By Glenn Goodspeed (March, 1997)
On its plain brown cover, the monthly Hemmings Motor News claims to be "the Bible of the collector-car hobby since 1954." The "Bible" may be a wanton cliche, but Hemmings does resemble the Good Book in size and shape, if not content, since it contains more than eight hundred pages of advertisements for automobiles and related merchandise and services.
There is no point trying to compare Hemmings with other publications, because there are no publications like Hemmings. It is simply the largest collection of advertisements for car stuff between two covers. The ads comprise everything imaginable. There are ads from large and small businesses as well as individuals.
Hemmings is carefully divided into categories that make sense, although the order in which they appear is somewhat mysterious. Popular makes of automobiles get their own sections, such as "Buick Cars for Sale," while rarer marques are lumped together in alphabetical sections. Volvos, for instance, may be found along with Volkswagens and Voisins in the "V Cars for Sale" section. Somewhere near the back of each issue, there is a comprehensive index of all the sections.
Although Hemmings does not print articles per se, it does have a lively section of letters that includes photos and editorial comments. The letters section starts near the front and usually is continued in the "back pages."
Hemmings is useful for finding parts, suppliers and cars, but it also is an excellent tool for analyzing the old-car market. If there are lots of ads from people wanting to buy Lotuses, for example, you can be pretty sure that an old Lotus at a reasonable price would be a good investment. What's a reasonable price? Check Hemmings. Local prices are often lower, but Hemmings provides a benchmark price range, especially on cars that are seldom advertised locally.
You can find Hemmings Motor News at larger bookstores and newsstands. To subscribe, visit the magazine's web site: http://www.hmn.com. Or call them (800-227-4373), or write to them at:
HMN Subscriptions
P. O. Box 100, Rt. 9W
Bennington, Vermont 05201
USA