Fast Car Magazine

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Magazine cover from the November 2006 issue of Fast Car

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.

1 The magazine
2 History
3 Editorial staff
4 Production and art staff
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] The magazine

Best selling issue of Fast Car, from April 2004

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.

It started off as a performance car magazine, but has been through several significant re-vamps and is currently aimed at readers interested in modified cars. These are generally affordable vehicles that have been modified with body kits, performance modifications and ICE (in-car entertainment) systems. The modified car scene is arguably connected to chav culture, but this is normally not directly reflected in the magazine.

Quite unusual in the magazine-publishing world, Fast Car's tone is very conversational. 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. The conversational tone and self-ironic image means that Fast Car is a refreshing read compared to many more 'serious' publications.

The magazine has taken an active role in UK modified car culture, by participating, sponsoring and covering events.

Fast Car's main UK competitors are Max Power and Redline. Circulation-wise, the Audited Bureau of Circulation (ABC) reports that Fast Car sells 100,000 copies of its magazine every month - including a not insignificant international circulation. Historically, Fast Car has sold fewer copies of their magazine than Max Power, but in recent months, Max Power's sales have plummeted. While Fast Car have also seen a slight decline in sales, they have been able to hold on to more readers than their competition. The last magazine in the segment, Redline Magazine, has an insignificant number of readers in comparison to Fast Car and Max Power.

An issue of Fast Car magazine from 1990

[edit] History

The magazine was launched in Orpington, Kent, UK April 1987, by Security Publicity 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 competitor.

In 1994, the magazine became a computer-designed, full-colour, perfect bound magazine. It also followed the lead of Max Power, 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.

In 2004, the magazine was taken over by Highbury Leisure, but the publishing house was experiencing problems, and late 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 steadily declined, as much of its readership has been eaten up by the rise of lad's magazines such as Loaded, Zoo and Nuts, along with general fragmentation of the media market.