Auto, Motor und Sport
Encyclopedia
auto motor und sport often abbreviated to AMS, is a leading German
automobile magazine
. It is published fortnightly by Motor Presse Netzwerk subsidiary Motor Presse Stuttgart, a specialist magazine publisher that is 59.9% owned by the publishing house Gruner + Jahr
.
The magazine, originally published in Freiburg
, was the creation of three men, two of them racing drivers, named Paul Pietsch
and Ernst Troeltsch, and the third a business man named Joeef Hummel. The first edition, entitled simply "Das Auto" appeared in time for Christmas in 1946 with a cover price of RM
1.50. It was edited and in large part written by F.A.L.Martin who enriched the magazine with his report of automotive developments on the USA. A two-page feature highlighted the virtues of the "Jeep
", a word that "appeared in no dictionary but nonetheless defined the ideal vehicle for agriculture and forestry". Two more pages were devoted to the future of nuclear power, incorporating four striking pictures of different nuclear explosions, but concluding that on cost grounds oil based fuels were likely to continue to power motor vehicles in the immediate future because of the high cost of "atomic fuel" (Atombetriebsstoff) applying currently known technologies.
The second edition appeared in January 1947, and was a double magazine also covering February 1947: this approach was enforced by paper rationing.
By 1950 the requirements of an expanding circulation had necessitated the relocation to larger premises in Stuttgart
. During the 1960s demand for the magazine increased further from approximately 150,000 copies per issue to approximately 400,000. This reflected rapid growth in West German
registrations, with 4.5 million cars registered in the country in 1960, rising to 12.5 million in 1969. The readership continued to increase, at a slower rate, during the next two decades: sales peaked in 1991 at an average level of 523,387 copies per issue: during the early years of the twenty first century, they hovered between 470,000 and 480,000, but 2007 saw an increase to 495,683. Approximately 9% of sales are made outside Germany.
In 1996, a special anniversary issue featured, over several pages, a Berlin subscriber who had retained every copy of Auto Motor und Sport since, at the age of 17, and just over a year after his father's car had been confiscated by a Russian officer, he had subscribed for the first issue. The weight of the first fifty years' copies, stored in his cellar, amounted to just under 400 kg.
The current managing editor, Bernd Ostmann, took over from Helmut Luckner in 1994. Earlier managing editors included, between 1975 and 1982, Ferdinand Simoneit
.
Motor Presse Netzwerk also issues a yearly publication called Auto Katalog, usually in August of every year. This highly respected publication is an excellent resource, and is issued in countless other languages as well. The main shortcoming could be somewhat of a nationalist myopia, resulting in a strong focus on models available for sale in Germany to the exclusion of many model variants that are only available elsewhere. Yearly sales figures and an in-depth technical section are also included, to the joy of automotive anoraks
the world over.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
automobile magazine
Automobile magazine
An automobile magazine is a magazine with news and reports on automobiles and the automobile industry. Automobile magazines may feature new car tests and comparisons, which describe advantages and disadvantages of similar models; future models speculations, confidential information and "spyshots"...
. It is published fortnightly by Motor Presse Netzwerk subsidiary Motor Presse Stuttgart, a specialist magazine publisher that is 59.9% owned by the publishing house Gruner + Jahr
Gruner + Jahr
Gruner + Jahr GmbH & Co. KG is the largest European printing and publishing firm. Its headquarters is in Hamburg, Germany.-History:Originally founded on August 1, 1948 as the Henri Nannen publishing house, Gruner + Jahr was created in 1965 from a merger by acquisition, by publishers John Jahr Sr....
.
The magazine, originally published in Freiburg
Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the extreme south-west of the country, it straddles the Dreisam river, at the foot of the Schlossberg. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Breisgau region on the western edge of the Black Forest in the Upper Rhine Plain...
, was the creation of three men, two of them racing drivers, named Paul Pietsch
Paul Pietsch
Paul Pietsch is a former racing driver from Germany and founder of the magazine Das Auto.-Biography:Born in Freiburg, Pietsch began his racing career in 1932 with a private Bugatti and Alfa Romeo....
and Ernst Troeltsch, and the third a business man named Joeef Hummel. The first edition, entitled simply "Das Auto" appeared in time for Christmas in 1946 with a cover price of RM
German reichsmark
The Reichsmark was the currency in Germany from 1924 until June 20, 1948. The Reichsmark was subdivided into 100 Reichspfennig.-History:...
1.50. It was edited and in large part written by F.A.L.Martin who enriched the magazine with his report of automotive developments on the USA. A two-page feature highlighted the virtues of the "Jeep
Jeep
Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...
", a word that "appeared in no dictionary but nonetheless defined the ideal vehicle for agriculture and forestry". Two more pages were devoted to the future of nuclear power, incorporating four striking pictures of different nuclear explosions, but concluding that on cost grounds oil based fuels were likely to continue to power motor vehicles in the immediate future because of the high cost of "atomic fuel" (Atombetriebsstoff) applying currently known technologies.
The second edition appeared in January 1947, and was a double magazine also covering February 1947: this approach was enforced by paper rationing.
By 1950 the requirements of an expanding circulation had necessitated the relocation to larger premises in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
. During the 1960s demand for the magazine increased further from approximately 150,000 copies per issue to approximately 400,000. This reflected rapid growth in West German
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
registrations, with 4.5 million cars registered in the country in 1960, rising to 12.5 million in 1969. The readership continued to increase, at a slower rate, during the next two decades: sales peaked in 1991 at an average level of 523,387 copies per issue: during the early years of the twenty first century, they hovered between 470,000 and 480,000, but 2007 saw an increase to 495,683. Approximately 9% of sales are made outside Germany.
In 1996, a special anniversary issue featured, over several pages, a Berlin subscriber who had retained every copy of Auto Motor und Sport since, at the age of 17, and just over a year after his father's car had been confiscated by a Russian officer, he had subscribed for the first issue. The weight of the first fifty years' copies, stored in his cellar, amounted to just under 400 kg.
The current managing editor, Bernd Ostmann, took over from Helmut Luckner in 1994. Earlier managing editors included, between 1975 and 1982, Ferdinand Simoneit
Ferdinand Simoneit
Ferdinand Simoneit was a German journalist, author, professor and World War II veteran.-Life:...
.
Motor Presse Netzwerk also issues a yearly publication called Auto Katalog, usually in August of every year. This highly respected publication is an excellent resource, and is issued in countless other languages as well. The main shortcoming could be somewhat of a nationalist myopia, resulting in a strong focus on models available for sale in Germany to the exclusion of many model variants that are only available elsewhere. Yearly sales figures and an in-depth technical section are also included, to the joy of automotive anoraks
Anorak (slang)
In British slang an anorak is a person who has a very strong interest, perhaps obsessive, in niche subjects. This interest may be unacknowledged or not understood by the general public...
the world over.
External links
- auto-motor-und-sport.de official site