The first edition of Motorcycle News was issued in 1955.
There were two weekly publications for the discerning motorcyclist in the 1950s - Motor Cycling (“The Green 'Un”)…
…and The Motor Cycle (“The Blue 'un”).
Both were produced in magazine-format, issued every Thursday, and had been around for decades.
Cyril Quantrill was an employee of Motor Cycling, learning his trade both pre and post-war. He recognised an opening for a Wednesday newspaper-format publication that could better showcase sport - an area largely not covered by Motor Cycling or The Motor Cycle.
With his friend Peter Baldwin, whose father owned a print-works at Tunbridge Wells, Quantrill established Motorcycle News from a small office off Fleet Street and produced the first issue in 1955.
Limited by a 3,000 issue print-run capability and underfunding, Quantrill sold Motorcycle News to EMAP for £100 in 1956. He stayed on as editor and with EMAP’s backing the brand flourished. By the time of Quantrill’s resignation in 1961 circulation was at 67,000.
While The Motor Cycle and Motor Cycling have been consigned to the archives, MCN remains a major publication today.