Lighting candles: AUTOhebdo celebrates its 45th anniversary

There are two main ways to approach a birthday: with melancholy or with humor. In both cases, elegance consists of taking advantage of the opportunity to pay homage to your elders who gave birth to you. Also, I would like to pay tribute here, on behalf of the current editorial team, to all those who, 45 years ago on February 19, 1976, got AUTOhebdo off to a flying start.

No nostalgia when leafing through the 56 pages of No. 1, rather a broad smile on our lips when we see that we still do the same job and with the same passion. In the bear (the organization chart of a newspaper), our companions from the DPPI agency and Bernard Asset already appeared... and are still active in this issue 2299.

On the cover, no McLaren like today, but Niki Lauda (that's not him in the photo, a legendary error) stood as the ultimate bulwark against James Hunt who was going to be titled at the end of the year after a duel Hollywood. Two other headlines were already on the front page: the Arctic Rally and Daytona! That things ultimately change little despite the decades, and that is probably to be welcomed.

And then a birthday is a joy as soon as we plan ahead. In 1976, Mark Webber, Tiago Monteiro, Marcel Fässler uttered their first cries without anyone suspecting their destiny. The Golf GTI revolutionized the concept of the sports car by housing a supercharged engine in a small city car. How beautiful the story is when we take a step back from the events. And you, what were you doing 45 years ago? Because a birthday also allows you to thank your friends for their loyalty.

Thank you, dear readers, for always being present in our paper and digital editions. It must be said that we invest massively in cosmetics and new blood to remain sexy and in tune with the times. And then I smile at the idea of ​​what our successors will think in four decades when judging our work. Watch out for them, because with a little luck, we can still come and kick their butts...

 Today we are celebrating our 45th anniversary.

To all our occasional, loyal or even passionate readers… We say thank you. pic.twitter.com/PZrxnYVznY

- AUTOhebdo (@autohebdo) February 19, 2021