L. J. K. Setright
Encyclopedia
Leonard John Kensell Setright (10 August 1931 – 7 September 2005) was an English
motoring journalist
and author
.
Born of Australian parents in London, his father Henry Roy Setright, was an engineer who invented the Setright ticket machine
used on buses and trams. Setright studied Law at the University of London
and practised for a time but hated the profession. His National Service
was served in the Royal Air Force
as an air traffic controller
.
After writing for the engineering magazine Machine Age in the early 1960s, Setright became a motoring journalist and author. He contributed to CAR Magazine
for more than 30 years and wrote several books on cars and automotive engineering. Setright often espoused the virtues of Bristol
cars and the Honda Prelude
, amongst other things, while holding a consistent dislike for diesel
-powered cars. His writing style polarised readers as some considered it to be pompous and containing excessively esoteric quotes. He also wrote about music, motorcycles and high-fidelity sound systems, and contributed to among others Punch
, The Independent
, Bike, Back Street Heroes
and Car and Driver
.
He was also known for his love of smoking tobacco, in particular of Sobranie Black Russians.
Setright was a scholar of Judaism and a practising Jew throughout his life.
Married twice, his first wife Christine committed suicide in 1980. After this he spent some time in a Lubavitch community in Texas
, later returning to the UK. He succumbed to cancer in 2005.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
motoring journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
.
Born of Australian parents in London, his father Henry Roy Setright, was an engineer who invented the Setright ticket machine
Setright Machine
A Setright Machine is a machine operated by a conductor or guard for issuing bus tickets from a blank paper roll.- Technology :A Setright can print any value and could easily deal with changes in fares...
used on buses and trams. Setright studied Law at the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
and practised for a time but hated the profession. His National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
was served in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
as an air traffic controller
Air traffic controller
Air traffic controllers are the people who expedite and maintain a safe and orderly flow of air traffic in the global air traffic control system. The position of the air traffic controller is one that requires highly specialized skills...
.
After writing for the engineering magazine Machine Age in the early 1960s, Setright became a motoring journalist and author. He contributed to CAR Magazine
Car Magazine
Car Magazine is a British automotive enthusiast magazine published monthly by Bauer Automotive. International editions are published by Bauer Automotive in Brazil, China, Greece, India, Mexico, the Middle East, Poland , Romania, Russia, South Africa , Spain, Thailand and Turkey...
for more than 30 years and wrote several books on cars and automotive engineering. Setright often espoused the virtues of Bristol
Bristol Cars
Bristol Cars is a manufacturer of hand-built luxury cars headquartered in Patchway, near Bristol, United Kingdom. Bristol have always been a low-volume manufacturer; the most recent published official production figures were for 1982, which stated that 104 cars were produced in that year...
cars and the Honda Prelude
Honda Prelude
The Honda Prelude was a sports coupe produced by Japanese automaker Honda from 1978 until 2001. It replaced the Honda S800, a front-engined, front wheel drive sports car...
, amongst other things, while holding a consistent dislike for diesel
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
-powered cars. His writing style polarised readers as some considered it to be pompous and containing excessively esoteric quotes. He also wrote about music, motorcycles and high-fidelity sound systems, and contributed to among others Punch
Punch (magazine)
Punch, or the London Charivari was a British weekly magazine of humour and satire established in 1841 by Henry Mayhew and engraver Ebenezer Landells. Historically, it was most influential in the 1840s and 50s, when it helped to coin the term "cartoon" in its modern sense as a humorous illustration...
, The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, Bike, Back Street Heroes
Back Street Heroes
Back Street Heroes is a monthly UK custom bike magazine that helped to popularize a "new breed" of custom motorcycle, distinct from previous choppers because they combined rat bike-influenced utilitarian and minimalist design with greater use of high tech gadgetry, but catering to an upscale buyer...
and Car and Driver
Car and Driver
Car and Driver is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. Its total circulation is 1.31 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased prior owner Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. in 2011...
.
He was also known for his love of smoking tobacco, in particular of Sobranie Black Russians.
Setright was a scholar of Judaism and a practising Jew throughout his life.
Married twice, his first wife Christine committed suicide in 1980. After this he spent some time in a Lubavitch community in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, later returning to the UK. He succumbed to cancer in 2005.