For those of you that like your gearhead information in an old school format, might we suggest Retromotive. It’s a stylishly produced car enthusiast magazine out of Australia that is making it’s U.S. debut, and boy, does it pack a wallop. On many levels.

More Than a Novelty

Yeah, I know, a magazine. In 2021, saying you’re rolling out a new magazine is akin to saying you’re going to make a steam train. Except it’s not. People still read books and magazines, and a lot of those people are gearheads like you and me. Retromotive is not a just novelty, far from it.

It’s a thick, heavy book of a magazine that, if anything, reminds me of a softbound version of Automobile Quarterly. You don’t have to know much about printing, paper stock, photography, or anything like that to tell that Retromotive is choice (to use the old hot rod term). The magazine is filled with splendidly curated photo essays, interviews with passionate owners, auto industry heavyweights, and our fellow gearhead brethren. And it’s all presented with a unique, minimalist, and artistic aesthetic meant to embrace the unique design language of each vehicle or person portrayed.
Retromotive was created three years ago by an automotive photographer named Nathan Duff. To hear Nathan tell it, the heart of their Down Under success has been its revealing investigation of the intimate journey of very special cars and their owners. “Retromotive focus...