Special attractions

Perhaps Car and Driver's most notable, as well as popular feature, are the series of annual Buyer's Guides. Rather than selecting a Car of the Year, Car and Driver picks ten "best" cars each year, as it has since 1983. Its "10Best Cars" guide is published every January, with the goal of producing a list devoted to automotive excellence. Why single out the 10 best rather than just one? Because the magazine's staff does not believe that just one car can represent its diverse readership and circulation. Another popular annual feature is the "5Best Trucks" guide, which is published every March.

Other special Buyer's Guides and issues include:
New Car Guide
Truck Buyers Guide
Ultimate Comparisons
New Car Issue (in October)

Car and Driver is ranked number one in paid circulation among automotive magazines. In 2005, the magazine's total paid subscribers numbered 1.3 million, while its total audience was estimated at 10.2 million readers. Subscriptions account for 90 percent of its sales; the remaining 10 percent comes from newsstands. The magazine also publishes foreign editions in China, Taiwan, Spain, Mexico, Greece, Hong Kong, and Colombia, with a global circulation of 1,750,000.

Car and Driver's demographic profile of total adults, surveyed in 2005, breaks down as follows:

Age
18-24: 26.7%
25-34: 23.4%
35-49: 31.5%
Median Age: 35

Gender
Male: 87%
Female: 13%

Marital Status
Single: 40%
Married: 49.7%

Education
Attended College (1-3 years): 36.7%
Graduated College: 23.3%
Any College+: 59.9%

Employment
Managers/Professionals: 23.5%
Sales/Office Operations: 17.9%
Natural Resources/Construction/Maintenance Operations: 12.6%
Other Employed: 25.4%

Household Income
$40,000+: 74.9%
$50,000+: 66.2%
$60,000+: 55.3%
$75,000+: 42.2%
Median: $66,066

Readers Per Copy
7.8

From its humble origins, Car and Driver has come a long way. By 2006, the magazine had extended itself far beyond its traditional print base. Its online extension, caranddriver.com, offers online visitors complete editorial content, archives, and interactive Buyer's Guides. The "Car and Driver Radio" program can be heard over more than 100 markets across the country on the Radio America Network as well as on the Sirius and XM satellite networks. Hosted by award-winning automotive expert Alan Taylor, the show features interviews from some of the auto industry's most powerful CEO's, designers and newsmakers. The show is broadcast each week from the Museum of Television and Radio in Beverly Hills, California. The magazine also sponsors several special events, including the Car and Driver Races Series, an amateur racing competition held at 20 cities across the country.

Car and Driver bestows the John Lingenfelter Memorial Trophy each year at their Supercar Challenge. A champion National Hot Rod Association driver, Lingenfelter was critically injured during an NHRA racing event in 2002.

Written March 12, 2006 exclusively for MagsDirect.com. All right reserved.

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