Road & Track

Road & Track is an American monthly automotive magazine founded in 1947 that covers performance cars, motorsport, automotive technology, and enthusiast culture. The magazine has chronicled developments involving manufacturers, designers, drivers, and racing teams across the United States, Europe, and Japan, reporting on major events and new models while influencing automotive journalism and enthusiast communities. Contributors and editors have interacted with figures from Enzo Ferrari to Carroll Shelby, while covering series such as Formula One, IMSA, and World Rally Championship.

History

Founded by brothers Wilbur Shaw and Peter Helck and editor Leslie W. (Les) Bonsor in 1947, the magazine emerged in the postwar era alongside publications like Motor Trend and Autocar. Early reporting connected to personalities including Carroll Shelby, Zora Arkus-Duntov, and Edsel Ford as manufacturers such as Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Chrysler Corporation, Ferrari S.p.A., Aston Martin, Jaguar Cars, and Mercedes-Benz accelerated model development. Coverage in the 1950s and 1960s intersected with events like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Mille Miglia, and the Targa Florio while engaging engineers from Enzo Ferrari, Giovanni Michelotti, Giotto Bizzarrini, and Colin Chapman. The magazine documented the rise of Japanese automobile industry players such as Toyota, Nissan, and Honda as they entered global competition in the 1970s and 1980s. Ownership and editorial shifts connected the title to publishers including CBS, Hearst Communications, and later private equity groups, and editors worked with photographers and writers who collaborated with outlets like Road & Track’s contemporaries Car and Driver, Autoweek, Top Gear (magazine), and Evo (magazine).

Editorial Content and Features

The publication mixes long-form features, technical analysis, and road tests, often spotlighting models from Porsche AG, BMW, Audi AG, Lamborghini, McLaren Automotive, and Koenigsegg. Regular columns and features have profiled designers like Marcello Gandini, Giorgetto Giugiaro, and Pininfarina, and engineers such as Ferruccio Lamborghini and Harry Ferguson. The magazine’s benchmark tests have pitted vehicles from Chevrolet, Tesla, Inc., Subaru, Mazda, Volvo, and Hyundai Motor Company against one another, while comparative reviews reference suppliers including Bosch, Magneti Marelli, and Continental AG. Motorsport coverage includes reporting on teams like Scuderia Ferrari, McLaren F1 Team, Mercedes-AMG Petronas, Scuderia AlphaTauri, and drivers from Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher to contemporary competitors such as Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. Technical deep dives address powertrains from Ferrari F140 to Toyota 2JZ, suspension developments involving Öhlins, and aerodynamics pioneered by figures from Sergio Pininfarina to Gordon Murray.

Digital Media and Events

Expanding into digital platforms, the brand established a website, video production, and podcast offerings engaging personalities from YouTube creators, former editors, and industry figures. Online content has included track-day videos, drive impressions of cars from Pagani, Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings plc, and concept unveilings at auto shows such as the Geneva Motor Show, North American International Auto Show, and SEMA Show. Events and collaborations have connected the magazine to organizations and gatherings including the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, Laguna Seca, and racing organizations like IndyCar and NASCAR. Multimedia efforts feature partnerships with broadcasters like MotorTrend (TV network) and platforms affiliated with Discovery, Inc. and Warner Bros. Discovery, while podcasts and video series interview engineers, designers, and racers linked to Ducati, KTM, and Porsche Motorsport.

Circulation and Audience

Historically, print circulation saw readership among enthusiasts, collectors, dealership staff, and engineers across the United States, Europe, and Asia, alongside competitor readership of Car and Driver, Autocar, Motor Trend, and niche titles such as Evo (magazine). Demographics have included subscribers interested in high-performance models from Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, and McLaren as well as affordable performance from Honda, Subaru, and Volkswagen. Advertising partners have included OEMs such as BMW Group, Daimler AG, Toyota Motor Corporation, aftermarket firms like HRE Wheels and Bilstein, and luxury brands including Rolex and Sotheby’s when covering concours and classic auctions. Circulation strategies adapted to digital subscription models and social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook while analytics referenced industry bodies such as the Alliance for Audited Media.

Influence and Legacy

The magazine influenced consumer perceptions and product development by documenting prototype tests, roadster comparisons, and race results that reached engineers at Ford Performance, Chevrolet Camaro teams, and boutique firms like Singer Vehicle Design. Coverage shaped enthusiast culture around events like the 24 Hours of Le Mans and drives involving classic marques such as Alfa Romeo, Bentley, Rolls-Royce, and Maserati. Its writers and photographers have been cited in histories of automotive design alongside biographical coverage of Carroll Shelby, Enzo Ferrari, Ferdinand Porsche, and Aston Martin’s marques, and influence persists in contemporary automotive criticism, restoration communities, and collector markets including auction houses like RM Sotheby's and Bonhams.

Category:Automobile magazines