The trouble with so many magazines, auto related included, is the incestuous
relationship between content and advertising revenue. For example, many
"women's" magazines that run articles on cosmetics will be obligated to run
adds for products within a few pages of the article. Ditto for food related
articles and ads for food products. Can you see Car & Driver or Road & Track
panning the latest SUV and then running pages of advertising from Ford or GM
or Chrysler a few pages from the negative review? When was the last time
anyone can remember a really negative road test or serious criticism of any
major auto company's product in one of these "biggie" carmags? I read an
very interesting article by Gloria Steinem concerning the problems she faced
dealing with "product placement" when she ran MS magazine and did not want
to paly ball with the corporations. As a result, she couldn't get companies
to advertise. While Consumer Report is a bit stodgy and seems to lack any
sense of driving cars that are "fun" eg: sports cars and performance cars,
they are not subject to the presures placed on the main stream automobile
related publications to put their products in the most favorable light. So,
I guess that Morgans, with a zero advertising budget, will be a target of
opportunity for critics who otherwise don't get a chance to say negative
things about cars they know have flaws, for fear of offending the cash cows
of the auto industry.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ernest(Chip) Brown" <Chip.Brown@msdw.com>
To: "Vandergraaf, Chuck" <vandergraaft@aecl.ca>; "Morgans@Autox.Team.Net"
<Morgans@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, June 07, 2000 4:42 PM
Subject: Re: There's heat and then there's heat...
> Well, I remember buying a BMW 1600/2 in July 1967. Road and Track raved
> about the car. How it handled. How cheap it was, how it accelerated.
> Consumer Reports panned the car. Said it was cheaply made, etc, didn't
> even like the handling. I ignored the CR report because two years
> earlier I'd bought an Alfa Guilia TI and there was a great review in R&T
> and nothing (of course) in CR. The Alfa was a great car. I put 65,000
> miles on my car in 18 months (driving to see my then fiancee) and still
> think it was the best sedan I've ever owned. Sold it and it was still
> solid as a rock.
>
> The BMW was a great handling car that wore out completely in 60,000
> miles. Brakes shot, needed a rebore, valves, shocks, door latches, body
> rusting. But I still dream about driving that awful car!!
>
> So perspective is important!!
> Chip
>
> PS I sold the Alfa because I got married and my wife was intimidated by
> the five speed box and cammy engine. Now she drives my Integra like
> nobody's business.
>
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