[Roshith]

Dear Friends

Wanted to share with all you guys my collection of auto magazines which now number more than 3000 and growing...

Automobiles have always been a passion for me. Basically from Trivandrum, i was born and bought up in Durgapur in West Bengal. My tryst with automobile magazines started when i was around 12 years old when one of my father’s friends brought a copy of the Car & Bike International to our house. He was discussing something with my father on the cost of vehicles that came on the last page and as luck would have it, he forgot to take it back. I flipped through the pages and was immediately hooked. To think there were magazines in India just catering to people like me was like a dream come true.

My proud possession now includes more than 3000 Indian and International Automobile magazines and even promotional magazines & catalogues. The Indian collection includes Indian Auto Journal, Car & Bike International, Auto India, Auto motor & Sports, Auto Bild, What Car, Top Gear, Business Standard Motoring, Car, Bike, Overdrive, CV, The Auto magazine etc. Most of them i scour from the freindly neighbourhood raddiwallas and most of them in Trivandrum now call and let me know whenever they happen to get an old collection and charge me a hefty amount in the process because they know i can never refuse a really old collection of musty auto magazines. I have the first issues of most of the auto magazines in Indian including Car & Bike International, The Indian Auto journal, Auto Motor & Sports, Auto India, and the new breed like Top Gear, Auto Bild, What Car etc..... My oldest collection dates back to 1984 - a copy of Indian Auto journal and it cost a princely sum of Rs.7, though i bought it "used".
My wife has grown used to my hobby though she gets irritated as most of the available space is crammed with books not to mention the constant refrain that i spend too much money on them.
It is quite interesting to note how sometimes magazines go wrong in their judgment. Once a certain magazine ( don't remember the name) once carried a comparison test between Premier Padmini and the just launched Maruti 800 and declared the former the winner and even predicted doom for the latter.It even said the Maruti 800 will never last beyond a month on Indian Roads.
It feels nostalgic to read about road tests and reviews of cars and how some reports are so right and some so wrong.
Sharing a few covers including some interesting mags, will upload some more images on "phoren mags" soon......

[M00M]

Great Collection There Roshith. I used to own the 118 NE and was a terrific car. Been awhile since i sold it. Fond memories on seeing those pictures of the car.

[designersf]

That is an amazing collection man! Envy from my side

Any plans of opening up a national motor library that stocks your books?

[the VTEC guy]

Roshith, a great collection indeed. I too have a hobby of collecting the Auto magazines. I remeber first time I ever had my father buy this magazine was sometime 1994/95. Since then I have been subsribed to either of the Auto magazines. Some times if I find an interesting issue on stand of a different magazine I purchase that. So now I think the collection is running more than 300. Every year now and then my parents, wife try to pursue me to give few of these to raddiwala but have been able to save them for now ;-)

[DicKy]

Wow, what a collection.
Me dying to see how the Contessa,118NE and Maruti 100 shootout would be like.

[rajeev k]

I too have some automags only Indian. I have the first copies of Indian Auto, Auto India, and Autocar India. Interesting part is Hormazd Sorabjee is the editor in all these three launches.

[akshay4587]

This is amazing.
and i am jealous of you.
Can you post some scans of NE VS contessa test??
with mods permission?

[GTO]

Sheer nostalgia, thank you for the walk down memory lane, Roshith. I don't think there is any doubt on the fact that the magazines of yesteryear were superior to today's manufacturer-sponsored rubbish. Back then, they had real content and mostly called a spade a spade.

Funny seeing the caption on the Maruti 1000 pic . Pictured in Bombay, eh?

My favourite writer from those times was Dilip Bam. Hey, I've even created a thread for him : Linky

Originally Posted by rajeev k

Interesting part is Hormazd Sorabjee is the editor in all these three launches.

Hormazd actually started off as a photographer.

Originally Posted by akshay4587

Can you post some scans of NE VS contessa test?? with mods permission?

Cannot allow the same. We have to be respectful of other's copyright, just as we'd expect from others of our content.

[rajeev k]

Originally Posted by GTO

Sheer nostalgia, thank you for the walk down memory lane, Roshith. I don't think there is any doubt on the fact that the magazines of yesteryear were superior to today's manufacturer-sponsored rubbish. Back then, they had real content and mostly called a spade a spade.

I also started thinking on these lines of late. highlighting even negative points in the guise of being good.

[Sheel]

Hi!

I too have a good collection and I remember, had gone to pick up some school books and had bought home an automotive magazine. They had tested a Land Rover and an AT Zen. I was barely 7-8 years old then.

Can't exactly recall the year, but I still have them stowed away. And if I think anywhere down the line to gift them, I might turn to you.

Have quite a large collection of BSM/ACI/OD almost from their inception. Might be having some 60 odd copies of BI & few of CI.

Nowadays, there are simply too many magazines, but none manage to strike the right note.

Thank God, we have Team-Bhp

[Roshith]

Originally Posted by M00M

Great Collection There Roshith. I used to own the 118 NE and was a terrific car. Been awhile since i sold it. Fond memories on seeing those pictures of the car.

Thanks Moom. The 118 NE was a great car. Have heard it had one of the slickest gear box in the business.

Originally Posted by designersf

That is an amazing collection man! Envy from my side
Thanks Designersf
Any plans of opening up a national motor library that stocks your books?

I hope so. For now i have told my bewilderd daughter and wife that should something happen to me, they are to contact Business Standard Motoring, my favourite auto mag and bequeath the collection to them

Originally Posted by the VTEC guy

Roshith, a great collection indeed. I too have a hobby of collecting the Auto magazines. I remeber first time I ever had my father buy this magazine was sometime 1994/95. Since then I have been subsribed to either of the Auto magazines. Some times if I find an interesting issue on stand of a different magazine I purchase that. So now I think the collection is running more than 300. Every year now and then my parents, wife try to pursue me to give few of these to raddiwala but have been able to save them for now ;-)

join the club VTEC guy. My family has been trying this albeit unsuccesfully for sometime now.

Originally Posted by DicKy

Wow, what a collection.
Me dying to see how the Contessa,118NE and Maruti 100 shootout would be like.

Thanks Dicky. FYI, the Maruti 1000 won the shoot out.

Originally Posted by rajeev k

I too have some automags only Indian. I have the first copies of Indian Auto, Auto India, and Autocar India. Interesting part is Hormazd Sorabjee is the editor in all these three launches.

Thats Great. I didn't know that Hormazd Sorabjee was in Indian Auto too. Guess he now is in Zigwheels which is not doing too good.

Originally Posted by akshay4587

This is amazing.
and i am jealous of you.
Can you post some scans of NE VS contessa test??
with mods permission?

Thanks Akshay.

Originally Posted by GTO

Sheer nostalgia, thank you for the walk down memory lane, Roshith. I don't think there is any doubt on the fact that the magazines of yesteryear were superior to today's manufacturer-sponsored rubbish. Back then, they had real content and mostly called a spade a spade.

Funny seeing the caption on the Maruti 1000 pic . Pictured in Bombay, eh?

My favourite writer from those times was Dilip Bam. Hey, I've even created a thread for him : Linky



Hormazd actually started off as a photographer.



Cannot allow the same. We have to be respectful of other's copyright, just as we'd expect from others of our content.

Thanks GTO. You just made my day. When i posted this, i was hoping you and Samurai to read and reply to my posts. It has partly come true now. This is an honour. I fully agree on the quality of content that has come down these days.

Originally Posted by rajeev k

I also started thinking on these lines of late. highlighting even negative points in the guise of being good.

Sad but true Rajeev

Originally Posted by Sheel

Hi!

I too have a good collection and I remember, had gone to pick up some school books and had bought home an automotive magazine. They had tested a Land Rover and an AT Zen. I was barely 7-8 years old then.

Can't exactly recall the year, but I still have them stowed away. And if I think anywhere down the line to gift them, I might turn to you.
Have quite a large collection of BSM/ACI/OD almost from their inception. Might be having some 60 odd copies of BI & few of CI.

Nowadays, there are simply too many magazines, but none manage to strike the right note.

Thank God, we have Team-Bhp

Thanks a ton Sheel for the offer.

[M00M]

@ Roshith: Yes it had the slickest gearbox. Very very smooth and precise i dont think any other car has come close till now. The only problem the 118 had was rust, used to rust very quickly. So comfy would love to find one in a good condition.

[black12rr]

Nice collections .I too had around 500 + books , recently disposed all of them due to not having space . :(

LINK

[EFF-EIGHT-BEE]

Thanks Roshith for sharing such a wonderful collection, some of these cars like Daewoo Cielo, Opel Astra were my childhood dream to own one but sadly they are no more in production now. One question to you(or any Bhpian) in the price list of all cars mentioned in one of the pic, which car is 'TATKAL Std' n 'TATKAL TGAC' UNDER THE MARUTI SECTION ?

[mallumowgli]

My first thought was that this guy might be a bachelor. But surprise surprise, you are married roshith!! So it should be kudos to your wife for being so tolerant

btw, why havent you contributed to this thread?

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/collec...ht=decade+that