Decent classic military vehicle magazines?

[Morris C8]

You have to be a MVT member to get the magazine, but its worth it. The more members put in to the magazine the more you will get out. Ian Young is the new Editor.

Keith

[fv1609]

Ian is a good man & an experienced journalist, I've known him for many years. He used to own a Humber Pig so must be alright in my book

[Great War truck]

Pictures like those have been the only reason I have ever bought any of those mags

 

.

 

I quite agree with that. Interesting that what I would consider the best MV magazine of all time - Wheels and Tracks was almost entirely full of articles like that. Really detailed information on obscure vehicles that I knew next to nothing about - like the Radschlepper Ost which was a favourite read.

 

I suppose everybody has very different interests but I really don't want to read another "buyers guide" on a Jeep, GMC or Land Rover. If someone wants that sort of information then a forum like this is best. I do enjoy reading about other peoples restorations, but really don't want them to be dumbed down. For example in the latest CMV I would like to have known how the Karrier rad was fixed as it did look very poorly indeed and then suddenly it was repaired. Doesn't say how he did it, which was a shame. Show reports are good, but dull when they take up 8 pages or more. Same for museum visits.

 

CMV covers all historical periods which is good as any vehicle from any period can be of interest if the article is well written and dreadfully dull if it is not. I really want to buy a magazine that has something I cant get for free on the internet or that I can find in a book.

 

Just thought I would add a bit more fuel to the fire.

 

Tim

[Bob Grundy]

This was one of the 'dull' archive photographs that appeared last year. It was stated that it was a tragedy but the photo should have been edited in that the poor chap who is the fatality can be seen between the two chaps on the left. By editing I do not mean that it should have been edited out.

This months 'Echos of war' shows a PzKw4 which was wrongly caption at the time as a Tiger, this also should have been qualified.

I do think that CMV could be better....

[Brooky]

Been following this thread with interest and now feel its time for my two pennorth

CMV has really gone downhill ( have subscribed since day 1) too many ads, poor sale and wanted, incorrect captions. Occasionally there is a gem of an article but generally feel it has been dumbed down, with little detail

The MVT Windscreen is a bit like the curates egg, good in places. Yes it does have some good articles and archive stuff but it is a club magazine and as such does have a fair amount of area news and such like.

In my humble opinion none of the present offerings are a patch on Wheels and Tracks (again have the full set)

Maybe one of the problems is that the subject has been done to death and there is nothing new to say or vehicles to investigate, or perhaps people with skill and knowledge to write about the subject.

I am seriously considering cancelling my subscription

[Lauren Child]

I'm still hopeful that CMV will pull it together. It always had the better look and the popular take on vehicles, but was always a bit fluffy. MMI had the better journalism and more interesting articles, but it was hit and miss on what they covered. Together it could be an awesome magazine, but I get the feeling its still finding its feet. The last few issues havent held the same level of interest.

[Brooky]

I'm still hopeful that CMV will pull it together. It always had the better look and the popular take on vehicles, but was always a bit fluffy. MMI had the better journalism and more interesting articles, but it was hit and miss on what they covered. Together it could be an awesome magazine, but I get the feeling its still finding its feet. The last few issues havent held the same level of interest.

Fair point, but after all these years shouldn't have found its feet?

Mind you the same goes for all the Heritage Magazines, how many pictures of a stripped down traction engines or Atki Borderers do we need?

The best in my book is Steam Railway, a good balance of history, preservation, photography and news

Edited March 22, 2016 by Brooky

[ArtistsRifles]

<snipped>

I suppose everybody has very different interests but I really don't want to read another "buyers guide" on a Jeep, GMC or Land Rover. If someone wants that sort of information then a forum like this is best. I do enjoy reading about other peoples restorations, but really don't want them to be dumbed down. For example in the latest CMV I would like to have known how the Karrier rad was fixed as it did look very poorly indeed and then suddenly it was repaired. Doesn't say how he did it, which was a shame.

 

Tim

 

A single , definitive guide - both on buying and on maintenance for these types would be interesting as a "take out and " keep format. But there are many more vehicles out in the field apart from the big 3.

Buyers guides for all the possible vehicles might get more people into the hobby, people who look and think "ooh - too complex" - oddly a comment I get often on something as basic as an FFR Landie.

I wonder how many people who yearn in their dreams of owning softskin's or armour might get pleasantly surprised by reading a definitive buyers and maintenance guide and so be encouraged to join the hobby.....

 

That's a good point about the Karrier rad - more detail of the hows would have been appreciated.

[militant-nick]

I've just subscribed to this and I'm very impressed with the mix of detail, quality & depth; http://www.heavytorque.co.uk/subscribe/

[goanna]

Hi

 

For the amateur restorer , I reckon Windscreen is the best of the bunch . I had a few articles published in Windscreen some years ago - the Jeep fuel gauge setup was one . The editor at that time was very good and he didn't care about the fact that I wasn't a MVT member . Mike in Australia

[Jolly Jeeper]

Like many on here I have a set of Wheels and Tracks magazine and like then very much but the world has changed since they were published; magazine buying habits have changed, magazine retailing has changed, the business models have changed, technology has changed (remember W&T was all almost entirely B&W) and so on. This probably means that we'll never see the likes of W&T again.

 

There is a fundamental difference between commercial and club magazines; commercial magazines pay for their features so their editors can commission stuff to suit the magazine. Club magazines don't have such a budget so their editors are entirely reliant on contributions from club members which can explain their 'patchy' coverage of any given subject.

 

This difference also accounts for why club magazines contain 'area reports' and other inward-looking stuff and why club mag editors are always looking for contributions to fill pages. It also explains why 'conspiracy theories' about things/specific periods/events not being included gain credence - the sad truth is generally that no one sends the material in so no conspiracy at all.

 

Just a few of my observations, JC

[Bob Grundy]

The last MVT Windscreen, with its new editor, was much better than the last CMV.

[Jolly Jeeper]

The last MVT Windscreen, with its new editor, was much better than the last CMV.

 

Maybe it was - I haven't seen CMV so can't agree or disagree. One thing I would say though is this; around 20 pages (out of 100) of the latest Windscreen have Ian Young's byline on them. I am not criticising in any way, I had to write copy for the mag on occasion and think imaginatively in order to fill it on others. However 20 of 100 pages may well be an indication of how little he was sent by the MVT membership... Ian's trying hard and deserves support. JC

[Great War truck]

I quite agree. If someone says that they want to see a certain type of article why not write it themselves. Much better approach than just complaining that it does not hold something that you want to read or that the contents are otherwise a bit dull.

Anyway, very best of luck to Ian. It will be a hard job to keep everybody happy.

[matchlesswdg3]

But we are not talking about club magazines which are a completely different kettle of fish to commercial hobby magazines. The former are very variable in quality and of course reflect the nature of the club they serve. Windscreen is a professional looking mag that makes a pretty good fist of it, I agree. But I would quite like to subscribe to a good MV mag that is prepared by professional full-time journalists who know their subject........so we could expect a range of consistent quality articles appealing to a wide range of people.........supported in part by adverts that are relevant, actually useful and interesting. All I can find at present is a mag that seems to go through the motions only in order to extract nearly £5 from me for each meagre issue.

[Jack]

Maybe it was - I haven't seen CMV so can't agree or disagree. One thing I would say though is this; around 20 pages (out of 100) of the latest Windscreen have Ian Young's byline on them. I am not criticising in any way, I had to write copy for the mag on occasion and think imaginatively in order to fill it on others. However 20 of 100 pages may well be an indication of how little he was sent by the MVT membership... Ian's trying hard and deserves support. JC

 

Totally agree.

 

Has to be a tough job when members 'advise' on the content of the magazine but are unwilling to submit anything. That said, not everyone wants to write or has the confidence to write. However, we all like articles on restorations no matter what they are of - because we connect with the pain of the people undertaking the restoration. It's like collective pain..

 

CMV - sadly, commerce rules. They have to have adverts to make money. It lost its way after Pat Ware left. Now that it is owned by Key Publishing - they have turned up the commercial element of it, and that shows. Price guide, cool to have at the time but now completely outdated and totally irrelevant. Classifieds are the same - that's now all online. They should use that space for something more creative. They should be using Facebook as a driving force but still ignore its power - that's a big mistake. Print media is having big problems and haven't seen ANY traditional publishing house step up to the plate. Still have their heads in sand. I can't see any MV hobby mag making it long term.

[Jolly Jeeper]

Totally agree.

 

Has to be a tough job when members 'advise' on the content of the magazine but are unwilling to submit anything.

 

That was quite a tough bit of editing Windscreen; people almost always jumped to conclusions that an omission was the result of orders from the CoM or some other conspiracy theory rather than the simple fact that something hadn't been sent in... Three I remember were omitting a show in Essex, missing something about military Land Rovers and having a anti-post-war bias to the '16 calendar. Nothing was sent in - pure and simple. Sad but true and people got quite 'tetchy'.

Edited April 5, 2016 by Jolly Jeeper

[Jolly Jeeper]

Totally agree.

 

...Print media is having big problems and haven't seen ANY traditional publishing house step up to the plate. Still have their heads in sand. I can't see any MV hobby mag making it long term.

 

 

I'm not sure that I agree 100% about the last sentence tbh...

[simon king]

I suspect the problem with any military vehicle magazine since Wheels and Tracks is that it's not Wheels and Tracks....

 

The hobby also had a different feel. With Bart's first few pages of news, discoveries and other snippets, you felt part of a smallish community of people interested in military vehicles. Rare (and common) vehicles in reasonable condition could still be found in scrappies and on farms and could be picked up for a song. Those days are gone.

 

Perhaps we associate W&T too much with those days which is why no other print magazine is regarded as an acceptible substitute. The hobby has moved on but perhaps some of us havent yet.

[Tony Lawrence]

I suspect the problem with any military vehicle magazine since Wheels and Tracks is that it's not Wheels and Tracks....

 

The hobby also had a different feel. With Bart's first few pages of news, discoveries and other snippets, you felt part of a smallish community of people interested in military vehicles. Rare (and common) vehicles in reasonable condition could still be found in scrappies and on farms and could be picked up for a song. Those days are gone.

 

Perhaps we associate W&T too much with those days which is why no other print magazine is regarded as an acceptible substitute. The hobby has moved on but perhaps some of us havent yet.

 

Perfectly put Simon - we look back to those days through rose-tinted spectacles. It was indeed a time of seemingly wonderous discoveries but then we forget the difficulties of obtaining certain spares that are now common place (jeep steering bellcranks!!)

In the 1970's Bart used to come into my shop (Olyslager Press was just round the corner) and was instrumental in getting me interested in MV's just as his books and W&T did for thousands of others over the years. W&T was the gold standard and will never be bettered.

[LarryH57]

My own penny worth; perhaps we should take a few tips from the French as their magazines on MVs and WW2 seem to be of far higher quality than anything bought commercially in the UK.

 

Secondly having also assisted in editing Windscreen when Andy Jones did it and written articles too, I'd say that most of us have a story to tell about a restoration or a tour or a relative in the services, so make a start and who knows it may be an interesting read for us all.

Edited April 15, 2016 by LarryH57

[Great War truck]

My own penny worth; perhaps we should take a few tips from the French as their magazines on MVs and WW2 seem to be of far higher quality than anything bought commercially in the UK.

.

I quite agree that the quality and variety of French military vehicle and history magazines (and books) is far superior to those in the UK. Really wish I spent more effort learning French in school. They can be quite expensive too, but the fact that I am happy to spend £10 on a magazine I struggle to understand says something (probably that I am daft or have more money than sense perhaps).

[w896andy]

In my opinion Classic Military Vehicle (CMV) Magazine has taken a worrying turn for the worse ! Last month my M3 Scout Car was featured. The freelance journalist came (nice guy) and took the photos and some notes and passed them to the editor who produced the article. The Freelancer and I discussed heading the feature ‘Somewhere in Somerset’ but without telling me anything the Editor published it as ‘Scouting for Boys’ !!! The inference that I bought the vehicle to go ‘Scouting for Boys’ was not lost on a number of people who more than mentioned it to me, this included my wife who happens to be the Headteacher of a couple of Primary Schools who was shocked to say the least.

 

In addition to this the article contains both typo’s and incorrect information that frankly just smacks of lazy journalism. I emailed my concerns to the freelancer, he was also shocked and passed it to the Editor who was on holiday so it was passed onto the MD of Key Publications who emailed back saying he would come back to me. That was a month ago and nothing since just silence, other than I’m aware that the Editor has had a go at the Freelancer stating he didn’t see the issue, its normal to go for a headline, why did he complain (not realising it was my complaint), he was out of order and stating it was normal to take a title from a book written in 1906 (I had to Google it) and use such a phrase in modern times.

 

So no apology, no feedback, nothing just a contemptuous silence from both the Editor and Key Publishing. So please take this as a word of caution if you want to have your vehicle in this magazine don’t make the same mistake I did, get a signed agreement to say that you want to see the article first and have full editorial rights and a veto, if you don’t then anything could happen and it seems the new Editor won’t even respond to concerns or have the courtesy to reply. What makes it worse is he put the Freelance Journalist’s name on the article so he ‘takes the blame’. I even had to buy my own copy, needless to say it’s the last one I will ever buy.

Edited May 26, 2017 by w896andy

[militant-nick]

In my opinion Classic Military Vehicle (CMV) Magazine has taken a worrying turn for the worse ! Last month my M3 Scout Car was featured. The freelance journalist came (nice guy) and took the photos and some notes and passed them to the editor who produced the article. The Freelancer and I discussed heading the feature ‘Somewhere in Somerset’ but without telling me anything the Editor published it as ‘Scouting for Boys’ !!! The inference that I bought the vehicle to go ‘Scouting for Boys’ was not lost on a number of people who more than mentioned it to me, this included my wife who happens to be the Headteacher of a couple of Primary Schools who was shocked to say the least.

 

In addition to this the article contains both typo’s and incorrect information that frankly just smacks of lazy journalism. I emailed my concerns to the freelancer, he was also shocked and passed it to the Editor who was on holiday so it was passed onto the MD of Key Publications who emailed back saying he would come back to me. That was a month ago and nothing since just silence, other than I’m aware that the Editor has had a go at the Freelancer stating he didn’t see the issue, its normal to go for a headline, why did he complain (not realising it was my complaint), he was out of order and stating it was normal to take a title from a book written in 1906 (I had to Google it) and use such a phrase in modern times.

 

So no apology, no feedback, nothing just a contemptuous silence from both the Editor and Key Publishing. So please take this as a word of caution if you want to have your vehicle in this magazine don’t make the same mistake I did, get a signed agreement to say that you want to see the article first and have full editorial rights and a veto, if you don’t then anything could happen and it seems the new Editor won’t even respond to concerns or have the courtesy to reply. What makes it worse is he put the Freelance Journalist’s name on the article so he ‘takes the blame’. I even had to buy my own copy, needless to say it’s the last one I will ever buy.

 

shocking and totally bizarre, I stopped buying this publication a while back. The mind boggles at other titles they'd pick for the vehicles we own!

[Ashcollection]

shocking and totally bizarre, I stopped buying this publication a while back. The mind boggles at other titles they'd pick for the vehicles we own!

Yes a shame really, its become a "Photo study" good pictures though, and if I wanted to know that much more re-hashed stuff on land rovers I'd buy a land rover mag! I emailed them after a piece they did on a type of vehicle that I have and they said something like " this one had not been seen since" blar blar . so I mailed them quickly to say I have it and it still exists, they messaged back and said thanks, and they they would put something about it in the letters page. Well they did put it in. my exact email spelling mistakes and all! good job I didn't say anything incriminating!! who the hell checks what is published!

 

rant over.