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Torque Magazine Turns 20
Singapore’s premier car magazine revs up to mark two decades of the finest in motoring journalism
Singapore, 27 May 2010 – SPH Magazines’ Torque marks its 20th anniversary this year with a series of exciting activities designed to make it the “Torque of the town”.
Mr Lee Nian Tjoe, Editor of Torque, says, “There are plenty of car magazines on the newsstands today, so we’re really thankful that readers choose Torque month after month. The celebratory activities have been designed exclusively for our loyal supporters because it’s not every day that a car magazine turns 20!”
The anniversary activities include:
- In June, Torque On The Move, presented by Panasonic, will see participants combining their interest in cars with photography and food in a unique driving adventure around Singapore.
- Between June and July, the magazine will be extending a $20 Special Anniversary Subscription Offer for subscribers to enjoy more than 50 per cent savings on six issues of the magazine.
- Torque, in collaboration with Chevrolet, will be running a promotion in August whereby two lucky readers will win an all-expenses-paid trip to watch the Macau Grand Prix race with Torque’s editor.
- September will see the celebrations culminate in a mega version of the magazine's signature event, Breakfast With Torque. The magazine will then unveil the Torque Evo, the first-ever car to be built by a magazine in Singapore. Working towards the deadline, Torque is currently recruiting “apprentices” to help create this very special sports car.
Also at the event will be a host of exciting new cars from various makes available for test drive. One lucky participant will get to win the grand prize: bringing home a super sports car for a weekend.
Mr Eugene Low, Deputy Managing Director of SPH Magazines, says, “Torque has had an illustrious 20-year journey on the road to becoming Singapore’s best car magazine today. Thanks to our readers, advertisers and business partners, we believe that Torque will continue to offer class-leading mileage and editorial excellence for the next 20 years and beyond.”
From the very beginning, Torque blazed a brave new trail among local automotive magazines to fuel the country’s obsession with cars. Powered by the most experienced motoring journalists in the business, Torque is not just another car magazine, but the authority in all things automotive.
Whether it is to help buyers research on the latest cars at the showroom, give owners tips to keep their prized motors in shape or to stoke the passion and imagination of motoring enthusiasts, each and every issue of Torque is engineered to deliver class-leading performance.
Along the way, Torque has not confined itself to the printed form. In May 2007, it hosted its Super Car Showcase at Millennia Walk. It remains the single largest gathering of exotic cars the country has seen, attracting an overwhelming turnout.
Also enjoying enthusiastic participation by local car fans is Breakfast With Torque. Kicked off in February 2009, this activity is another innovation that takes the title beyond the glossy pages to engage its readers face to face, over a delicious breakfast around a distinctly automotive theme.
Published by the Publisher of Choice, SPH Magazines, Torque’s mix of slick visuals and authoritative car reviews continues to set the standard, recently earning the highest accolade in the Car Magazine Of The Year category at the MPAS Magazine Awards 2010, which honours the best in local publishing. The awards are given by the Magazine Publishers Association Singapore (MPAS).
TORQUE MILESTONES
| November 1990 | Torque Class debuts at Singapore Motor Show |
| October 1998 | Torque Class is renamed Torque |
| October 2000 | Torque becomes a monthly publication |
| November 2000 | Torque marks its 10th anniversary |
| November 2002 | 24-car Torque buying guide, the most extensive feature of its kind in Singapore then |
| November 2003 | Torque ups the ante with a 32-car buying guide |
| November 2004 | Torque supercharges its 32-car buying guide with an equally extensive tyre round-up |
| November 2006 | Torque puts 12 supercars through its paces, easily Singapore’s “most expensive” group test yet |
| September 2008 | Torque gets upgraded from cover to cover and boosts its position as Singapore’s leading car magazine |
| February 2009 | Torque introduces its hugely popular signature event, Breakfast With Torque |
| June 2010 | Torque kicks off its 20th anniversary celebrations |
Details on the special Breakfast With Torque and other anniversary highlights are available in the June and upcoming issues of
Torque. Information and updates will also be listed on www.torque.com.sg and Torque’s Facebook page.
ISSUED BY SPH MAGAZINES PTE LTD.
Co. Regn No.: 196900476M
For more information, please contact:
Adrian Cheong
Manager
Corporate Communications
Singapore Press Holdings Ltd
DID: 6319 2261
Mobile: 9798 6097
Email: cheongcy@sph.com.sg
About Torque
Launched in 1990, Torque is the authority on all things automotive. Torque features the latest motoring news, informative articles and unbiased test-drive reports in a visually stunning package of top-quality photography and sleek design. Backed by a team of seasoned and passionate motoring journalists, Torque is the staple diet of car enthusiasts. Torque’s readership is 25,000 (Source: AC Nielsen Media Index 2009) and was recently awarded a Silver Award in the Best Car Magazine of the Year category of the MPAS Magazine Awards 2010. Torque has an edition in Malaysia.
About SPH Magazines
A leading publisher in Singapore and the region, SPH Magazines Pte Ltd is a wholly-owned subsidiary of media giant Singapore Press Holdings Limited.
With a proven track record for sterling editorial content and award-winning designs, SPH Magazines raises the bar as a dynamic magazine publisher. In its stable are about 100 titles in English and Chinese, covering lifestyle, fashion, beauty, society, bridal, health, men's lifestyle, automobile, parenting, décor, new media and business. All the newsstand publications, including flagship title Her World, and other well-known titles such as Female, The Peak, Home and Décor, Nuyou, Torque, HWM and GameAxis are among the highest-circulating titles and best-read in their respective lifestyle categories.
SPH Magazines' established editorial unit provides excellent custom publishing services to major corporate clients by producing custom lifestyle magazines, newsletters and other collaterals to meet their business needs. In addition, its regional IT portal, www.hardwarezone.com®, is consistently the No.1 online portal as attested by the Hitwise awards over the last 2 years. Its subsidiary, clickTRUE Pte Ltd, is a Pay Per Performance online marketing company specialising in Online Media Planning, Search Engine Marketing and Optimisation, Web Analytics Consultancy and Landing Page Optimisation.
With a vision to continue regional growth, SPH Magazines is set to become Asia's publishing powerhouse, with a presence in China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, The Phillippines and Vietnam. Magazines in its fold have achieved strong market presence in their respective sectors, as well as distinguished track records and solid reputation.
As a Publisher of Choice, SPH Magazines aims to deliver the best to meet the diverse needs and interests of readers and advertisers.
Visit www.sphmagazines.com.sg for more information.