Australia’s longest-running motoring magazine launches redesign

South Australia motoring magazine samotor has been given with a fresh new look, courtesy of design consultant James Pryor. Pryor has previously worked for high-profile publications such as British GQ, Esquire UK, Elle UK & Empire.

The magazine, produced by the Royal Automobile Association of South Australia (RAA), has been around since 1913, but with the new design, editor Jane Woodhams doesn’t think it shows its age. “Over the years, we’ve continued to reinvent the magazine, but we feel this is our best effort yet,” she says. “It’s cleaner and more contemporary than anything we’ve done before, but still has a playful feel.”

Woodhams also claims that “print’s not dead”, despite the magazine being delivered for free to over 1 in 2 South Australia households. “A readership survey revealed that more than half of samotor readers still want to receive a printed copy of the magazine, so we want to make sure we deliver on that.”

The first issue since the redesign features an aerial image of Normanville Jetty on the cover, by South Australian photographer Bo Le. “The image… is just one example of the beautiful sights SA has to offer and we’ll definitely be showcasing more of them in the future,” says Woodhams. Work from local illustrator also Pip Kruger features within the magazine.

“We’ve made sure to retain a strong South Australian focus, which we understand is very important to our readers. We know and love this state and that’s something that will never change.”

Check out examples of redesigned pages below, and more on James Pryor’s website.