0-60 (magazine)

0-60 is an automotive enthusiast publication based in New York City. It is owned by Harris Publications, distributed internationally. 0-60 has been published since August 2007. While initially launched as a quarterly magazine, it would be printed bimonthly for 2009.

History

0-60 was created in 2007 by then-editor-in-chief Brian Scotto. The concept behind the magazine was to fill the void that was left between niche enthusiast magazines and the traditional “buff books” in the United States. Instead of focusing on breaking news like many of 0-60’s competitors, the magazine has instead put their strength into longer format stories. The tone is educated and knowledgeable, but 0-60’s subtle snark is what created the magazine’s personality. 0-60 is also known for its high-quality paper package, often compared with British automotive publications.

The title of the magazine, 0-60 (while obviously a well-known performance benchmark), was actually an ode to the work of Tom McCahill, the inventor of the zero-to-60 measurement. The 1950s automotive journalist was known for his clever and creative writing that was also brutally honest. Ironically, the magazine is not known for reviewing automobiles based on data measurements such as zero-to-60 mph times. The tagline on the cover is called “Fast Cars”. It was inspired by the British punk-rock band called the Buzzcocks and their song “Fast Cars.”

In January 2008, the magazine drove a 2008 Subaru WRX STI from Seattle, Washington, to Tuktoyaktuk, Canada, which is located within the Arctic Circle. This was the first true adventure story by the magazine. Epic adventure stories are now one of the things that 0-60 is known for.

In the Fall 2008 issue, the magazine introduced their annual award, known as the Tommy. Although it was created in response to other magazines naming their car of the year, or listing their top 10 cars for the year, the Tommy is defined as “The Thomas McCahill Award for Excellence in Motoring, (also known as The Tommy, it is 0-60’s annual recognition for making fast possible). The award is named after the pioneer of snark, overwriting and "telling it how it is" in automotive journalism. He also created the zero-to-60 time.

In 2008, the Tommy Award went to the 2008 Nissan GT-R and the 2008 BMW 135i.

The final issue of the magazine, featuring the Koenigsegg Agera as the cover car, was the Winter 2011 issue. However, 0-60 continues in online-only format into the present day.

Accolades

The magazine received a warm initial welcome from within the automotive news community. Heavily trafficked automotive blogs Autoblog.com and Jalopnik.com both published positive reviews of the premiere issue. It was referred to as “a reason to wait by the mailbox again.”

0-60 was also selected by Mr. Magazine as being one of the 30 most notable magazine launches in 2007, alongside Condé Nast Portfolio and Antenna, which is also published by Harris Publications.

Staff

Brian Scotto is the editor-in-chief of 0-60 magazine. Also known as Scooter. He is also involved with RIDES magazine. He previously worked for Mass Appeal magazine. Additional editorial direction is provided by Richard S. Chang, formerly the editor of Super Street magazine; Mike Spinelli, who founded Jalopnik.com; Matt Tuccillo, who also works on RIDES; and Jack Chinelli, who was involved with the actual launch of 0-60.

Photo direction for the magazine is led by Tony Harmer [1]. Art direction is done by Evan Gubernick. Both Harmer and Gubernick are also involved with Antenna magazine.

References

• Autoblog.com article [2]
• Jalopnik.com article [3]
• Mr. Magazine article [4]

External links

• Official site