Post: Auto Mechanic is a British automotive magazine

Auto Mechanic was founded in April 1958 and was originally published by Mercury House, which and its successors published Auto Mechanic until the notorious Robert Maxwell bought the company in 1989. However, after stealing his pension, he sold AGB Car Publications to EMAP within weeks. EMAP relaunched Auto Mechanic as a performance-oriented magazine, but this format was unsuccessful and in early 1992 Auto Mechanic was taken over by Kelsey Publishing, who took it back to a DIY/utility line and turned the magazine’s fortunes around. From December 3, 2010, publishing operations were transferred to Bauer Media (which had acquired EMAP’s consumer magazine division at the time), as part of a tit-for-tat dispute that followed Bauer’s decision to take another licensed title (Classic Car Weekly) away from Kelsey and Kelsey launched its own weekly (Classic Car Buyer). As cars became more complex, the cost and sophistication of the tools and diagnostic equipment required grew accordingly, leading more people to opt for professional repairs. This prompted the magazine to broaden its appeal to include the independent automotive trade, while still keeping its focus on private DIY enthusiasts. Kelsey Media later reacquired Car Mechanics from Bauer in 2020.