Multiple issues of Karting magazine, featuring a new Formula 1 car, a go-kart race, a young race car driver with trophies, and go-kart racing scenes with several drivers.
A stack of karting magazines featuring a young race car driver in a grey racing suit and red cap holding a trophy.

Karting Magazine

"The First Magazine on the Sport in the World" - The first edition of Karting magazine was published just weeks after karting first appeared in the UK. After 716+ editions it is still the longest running print magazine about the sport. This iconic magazine went on to be published continuously from 1960 for almost 56 years until it's sad demise. Loved by all in the sport for the editor's sharp and insightful opinion, its national and international race reports, track tests, 'how to' features, guest writers, driver profiles, technical and regulatory explainers, dealer and trade news and of course readers' letters and classified adverts!

Many Formula 1 drivers' - past and present - have appeared on the magazine's front cover! 

The man behind the magazine Alan T. Burgess also went on to publish a popular series of books about starting karting, building, and maintaining karts, driving techniques and two-stroke engine maintenance.

The project is proud to have several near complete sets - 56 years of the magazine along with a complete set of bound magazines acquired from the publisher's son Mark Burgess. 

A collection of vintage car racing magazines, titled 'KART AND SUPERKART', featuring cover photos of go-kart racing scenes and driver profiles from the 1980s.

Kart & Superkart

Although only published between 1979 and 1991, this magazine was instrumental in promoting and advancing the discipline of 'Super Kart Racing'; [that is kart racing on full scale motor racing circuits using Super Karts capable of nearly 150mph].

The magazine evolved through several editors and publishers but Martin Hines, the revered super karting champion, superstar, and owner of the all-conquering ‘Zip Karts’ manufacturer and factory team was the driving force behind the concept and success of the magazine.

Arguably, "K & SK's" format, colour images, and guest writers offered a more modern, contrasting and ‘lighter’’ editorial style than other publications and became a popular alternative to other karting publications of the period.

Martin Hines, dubbed “Mr Karting” back in the day,  had his own, sometimes irreverent  column in the magazine.

Self acclaimed as “the international magazine”, it proved popular with overseas audiences.

Four vintage kart racing magazine covers from various years featuring go-kart racers and race cars.
The logo of KART and SUPERCARK, a magazine, with bold red and white text and a subtitle that reads "The International Magazine."

Other Early Source Magazines & Books

  • Vintage cover of a racing magazine from September 1960, featuring black-and-white photo of children racing in small go-karts with numbers on their shirts, on a dirt track.

    Karting News & Record

    1960-1961

    One of the original 4 (?) British karting magazines, first published during the sport's inaugural year in the UK.

    Alas it was only published for a short period during the early formative years of the sport in 1960 and 1961.

    Nevertheless, its compact format, style and content made it an interesting and informative read. Print copies of the magazine are now very rare, although the project does own some editions, others are held by the British Library.

  • Cover of Scottish Clubman magazine from February 1967, featuring two people riding go-karts on a track with hay bales, the person in the front wearing a helmet with the number 192 on the front.

    Scottish Clubman / Motorscot

    1949 -1980

    Although only intended for a Scottish motorsport audience and despite covering all forms of motorsport and not just karting, this periodical provided extensive kart racing coverage and played a key role in the reporting and promotion of karting north of the Border from 1960. Uniquely, the Scottish Clubman magazine [latterly titled Motorscot Magazine] was published managed and compiled entirely by volunteers with all features and content submitted by club enthusiasts. Copies are now also rare, although the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh do hold a complete bound set of magazines.

  • July 1960 issue of Kart News magazine featuring a black and white photo of children riding go-karts outdoors.

    Kart News

    1960

    One of the early magazines published to meet the insatiable demand for news and information about the new karting craze. Despite the popularity of karting, it was only published for a few editions. Copies are now extremely rare.

  • Book cover titled "Starting Karting" by Alan T. Burgess, featuring a black and white photo of two men working on a go-kart with the number 109.

    Starting Karting

    ALAN BURGESS

  • A vintage black and white photograph of go-kart racing with multiple participants on a track, some in action and others waiting. The cover features a red title box with black and white text that reads "Tackle KARTING This Way IVAN BERG."

    Tackle Karting This Way

    IVAN BERG

  • A book titled 'KART RACING', part of the Arco Handybook series, written by Alan T Burgess, features a cover with a blue-tinted photo of a man driving a go-kart and some other racing images.

    Kart Racing

    ALAN BURGESS

  • A black and white book cover titled "Going Karting" by Alan T. Burgess. The cover features vintage photographs of children racing go-karts, one in the top half wearing a helmet and racing gear, and another in the bottom half wearing a helmet and racing gear as well.

    Going Karting

    ALAN BURGESS

  • The book cover titled "Every Second Counts" by Martin Hines, featuring a man in a racing jacket with a laurel wreath around his neck, holding a trophy, and a woman holding a trophy in the background. The background has a checkered pattern with a blue gradient.

    Every Split-Second Counts

    MARTIN HINES

  • Book titled 'Kart Design and Construction' with photographs of go-kart designs and construction.

    Kart Design/Construction

    ALAN BURGESS

Notwithstanding the size of the already comprehensive archive that has been sourced - the search for those few elusive missing magazine editions continues. The project would welcome further contributions of any karting magazines, [or books] either single copies, job lots, or complete collections.

I am particularly eager to acquire any editions of the ‘Scottish Clubman’ / ‘Motorscot ‘magazines from 1960 to 1980. 

A poster seeking to purchase vintage karting magazines from the 1960s, including individual copies, job lots, or complete collections, with contact information provided.

WANTED