2024 represents a milestone of 125 years for Motor Age magazine. The publication was introduced in 1899 to provide technical information to the fledgling automotive repair industry.
Over the years, the magazine was published by various publishing companies and was finally acquired by Endeavor Business Media in 2019.
In the “early” days, the vehicle brands were numerous, to say the least, some of which only lasted a few years. This includes companies such as C.R. Patterson & Sons, Durea Motor Wagon, Turgan-Foy, Detroit Automobile, Winton, Wavery Stan Hope, Stanley Buggy, Graut Brothers, Haynes Gasoline Buggy, Indiana Automobile Co., Robinson, Packard, Whipples, and many more.
Some early vehicles were electric-powered (which finally phased out around 1935), or steam-powered, with gasoline-fueled engine power quickly taking a firm foothold. As time progressed, the domestic brands we’re familiar with today began producing vehicles on a larger scale, including Dodge (1900), Ford (1903), GM (1908), Chevrolet (1911), Lincoln (1917) and Chrysler (1925).
Motor Age made a commitment to keep abreast of the technology as it developed and changed, providing guidance to mechanics and technicians, just as it continues to do today, and will continue to do for the future. Under the stewardship of Endeavor, Motor Age is committed to keeping the industry abreast of current and future technology for the benefit of its readers.
Here’s an interesting bit of history: Motor Age was the very first to develop an industry-wide training program, well prior to the start of NIASE (now ASE). The training program was voluntary. Each issue of the magazine would present technical skill questions. Readers would answer the questions on paper and mail them in. The papers would be graded, and readers would be notified if they passed or failed. The training program was the brainchild of John P. Kushnerick, a true visionary member of the Motor Age staff.
