OVERVIEW:
Foreign Car Guide was published by Joseph Hardie and Raymond Kelly as H-K Publications in Canton, Ohio. The company also published
Speed Mechanics, Motorsport and Auto Craftsman.
The title sounded like content was broad, but the core focus was Volkswagen (VW). VW formally established itself in the U.S. market in 1955, and by 1969 had sold the most foreign car units at 500,000. This title rode that wave of popularity and strong interest in Volkswagens and other foreign cars. There were feature articles, production road tests and performance tips. The magazine covers seem to suggest a target market of families and young singles.
The magazine originally came in the trade or digest-sized format, but then went to a full-sized format with the June, 1966 issue. The publisher "tweaked" the title several times in the early days. In 1958 the title became European Car Guide. It then changed again to Foreign Car Guide for VW Enthusiasts. Volkswagen was emphasized in the headings until late 1967.
After the April, 1969 issue, the title was changed a last time to World Car Guide. VW vehicles were equally represented with other import vehicles. This new title lasted until October, 1972.
The table of contents, if available, can be seen by clicking on the 
icon.
PUBLICATION DATA:
Foreign Car Guide had a very small portion of the automobile magazine publishing realm, but between 1959 and 1969 the
net paid circulation averaged 83,200 and ranged from 63,000 to 270,000 issues printed annually. There was a huge one year increase
in 1963, and it is unknown if this was real or if it was a data issue.
CONTENT COMPLETENESS:
A total of 134 issues was printed from January, 1964 through April, 1969. All cover images are complete.
