Nearly 130 years of automotive history is now available to digital readers in Autocar’s new archive, which comprises more than 5900 fully searchable magazine issues.
Developed in partnership with digital publishing services platform Exact Editions, the archive serves as an important and ever-evolving historical record of both the automotive trade itself and the social history that surrounds it.
From the first public demonstration of cars in 1895 to the launch of the timeless classic Mini in 1959 and the arrival of the Ford Fiesta in 1976, Autocar has been at the forefront of each and every notable event in the history of automobiles.
There’s just one catch, to access the archives you need to subscribe.
As well as the archive, digital subscriptions also include access to current weekly issues offering an unrivalled mix of news, opinion, authoritative car reviews and entertaining features.
To celebrate the archive’s launch, Autocar has highlighted five of the most seminal moments in the history of the car, as well as five key milestones in the magazine’s 128-year history, including reviewing the era-defining Ferrari F40 supercar, Enzo Ferrari’s last, and inventing the now-famous road test.
The influential Austin Seven was the first model to undergo the most thorough road test in motoring journalism. See the full lists below.
Subscriptions are available to both individuals and libraries around the world, across web and app platforms.
The Autocar archive’s advanced search function enables subscribers to search, share and cite every article from the publication.
The intuitive stacking interface and high-quality images bring new life to issues published more than a century ago and offer car enthusiasts and historians alike an opportunity to reflect on how the car industry has evolved.
Autocar editor Mark Tisshaw said the magazine was delighted to have worked with Exact Editions to bring the Autocar archive online and host it on their brilliant platform.
“Digitising our archives creates a unique resource for everyone, from curious enthusiasts to historians, to use and enjoy,” he said.
“It is a one-stop source for future generations to learn about the evolution of the car, as Autocar really is the history of the car, told in period.”
Autocar’s highlights from the archive can be accessed for free until July 21,via the links in the lists below.
The complete Autocar archive is available for individuals and institutions here.
Top five industry moments
February 10, 1939 – Germany unveils the Volkswagen, whose maker will in time become a global force
March 24, 1961 – The Jaguar E-Type is unveiled at the Geneva motor show
June 24, 1966 – Ford breaks Ferrari’s domination at Le Mans in the golden age of sports car racing
July 17, 1976 – The arrival of the Ford Fiesta, Britain’s favourite car for decades to come
Top five Autocar moments
October 14, 1987 – We meet the Ferrari F40, Enzo’s last car and an era-defining wonder
September 4, 1996 – Our first drive of the Boxster, the sports car that will save Porsche
May 30, 2007 – We pit the Bugatti Veyron against rivals in the fastest-ever group test
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