It’s no secret that the magazine world is not what it used to be. I myself am a refugee of a publishing company that had many, many titles in its roster before the publisher began a purge until only three were left. However, in the chill of the current magazine climate, there have been several periodicals popping up that are worthy of your perusal. Linkage is one that may have escaped your radar.
Published by automotive dandy and bon vivant, Donald Osborne, Linkage reflects the handiwork of Jim Pickering, a veteran of Sports Car Market magazine and its (late) sister publication, American Car Collector.
“Geared for the automotive life” is how Linkage’s tagline reads. “A bimonthly publication … that is not about the market, not about driving, not about restoring, not about collectors, not about events, not about restorers, not about discovering for the first time a passion for motor vehicles,” it continues. The main idea is that Linkage is free from the online bombast and negativity that can often be found on a certain other medium — to wit, “the joyful comfort of the echo chamber is not for the Linkage reader.” Maybe that’s something (missing and) welcome in your space?
That’s not to say you’re not going to find coverage of your favorite auctions from around the world, but the focus is on the cars themselves and the world around them. Each issue of Linkage has a theme so, for example, the January/February 2023 issue focuses on Innovation. Peruse the issue and you’ll find a story on how 3D printing has aided restorers in recreating ultra-rare parts, a look back at the most innovative developments of the current era, and gadgets for your car — the modern, innovative kind, naturally! All this and more in approximately 160 pages in a format that’s slightly larger than the magazines you used to subscribe to but no longer exist.
If you’re like me and you enjoy having something in your hands, then it’s worth checking the Linkage website (www.linkagemag.com) to see if a subscription is the answer to your online automotive blues.
