James Taylor has just posted to his Facebook followers that the next published Land Rover Owner magazine will be the last. Full text below. Incidentally, if you don't follow James on Facebook ("James Taylor Roverphile"), he posts lots of detailed articles, occasionally touching on our favourite machines. I haven't felt the need to buy many copies of LRO, preferring CLR and of course B2L, but it's sad to see a car magazine - any car magazine - fold.
"I’m sad to say that an official announcement has been made by Bauer Media that publication of LRO magazine will be indefinitely paused (their words) and the last issue will be the one with a May cover date that goes on sale on 12 April.
There have been rumours about a major change for some time, and no doubt more information about the failure of alleged negotiations to sell the magazine will become available in due course. However, Bauer cite the primary reasons for their action as reduced sales, reduced advertising income (both of course caused by migration to online media) and increased prices of paper, printing and distribution. Essentially, there's no profit or not enough profit in it any more.
I rejoined LRO in 2012 after a period with other magazines, and during which I was Editor of Land Rover Enthusiast for nearly ten years. I first wrote for LRO in 1990.
I don’t yet know what will happen to my Roverphile column, which has been running for more than 25 years in various magazines and which I know is widely enjoyed. I hope it will survive somewhere, although I will not be receptive to proposals for major changes to the format.
To those I’ve dealt with and met through LRO, I’ll say a big Thank You. You now have one less demand on your hard-earned pennies every month, which may be a good thing; but you will also have one less Land Rover-related fix every month, which is not such a good thing.
Whether a market exists for any more new Land Rover magazines is something I don't know. However, wouldn't it be good if somebody created one devoted to the classic Defender in all its forms? Would you buy it? I'd certainly write for it!"