Autocar Archive: 125 years of motoring history now available online
More than 6000 issues including 1.1 million pages are now offered through The Motoring Archive
The entire Autocar magazine archive has been digitised and is now available online, making the world’s most comprehensive history of the automobile accessible to all.
Autocar was first published on 2 November 1895 and has been published virtually continually since then. The entire archive – covering 125 years and containing more than 6000 issues and 1.1 million pages – has been digitised by Archive Digital Limited, and will be available through www.themotoringarchive.com.
The Autocar Archive is now the most comprehensive history of the car available online. When the first issue of the magazine was published, there were just six cars on the UK’s roads, and Autocar has since charted every major development and driven every significant car.
The Autocar Archive will initially cover the first 125 years of the magazine’s history up to 2020, with this year’s issues then archived and made available in 2022.
The digitisation process undertaken by Archive Digital Limited involved scanning every page by hand, which ensured the preservation of the centuries-old early issues of the magazine. It took more than six months to complete, and is believed to be the largest magazine digitalisation process undertaken in the UK in the past 20 years.
The online archive has been developed so that issues can be searched using key words, allowing for unrivalled access to an unparalleled reasource.
Autocar editor Mark Tisshaw said: "Digitising our archives is a brilliant initiative, as it creates a unique resource for everyone, from curious enthusiasts to historians, to use and enjoy.
“Autocar has always been the essential weekly for anyone who wants to keep up with the latest new car reviews and news, so we’re delighted to make all 126 years of our expertise and knowledge available online. This development creates a one-stop source for future generations to learn about the evolution of the car.”
This week's edition of Autocar will contain an 18-page special showcasing exactly how the archive was digitised, and highlighting some of the content found within. It is onsale on Wednesday 3 November.
To celebrate the launch the Motoring Archive, you can enjoy your first 14 days of access for free. Head to themotoringarchive.com/join and enter *AUTOCAR007* at checkout to start your free trial.