How has GRM survived for 40 years and counting? Because it’s cool.

40 years is a big deal. Big enough to start a sentence–indeed an entire column–with “40,” which is a thing you aren’t supposed to do according to the people who make the writing rules. But really, we shouldn’t be doing any of this, so I guess it’s okay to b…

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berkeleyin' A right!  you really are doing the coolest thing.  i was introduced to AutoX magazine by a FSAE classmate in the late 1980s / early 1990s, and became a subscriber to GRM around 1994 (?).  As i see in youtube comments sometimes, "Who's still here in 2024?"   This Guy, that's who.  

Great article! I think I discovered GRM in the early 2000s when in college. I'm on my 2nd 10-year subscription after just taking 1-2 year subscriptions at the beginning. 

I was doing GRM stuff before I even knew there was a GRM magazine; ironically 40 years ago and I switched to car racing 34 years ago.

My buddy was a long time reader but I never really subscribed because I was more of a CM guy.

I'd been on the forum for 10 years before I started subscribing (it's shameful I know) but I realized what a great resource the magazine is and relented.

Kudos to GRM for bring so many like minded folks together.

The annual swimsuit edition.

How has GRM survived for 40 years and counting? Because it’s cool.

 Damn right.

You all excel at what you do and loving it is a primary reason. We all thank you for it and Tim sticking his neck out. 

I've been subscribing for so long that each issue I get is like catching up with old friends and finding out what they've been up to for the last 6 weeks. (Seriously, I've been subscribing since the $1500 Challenge days.)

Thank you everyone for the kind words. I know I've only been here for a fraction of the time (5-ish years, I think?), but it's really cool to be able to work for an independently-owned automotive outlet in a day and age when so many are getting swallowed up.

At the end of the day, you know who decides what goes into print or on the web? Not a middle manager or some faceless CEO, but just some guys and girls who really like playing with cars.

BmoreKeith said:

I've been subscribing for so long that each issue I get is like catching up with old friends and finding out what they've been up to for the last 6 weeks. (Seriously, I've been subscribing since the $1500 Challenge days.)

I'd probably keep up the subscription even if I gave up screwing with cars. It's cool people and a fun topic. What's not to like?

Yes, thank you for all of the support. Figure I’ve now been here for 75% of those 40 years and seen a lot of changes over that time–like, there was barely an internet when I started here. But one thing remains no matter those changes: always put the audience first.

David S. Wallens said:

There was barely an internet when I started here.

How did you get magazine proofs to each other, carrier pigeon? 

40 Years is astonishing AND very cool! Barely an adult in the AutoX days (still have the print editions to prove it) it's sobering to realize what 40 years actually means (man, those early pages are brittle!), but comforting to know the creative staff and community of like-minded is still strong and growing regardless of age. Keep entertaining and informing and we'll be reading GRM - hopefully in print form- for many years to come!

Colin Wood said:

David S. Wallens said:

There was barely an internet when I started here.

How did you get magazine proofs to each other, carrier pigeon? 

Sneaker net. 

Actually, we proofed hard copies printed out on paper and stuck into a three-ring binder.

We used a red pen to mark those corrections. After you proofed a page, you put your initials in the margin.

And there are standardized copy editing marks that we all followed: underline something to note that it should italicized, place an up-and-down line to mark where a space needed to go, draw this little loop for something that should be deleted.

And if a marked correction shouldn’t be carried out, you wrote ”stet.“

How have you survived? You found your niche and you stayed true to it for 40 years. Willing to adapt as necessary but never forgetting where you started or the people who made you what you are today. 

While it may not be the formula for being the biggest and flashiest in business, it is the formula for long-term steady growth. The kind of growth that lasts 40 years and longer. There are many businesses that get lost or blinded by the siren call of a fast dollar, make radical changes that leave their core customers confused and disappointed, and then crash and burn. 

Congratulations on a significant accomplishment. Here's to another 40 years. 

I haven't been here 40 years, but it's been a pleasure being here for a few laps of the ride. Thanks everyone for enjoying what we do and supporting what we do!