Thanks for posting this up mcmaddy and the associated warning around the website still being live to take subscriptions.
Obviously we don’t know what’s gone on behind the scenes for that to be still happening therefore your warning is very useful.
For myself, I read the magazine from the first copy right through until late last year when my sub ran out. I was mid moving house so didn’t get round to renewing, although I very nearly did several times but got sidetracked each time I went to renew (as happens when I go on the Internet).
If I think about it, I’d never have allowed that lapse to happen years ago, but the internet and car forums gradually replaced reading magazines for many if not most of us over the years.
I’d read VWD mag and its direct predecessor VW Audi Car magazine (plus Neil Birkitt’s previous home VW Motoring) since the early ‘80’s.
Before the internet the dedicated enthusiasts would love to get their cars featured in these mags, the letter pages were well subscribed to and the mags were a direct line of advertising products to car enthusiasts. All those things have largely been replaced with forums and social media now.
People can easily and, more importantly, quickly upload their own media direct to all now.
I’ve met (the late) Paul Harris, the original owner of the mag, Neil B the editor and some of the regular contributors (Andrew Chapple, Paz, etc) at Autometrix shows over the years.
I did GTI International for many years since way back when, plus their track days at Castle Combe and Audi Driver International.
Alas, these mags are run on a shoestring by dyed in the wool enthusiasts and after Paul Harris died I think the writing was on the wall. Neil had two mags to run and different owners to deal with. VW shows have been on the wane for decades and cost a fortune to put on. Catch 22, lower magazine sales mean less awareness of the event which equates to lower turnout and so it descends in a spiral.
I’d always trusted the opinions of real enthusiasts like Harris and Birkitt for my own buying research rather than the glossy general purpose car mags. Hell, when I started reading those indie mags in the ‘80’s most of the pics inside were still in black and white to keep costs down!
I feel sorry for the staff, and I guess I’m (a tiny) part of the reason it went under. Admittedly, if they had notified me each year for renewal then I’d never have lapsed in the first place. But, there must be a sound enough reason I wasn’t breaking the door down to renew as I would have done many years ago.
RIP a great indie car mag
