• COMMENT CHANGES
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• Commercial Motor celebrated its 81st birthday just two weeks ago. In its time as the oldest-established commercial vehicles magazine, it has witnessed and reported a great many changes in road transport. Some have been profound, others seemingly trivial. All, however, have been vitally important to the people and companies which they involved.
In this history of continuous change, one of the most stable elements has been Commercial Motor itself. From time to time we have made changes to our face, to our logo, to our layout — but we have always stayed true to the principles of our founders. As our first editor wrote in the very first issue of CM in March 1905: "We shall give bald facts in detail, not merely nebulous outlines. Those who have never turned to the matter of their own accord will be taken in hand, and will be shown where, and how, and why the commercial motor must be recognised and adopted in their daily life . . . we shall place at the disposal of the industry at large . . . the force and influence of a well-conducted journal which has no divided interests, and which will draw its information from quarters conceivable and inconceivable. We shall seek to hold the balance, as between the builder and the user. . ."
With this issue, Commercial Motor undergoes what is probably the biggest change in appearance in that long and distinguished history. Its new appearance is not the result of a pandering to fashion, or of a passing editorial whim. The change is above all designed to give you, the reader, a better-looking, more readable and more useful publication.
The first two points, as exemplified by our bold new front cover (without an advertisement for the first time in our 81 years) and more attractive typefaces and pages layouts, are self-evident. That Commercial Motor is a more useful publication will be reinforced over the next few weeks, as the full range of our new developments appears.
Next week sees the launch of our new monthly Legal Bulletin, devoted to news and analysis of legislation and law enforcement. The following week sees the launch of its sister title, Transport Express, a newsletter digest of national and international news from the transport industry. Following that, there's the launch of Workshop. CM's new monthly magazine specifically about servicing and maintaining commercial vehicles. All these extras come free with Commercial Motor, as extra value for an unchanged price.
Those extras will not detract from the parent magazine, which itself gets an enhanced content to go with its new look. Every week there will be at least one bigger and more comprehensive road test. Every week, our popular Operator's Handbook will contain even more information of day-to-day use to those who buy and use commercial vehicles. Our coverage of light vehicles will be increased.
No such change can be justified in any way for change's sake. The change in Commercial Motor reflects the change in the industry which it serves. It reflects the changes in technology which we can employ in producing it. Above all, it reflects the changing needs and interests of its readers. The most comprehensive research ever conducted into the interests, attitudes and decision-making of British commercial vehicle operators confirmed Commercial Motor's position as the most widely-read and most widely-trusted magazine in the market. It also confirmed that operators are more interested than ever in legal aspects, in vehicle performance and economy and in proper maintenance.
These changes in interest happily coincide with our changes in emphasis. They confirm the fact that Commercial Motor is the commercial vehicles magazine, the magazine for people who buy, operate and maintain the vehicles on which this country relies.