Bauer restructures motoring division, involving three hires and new digital publication
Bauer Media has restructured its motoring division, appointing three new editors, planning to launch a new digital publication, and dividing its six motoring publications into two divisions: New Car, which will focus on new car buyers, and Enthusiast, aimed at motoring fans.
The biggest restructure in the motoring brands’ history will take effect on Monday 14 September, and also see the motoring journalists previously assigned to mastheads pooled together in one editorial team within the ‘New Car’ division.
“This is a fundamental change to how our brands have worked in the past,” noted general manager of publishing, Terry King.
“It’s about playing to our combined strengths, reducing coverage overlaps, and giving Australians what they need most: advice they can trust.”
Glenn Butler, formerly Which Car’s brand content director, has been named brand content director of the New Car division, which includes website and TV show Which Car in its remit, in addition to the Wheels and Motor magazines, both of which will be revamped to align with the division’s purpose to target new car buyers.
The New Car division will also include a new digital publication to launch later this year, which will be tasked with “shining a light on the future of motoring and mobility in Australia and around the world”.
To support Butler, Dylan Campbell – previously head of Motor for seven years – has been promoted to editor of Wheels, and Andy Enright, deputy editor of Wheels, promoted to editor of Motor. Recently, former Wheels editor Alex Inwood became the director of TV and video for Bauer’s motoring division.
Butler
David Bonnici, meanwhile, becomes editor of the new digital publication, which will sit under the Which Car umbrella. He has spent four years at Which Car, and previously edited the Melbourne Weekly and Emerald Hill Times.
“From alternative fuels to flying cars, autonomy to connectivity and technology, this digital pureplay will help Australians gain a deeper understanding of important new trends and technologies,” Bauer said in a statement.
All three new editors will report to Butler, who said: “This is all about helping Australians learn WhichCar is best for them. Whether it is expert advice on the most popular new cars, the low-down on fun cars for $50K, or deciding when to go electric, WhichCar.com.au has it covered.”
Tim Robson will continue as editor of Whichcar.com.au, but has an expanded role; journalists who were previously split under the Wheels and Motor mastheads are now working in one ‘New Car’ editorial team.
“We have been working towards this moment for two years now, looking at how we communicate with Australians, and increasing our reach and publishing platforms,” King added.
“I am super excited to work with Glenn and his talented team as we continue to produce trusted news and reviews for the automotive intender.”
Bauer closed eight titles a month and a half ago, including Harpers Bazaar and Elle, adding to the more than 150 redundancies during the business’ tumultuous merger with Pacific Magazines. Bauer Motoring confirmed this restructure does not involve any redundancies.
Brittney Rigby was Mumbrella's deputy managing editor - news and analysis. She left Mumbrella in April 2021.
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Those of us who have at one time in our lives worked in motoring journalism can only wish them well. However—and in these times there always seems to be a “however”—whether this aggregation of talent will work is debatable. Why? Because motoring magazines have individual characters. Wheels and Motor have different personalities. Same goes for all the others. Even with different editors (and I note the Motor editor is going to now steer Wheels) there’s a good chance that they will become same ‘ol, same ‘ol. There are financial benefits in distilling all of these journos into one team, but will sameness boost their individual circulations and appeal to advertisers?
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Setting up two distinct motoring ‘arms’ for new car buyers and enthusiasts: great idea. They’re very different audiences, with different pools of advertisers too.
But rejigging Wheels and Motor “to align with the division’s purpose to target new car buyers”? While they clearly have solid authority in the motoring space, they would seem to be much more for the enthusiast, so any changes risk that audience.
A new car buyer may well pick up Wheels or Motor when researching their purchase, depending on the cover & content of the issues on sale at the time, but I din’t think they are the backbone of those magazines. Would seem more sensible to have one killer ‘New Car Buyer’ title, ie Which Car, and leverage some Wheels/Motor content into that title as relevant, while keeping the two enthusiasts mags and their very different voices.
That said, it’s always seemed to me that Wheels and Motor have become very similar over recent decades, a lot of “Phwoar!” coverlines screaming at you, maybe this would be a chance to take Wheels back into a slightly more premium territory, even a little Evo, while Motor clamps down on the mainstream mid-market space.
As for combining all journalists into one arm, makes sense from a resource perspective but again, this could whittle back at the difference in tone for each mag.
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I reckon it will actually work well. Worked there previously and there was a lot of cannibalism between Motor and Wheels in particular. If the new eds can collaborate instead of fight each other over the same piece of pie, then efficiencies can be easily found without sacrificing the souls of the mags. Editors will always have control of the direction, and there’s a solid crop of writers in there at the moment.
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I like the model also, WhichCar has grown from nothing and is a real player in market now. So long as they distance themselves from the NowToLove disaster orchestrated by those in Sydney I think it will do well.
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