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May 20, 2004updated 17 May 2007 11:30am

Emap and Haymarket to lose motor editors

By Press Gazette

Emap’s Car and Haymarket’s Autocar are both seeking new editors

Angus McKenzie, editor of Emap’s motoring weekly Car, has quit after being head-hunted to become editor of Motor Trend, the second biggest selling motoring monthly in the US.

His resignation coincides with that of Steve Sutcliffe, who has quit as editor of Autocar to focus on writing.

McKenzie, who is due to leave for the US on 2 August, said editing the US magazine would be quite a different proposition to Car. “Car has an international reputation for the quality of its design, photography and writing and the directness of its opinion – and that’s a reputation that is larger than its circulation footprint might suggest.

“Motor Trend is more of a straightforward proposition. The challenge there is to improve the product, give it a bit more of an edge and see if we can move it in the marketplace,” he said.

McKenzie began his career as a magazine journalist 20 years ago in his native Australia, freelancing for titles such as Motor Sport before becoming editor of Australia’s top-selling motoring monthly, Wheels.

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He moved to the UK and joined Emap Automotive in November 2001 to relaunch Automotive Management, now known as AM, and he was appointed editor of Car in July 2002.

Autocar is also searching for a new editor following the resignation of Sutcliffe, who has worked on the title for more than 10 years.

Autocar publishing director Patrick Fuller said: “When Steve became editor, he was well known for his writing and for being a racing driver. He is going back to that and will write exclusively for Autocar as an editor at large.

“He has done a fantastic job over the past year. Ironically he will probably be more visible to the readers and be more of a character within the magazine because he’ll be the bloke writing it.”

Sutcliffe joined Haymarket as a road tester on What Car? in 1987. He later transferred to sister title Autocar and took over as editor last year.

Dennis Publishing is also hoping to increase its share of the car market with a new monthly, codenamed Project Squirrel. The title will feature advice on buying cars and will sit between the company’s existing titles Auto Express and Evo. Mike Askew, former associate editor on Auto Express, is editor and James Mills, former deputy editor of Top Gear, is executive editor.

By Ruth Addicott

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