Page 2 / News, Trends, Gossip and Stuff To Do : Bits ‘n’ Pieces : A Magazine for Stylish Cruisers

In a city where people live in their cars, wouldn’t you think that someone would come up with an Architectural Digest for automobiles?

Well, someone did--Architectural Digest’s Paige Rense. The editor in chief of Conde Nast’s monthly showcase of homes has launched a magazine for the car. Architectural Digest Motoring debuted last week on newsstands around the country and goes out to AD’s 850,000 affluent subscribers along with the October issue.

“The magazine isn’t about test-driving cars,” says longtime Californian Rense, who owns six cars. “It’s about the world of motoring--the adventures you can have and the places you can go.”

Particularly if you go in style. The first issue, produced by AD’s Los Angeles-based editorial staff, looks at the man behind Volkswagen’s flashy new Beetle; architectural garages; new doodads for automobiles such as personal computers and DVD players; and the cars driven by design and film celebrities (Getty Center architect Richard Meier thrills to his Jaguar XJ6). Even John Updike waxes poetic on the cars he has known and loved.

Conde Nast is starting off Architectural Digest Motoring on a conservative schedule, with one issue this year and at least two next year. But with $2 million in luxury ads for the first issue alone, a Motoring monthly could be down the road.