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Collection of road tests

2K views 16 replies 9 participants last post by  t1fosI 
#1 ·
I was reading through my Gold Portfolio 308 & Mondial book over the weekend and it got me thinking. I have literally every car magazine that I have ever bought and I often take old issues to read up on various models.

the Gold Portfolio book is simply a summary of road tests from magazines and I really enjoy reading the tests. I bought the book before I bought my first Ferrari and it really helped me get an idea of what the car was all about.

I was thinking that if all of us on the forum pooled our old magazines and scanned the road tests into PDF, we would probably be able to put together a phenomenal collection. I would imagine we would be falling foul of copyright laws but it would be great to have the old road tests for cars like the Boxer, Daytona and older cars. I have a 1972 magazine testing the 2.4l 911s and I would love old tests for ferraris of this age and older.

If it was legal (if anyone can shed some light on this it would be greatly appreciated) I would definitely scan my mags to contribute towards a collection.

Kind regards

Mike
 
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#2 ·
not sure if it's legal, but I've read many magazines on PDF files

I wonder if it's not legal since you can't really find a magazine from 1972 to buy even if you wanted to, so the only option you'd have would be to download it from someone kind enough to scan it

plus you wouldn't be selling it, it would be friends exchanging files (like we do with MP3 files)

anyway, if it's not legal it's just plain stupid, for the reasons I just said (IMHO)
 
#3 ·
It would be really nice to have a collection like that - a digital library! Legality is debatable but there are ways around that.

The idea is not new, BTW - I've got a book with contemporary tests for my old Alfa GTV. That publisher printed various books like that, for various cars. I can't remember the name of the publisher, though, and the book is 3000 miles North.

It would be great if we can do something with this.


Onno



 
#4 ·
I'm definitely in - how should we proceed?
 
#5 ·
If you look in most magazines they have a copyright notice (certainly in the UK) stating that the can't be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system etc. without permission. Really permission should be sought from the copyright holders (usually the publisher) before doing anything like this.

Motorsport magazine, for example, are currently selling digital archives of their back issues going back to the 1950s so it isn't really a valid argument to say that you're only talking about old magazines that you can't get any other way. Plus Brooklands books publish a number of volumes reprinting these old road tests and articles.

In any case, I would recommend starting by cataloguing what articles there are and from what magazines. Personally, I would then contact one of the publishers to see what their reaction was to what is proposed and then proceed from there. I would say that I buy a lot of magazines and I wouldn't want to undermine their business in any way by freely distributing their content without permission.

Jonathan
 
#6 ·
I would imagine that is the prudent thing to do. I will look into that.

In the interim I would be interested to hear from you guys as to what interesting road tests you have in your collections.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Dear Comrade Schumacker,

Yes! an excellent idea. For myself, I hold within my tutelage a superb collection of 512TR and F-40 road tests/features from numerous magazines. All of which I should be only too pleased to share. In my opinion, one of the very best F-40 road tests was that conducted of fairly recent times, June 1997 to be precise, by Andrew Frankel of Motor Sport magazine, when he revisited the F-40 after twenty years. If anyone can instruct me how to get this box-of-tricks to conduct a scam I should be only too pleased to oblige. I can confirm that I do hold a scammer within my position. Hwoveer, I am dsylxeic and cunt rade the insucrtoin book porprely.

With kind regards,

Vulcan
 
#14 ·
Dear Comrade Angelis,

Yes a superb collection indeed. But, will we get them into some format on the Forum that may be easily accessed by all? It's a great idea and I am sure we could all benefit from it greatly.

In conclusion, it was good to make your acquaintance once again at Newbury on Sunday. I felt that we all enjoyed an exceptionally good day. My only regret is that I did not take part in the 'Ferrari Rides Extravaganza.' I am not riddled with guilt as our Wessex Group only recently did the annual event at Treloars for the cerebral palsy students. But, and whilst at the outset I had not intended to do 'the rides' with the F-40 at Newbury, I then wished that I could, but couldn't do so, as the passenger seat was filled with picnic hamper, chair and other impedimenta including the tea pot, cups and saucers and milk jug. But next year I shall do the rides as well. Furthermore, it was wonderful of Boxer to take his F50 out onto the track and perform rides for the paying customers. A very good day indeed for a most worthy cause. Bravo to everyone - hip, hip hooray and jolly-dee to all participants.

With kind regards,

Vulcan
 
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