very much prefer it if I could borrow a set (or sets, if multiple magazines were indeed still published back then), but I understand this may be a bit much to ask!
Anything else war time/M.G. related would be most welcome too: Was your car owned by an RAF officer, was it crashed in the black out or stored in a lock up safe from bombing, etc? I'd be very interested to hear from you!
Many thanks!
Cat
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Vitesse
United Kingdom
234 Posts |
Posted - 27/05/2013 : 12:05:24
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I'm afraid wartime motoring magazines are as rare as rocking horse droppings, Cathelijne. Firstly, because of paper rationing, print runs were vastly reduced so publishers and newsagents were only able to supply customers who placed firm orders. Wartime salvage drives meant that most were recycled at the time and over the years afterwards many public libraries simply threw out old magazines on the grounds that they were too expensive to rebind, conserve and store - not least because much wartime paper was poor quality and high in acid content. Paper rationing continued until 1949 and this is a problem affecting all magazines and papers, not just motoring!
Autocar and Motor both continued weekly publication throughout the war years: I don't think either of them missed an issue either! Light Car continued weekly until early 1941, but paper shortages forced them to switch to monthly publication in a smaller format: those are incredibly rare and the only set I know of is at Gaydon.
I know of two motoring journalists who I think have complete sets of Motor and Autocar: there are probably others, but I have honestly never heard of anyone else who has a private collection. So, while I realise that you probably don't particularly want to travel to view these, I think it may very well be your only option!
Beaulieu, Gaydon and Coventry Transport Museum all hold Autocar and Motor, as do the various copyright libraries and the Science Museum - but all these either charge pretty extortionate reading room fees and/or put strict limits on how many volumes you can have at one time: they're often held in store off site, meaning you have to order hours (or days!) in advance.
Trying to be more positive - Birmingham Libraries have both Autocar and Motor. However, they are currently in store, awaiting the opening of the new Central Library in September: I have no idea what the arrangements will be once it has opened.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/apr/29/birmingham-library-ready-books
Finally, there's a little-known resource for these - the library at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. They inherited the sets of Motor and Autocar formerly owned by the Institute of Automobile Engineers when they moved from Brentford to MIRA, so their archive of them stops in (IIRC) 1949. The volumes are in extremely good condition - unlike (say) Beaulieu's, which are falling apart through over-use!
http://www.imeche.org/knowledge/library
They are very helpful and will allow you as many volumes as you want at a time. All they ask is that you give them advance notice of your arrival and what you would like to see, since the magazines are in the basement store and the library is on the top floor! That way, when you walk in there will be a trolley with your name on it waiting for you. There are no charges for the use of the library and it is a simply beautiful place to work in, overlooking St James's Park: I have used them twice now for some intensive research sessions. They have photocopying facilities - for which they charge at a reasonable rate - but they have no objection to the use of hand scanners. I have never inquired about using cameras though. |
Edited by - Vitesse on 27/05/2013 12:20:56 |
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Dow
United Kingdom
490 Posts |
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Cathelijne
Netherlands
745 Posts |
Posted - 27/05/2013 : 15:18:53
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Hello Gentlemen,
Thank you both for your replies!
I have already spent way too many albeit very enjoyable hours and a fortune for photocopying at Beaulieu and I have the Motor Sport dvd, but I will certainly try and come down to London to 'do' the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, sounds very promising!
Thanks again,
Cat |
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Bob Stringfield
United Kingdom
854 Posts |
Posted - 27/05/2013 : 16:05:41
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I believe that the late Bill Boddy's archive will be for disposal at the end of next month.
A very obliging historian ever willing to find an answer; if anyone had wartime copies, he did.
I still have a tricky question for him, but I hope not to be able to ask him for a long time yet!
Bob. |
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Cathelijne
Netherlands
745 Posts |
Posted - 29/05/2013 : 10:00:32
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Does anyone here have Andrew Bradshaw's article on M.G.'s and the RAF which was published in Safety Fast! sometime between 1998 and 2000?
Many thanks!
Cat |
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PeterL
United Kingdom
1748 Posts |
Posted - 29/05/2013 : 10:22:49
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Cathelijne
I have a little note in my F Type archive that says
"F Type MG 1483 listed as missing in Enjoying MG 2001, 1947 owned by Wing Cdr Harvey"
Hope it is of interest.
Love P
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Cathelijne
Netherlands
745 Posts |
Posted - 29/05/2013 : 11:28:51
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It is, thank you, Peter!
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Foz
United Kingdom
776 Posts |
Posted - 29/05/2013 : 11:46:58
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Hi Cat,
some of these magazines are as rare as 1945 Dutch bicycles!
Foz |
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Cathelijne
Netherlands
745 Posts |
Posted - 29/05/2013 : 13:03:46
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Don't mention the bicycles!
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AlanD
Australia
29 Posts |
Posted - 30/05/2013 : 07:25:39
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Hi Cat
I have a scan of a Safety Fast article by AJB called "MGs and the RAF (revisited)" from I believe from late 2000.
I could email it to you if you wish, the content is about the J2 that I now own.
Cheers
Alan
Alan
J2 3592
TC 4617 |
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Cathelijne
Netherlands
745 Posts |
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kimber
United Kingdom
1530 Posts |
Posted - 30/05/2013 : 10:03:21
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quote:
Originally posted by AlanD
Hi Cat
I have a scan of a Safety Fast article by AJB called "MGs and the RAF (revisited)" from I believe from late 2000.
IIRR this was a follow-up piece to the initial article |
Edited by - kimber on 30/05/2013 10:05:01 |
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Cathelijne
Netherlands
745 Posts |
Posted - 30/05/2013 : 10:46:09
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Okay, so we're still looking for the Original article then! Any help towards finding it much appreciated!
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Ray Masters
United Kingdom
573 Posts |
Posted - 31/05/2013 : 21:23:12
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Cat. This may have been mentioned already but there are some war-time articles from the Autocar reprinted in the small booklet entitled ' M.G.Cars 1940-1947'.
They seem to be taken from the 'Talking of Sports Cars ' series. In one of them Ted Lund writes about driving his Q-Type (0252) on pump fuel for his daily journeys. Ray. |
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Cathelijne
Netherlands
745 Posts |
Posted - 01/06/2013 : 10:58:11
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Hi Ray,
Thanks so much, found it on my own bookshelf!
Cheers,
Cat |
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