Fast Car Magazine

Infobox Magazine
title = Fast Car


image_size = 200px
image_caption = Cover of the November 2006 issue of "Fast Car"
editor = Steve Chalmers
editor_title =
staff_writer =
frequency = Monthly (13 per year)
circulation = 47,000
category = Automobile magazine
company = Future Publishing
publisher = Paul Sloggett
firstdate =
country = Flag|United Kingdom
language = English
website = http://www.fastcar.co.uk
issn =

"Fast Car" magazine is a UK-based automobile magazine covering the car tuning market.

It was the first UK magazine on the genre, and has enjoyed a long history. It is currently owned by Future Publishing, and is based in Bath. The magazine publishes 13 issues a year - one a month plus a 13th issue every spring, celebrating the start of the car show season.

The magazine

Fast Car Magazine is known as FC or FUK (Fastcar United Kingdom) among friends. In 1998, they were known as FCUK until it ran into legal problems with clothing company French Connection, who were awarded the registered trademark of the four-letter word.

Back in the day it started as a performance car magazine, but over the years has found itself re-vamped to aid sales and is currently aimed at readers interested in Euro cars. These are generally affordable vehicles which have been modified with the most typical smoothing, deep wheels and ICE (in car entertainment) systems. The modified car scene is arguably connected to chav culture, and this is normally directly reflected in the magazine and the staff who Ave it large!.

Fast Car's tone is very conversational, albeit ape-like with the occasional swear. Fast Car staff are often featured in the magazine themselves, and much of the copy is interjected with comments made by the editor or other members of FC staff such as Fackin' gay or Cor, tits!. The conversational tone and self-ironic image means that sometimes Fast Car is a refreshing compared to many more 'serious' publications but on the other hand can be quite seen as more of an amateur publication. This is also often backed up with photography and design which is quite obviously not as adventurous as the competition, resembling something Ray Charles or Stevie Wonder would produce.

The magazine has taken an active role in UK modified car culture, by participating, sponsoring and covering events and is currently the only magazine covering illegal car cruises.

Fast Car's main UK competitors are Max Power and Redline, although Redline has now morphed into a performance-only title with about as much interest as watching a snail masturbate. Circulation-wise, the Audited Bureau of Circulation (ABC) reports that Fast Car sells 47,000 copies of its magazine every month - although realistically this is fairly enthusiastic depending what gift they've lobbed on. Historically, Fast Car has sold fewer copies of their magazine than Max Power, but in recent years Max Power's sales have plummeted until a revamp was instigated. The last magazine in the segment, Redline Magazine, has typically had an insignificant number of readers in comparison to Fast Car and Max Power and in 2007-8 has reduced that even further with a huge dose of pretentious-ness.

History

The magazine was launched in Orpington, Kent, UK April 1987, by Security Publications Ltd, as an evolution from a short-lived publication called Power and Style. In 1993, the magazine's editorial team wanted to develop more towards street racing, but the publisher (which by then was called SPL Publishing) turned down the suggestion. One of the contributing writers to Fast Car Magazine - Graham Steed - left the company, went to rival publishing house EMAP and founded Max Power magazine, which rapidly became Fast Car's biggest and best competitor.

In 1994, the magazine became a computer-designed, full-colour, perfect bound magazine. It also followed the lead of Max Power (naturally), and became more focused on street racing and modifying, rather than motorsport related. In 1997, the magazine became more about cruise culture, lifestyle and started featuring naked ladies draped over cars, and frequent use of wank/tits/arse/large.

In 1992, the magazine hosted its first drag racing Run What Ya Brung event named, Ultimate Fast Car (UFC) which awarded each category winner a prize. As well as being co-hosted with Retro magazine in 1996, the event ran without problems until in 1997, when the entire event descended into chaos as there was an unauthorised doughnut event taking place on Saturday, tents was being driven over by hooligans at the camping area, unable to deal with this, the security company who was responsible for safety and security walked away, leaving the event to descent further into chaos. The chaotic weekend was concluded when heavy rain called the Bank Holiday Monday run off. For the following year, the event was replaced by Ultimate Street Car which continues to run to this day.

In 2004, the magazine was taken over by Highbury Leisure, but the publishing house was experiencing problems, and in 2005 Future Publishing, who was already running Redline Magazine in the same market sector, bought a series of magazines from them, including Fast Car magazine.

Fast Car experienced a gradual growth in sales over the years, and peaked at 187,000 copies sold of the April 2003 issue. After this date, sales have declined as the cruise and modifying scenes have moved on, and the magazine deteriorated.

Editorial staff

* Group Publisher: Paul Sloggett
* Associate Publisher: Gez Jones ("Gez")
* Editor: Steve Chalmers ("Scary")
* Deputy Editor: Jules Truss ("Slim Jules")
* Features Editor: Trevor Nightingale ("Big T" / "Big Trev")
* Reviews Editor: Ben Chandler ("Benny")
* Senior Writer: Jamie Burr ("Midge")
* Online Editor: Glenn Rowswell ("Glenda")

Production and art staff

* Senior Art Editor: Mark Thomas ("Skidz")
* Deputy Art Editor: Graham Morecroft ("Initial G")

ee also

*Max Power (magazine)
*Revs (now defunct)

External links

* [http://www.fastcar.co.uk "Fast Car" UK website]
* [http://myspace.com/fastcarmag "Fast Car" on myspace]