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Road & Track Magazine records
M1919
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Table of contents
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Title: Road & Track Magazine records
Identifier/Call Number: M1919
Physical Description:
485 Linear Feet
(1162 containers)
Date (inclusive): circa
1920-2012
Language of Material: The materials are primarily in
English with small amounts of material in German, French and Italian and other
languages.
Physical Location: Special Collections and University
Archives materials are stored offsite and must be paged 36 hours in advance.
Abstract: The records of
Road &
Track
magazine consist primarily of subject files, arranged by make and model of
vehicle, as well as material on performance and comparison testing and racing.
While Special Collections is the owner of the physical and digital items, permission to
examine collection materials is not an authorization to publish. These materials are made
available for use in research, teaching, and private study. Any transmission or reproduction
beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the owners of rights, heir(s) or
assigns.
[identification of item], Road & Track Magazine records (M1919). Dept. of Special
Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.
Open for research. Note that material must be requested at least 36 hours in advance of
intended use. Audiovisual and computer media are not available in original format, and must
be reformatted to a digital use copy.
This collection was given by Hearst Communication, Inc (Hearst Magazines) to Stanford
University, Special Collections in October 2012.
The
Road & Track Magazine papers consist primarily of research and
publication files maintained by
Road & Track staff librarians throughout
the magazine's 60-plus year publication history. These files include alphabetical subject
files arranged alphabetically by make and model of vehicle, as well material on comparison
testing and racing.
The collection includes large amounts of black-and-white and color photographic prints,
black-and white negatives, color slides and transparencies of varying sizes and from various
sources -
Road & Track and
Car Life staff, commercial
photo studios, clippings from other automobile magazines, and press agencies and
manufacturer press divisions. They include prints from notable collections such as the
Studio Worner (Kurt Worner) collection, Warren Fitzgerald collection and photographers such
as Kirk Willis, Bill Blades, Guy Spangenberg, Jim Boyle, Ron Sessions, Ron Perry, and Jeff
Allan. In addition, the files contain press related material-- from press releases, press
packets, and promotional ephemera-- concerning automobile models, events, and manufacturer
news.
Many of the files contain road tests or other feature articles, which includes performance
data sheets (sometimes including paper readout from the testing rig), charts and graphs of
performance data, notes on car design, performance and driving impressions, photography, and
relevant reference material.
The collection also contains photographs and other materials pertaining to
Road
& Track
staff and company functions, as well as files pertaining to the Bond
family,
Road & Track's owner from 1952 to 1972. There is relatively
little material pertaining to articles or the magazine's production, however.
A portion of this collection was processed with funds from the REVS Program at Stanford
University.
Existence and Location of Copies
Selected material from Series 2 has been digitized and is available online at the Revs
Digital Library
http://revslib.stanford.edu/collection/mr163sv5231
Road & Track was founded in 1947 by Wilfred H. Brehaut, Jr. and Joseph S. Fennessy in
Hempstead, New York. After a slow start (publishing only six issues in its first two years),
the magazine soon became one of the most familiar titles for car enthusiasts and consumers.
In 1952, contributor and editor John Bond became the owner. CBS Publications bought Road
& Track 1972. In 1988, Hachette Filipacchi Media took ownership, and in 2011 current
owner (2017) Hearst Magazines purchased the magazine.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Automobiles -- Purchasing -- Periodicals.
Automobiles -- Racing -- Periodicals.
Automobiles -- History
Automobiles -- Design and construction.
Road & Track