John C

"Do you know of any old members of the pennine club about. I have a trialer with pennine LRC stickers on it. would love to get some old pics or ideally a video of it in action of possible its currently being stripped and rebuilt as a trialer. its an 80 inch series 1. I understand its not likley that there will be any pictures about let alone video but I thought I'd try." Hello - I don't know if you're in the Series one Club or not but there's a growing interest in Series One triallers from the old days - there's at least two old Pennine ones - my 80in and Steve Patchett's - and our mag frequently has old trials pics in it. There's some in the next edition from LR Nationals at Eastnor in the seventies and in the one after from Harewood, Leeds in '74. Several of the members are old triallers from years ago - Barry Clark and others. JC

I didn't think anyone would care what I'd been up to - just a cog in the whole system but here's a slightly further expanded version; As I remember it; 4x4 (and off-road action) was the magazine that had the topless pics in its early days. It was launched as a rival to Off Road and 4 Wheel Drive by an outfit in Essex. There had been an IPC title earlier called Four Wheel Drive Off Road and 4 Wheel Drive was originally Overlander then Off Road and 4 Wheel Driver then Off Road and 4 Wheel Drive 4x4 (and off-road action) was edited by Russell Fisher who dropped the topless pics, then moved to Leeds and launched 4x4 Driver (JC freelanced for Russell Fisher on both these) LRO was launched around this time (with Mark Phillips and a Range Rover by a stable on the cover of No 1). With Fisher gone to 4x4 Driver, Colin Dawson took over at 4x4. 4x4 Driver changed into 4x4 Sport Truck Driver then closed. (JC went to work on 4x4 Driver with Russell then edited it when Russell Fisher was promoted. JC left to go to BSH) Someone (Dawson?) launched International Off-Roader (IOR). 4x4 eventually closed (JC freelanced for it until it did). EMAP bought LRO and IOR and licenced out IOR to Richard Thomas. Link House (publishers of OR4WD) launched LRW. (JC freelanced for it for a while then went to work there as editor) IOR closed and Richard Thomas launched LRM. LRE was launched by Richard Green. Link House sold to IPC who continued to publish OR4WD and LRW (JC still on LRW) Off Road and 4 Wheel Drive was renamed 4x4 (JC moved to edit 4x4, then later edited both 4x4 and LRW) Total Off-Road launched Planet 4x4 launched Planet 4x4 closed EMAP - LRO - sold to Bauer LRW and 4x4 magazines (and others) sold to to Kelsey by IPC LRM sold to Dennis Publishing LRE incorporated into LRM LRO has had four (at least) editors in its time with EMAP and Bauer LRW and 4x4 magazines editor - me - changed shortly after sale to Kelsey (JC left as anything was preferable to working for Kelsey) Presently, in terms of Land Rover mag sales; LRO is market leader, LRM second and LRW after that (JC freelances for LRO) 4x4 and TOR (now Total 4x4) struggle on with niche audiences JC

As I remember it; 4x4 (and off-road action) was the magazine that had the topless pics in its early days. It was launched as a rival to Off Road and 4 Wheel Drive by an outfit in Essex. There had been an IPC title earlier called Four Wheel Drive Off Road and 4 Wheel Drive was originally Overlander then Off Road and 4 Wheel Driver then Off Road and 4 Wheel Drive 4x4 (and off-road action) was edited by Russell Fisher who dropped the topless pics, then moved to Leeds and launched 4x4 Driver LRO was launched around this time (with Mark Phillips and a Range Rover by a stable on the cover of No 1). With Fisher gone to 4x4 Driver, Colin Dawson took over at 4x4. 4x4 eventually closed. 4x4 Driver changed into 4x4 Sport Truck Driver then closed. Someone (Dawson?) launched International Off-Roader (IOR). EMAP bought LRO and IOR and licenced out IOR to Richard Thomas. Link House (publishers of OR4WD) launched LRW. IOR closed and Richard Thomas launched LRM. LRE was launched by Richard Green. Link House sold to IPC who continued to publish OR4WD and LRW Off Road and 4 Wheel Drive was renamed 4x4 Total Off-Road launched Planet 4x4 launched Planet 4x4 closed EMAP - LRO - sold to Bauer LRW and 4x4 magazines (and others) sold to to Kelsey by IPC LRM sold to Dennis Publishing LRE incorporated into LRM LRO has had four (at least) editors in its time with EMAP and Bauer LRW and 4x4 magazines editor - me - changed shortly after sale to Kelsey Presently, in terms of Land Rover mag sales; LRO is market leader, LRM second and LRW after that 4x4 and TOR (now Total 4x4) struggle on with niche audiences JC