30 Cover Photos of The Motor Cycle Magazine in the 1940s and ’50s

The Motor Cycle was one of the first British magazines about motorcycles. Launched by Iliffe and Sons Ltd in 1903, its blue cover led to it being called “The Blue ’un” to help distinguish it from its rival publication Motor Cycling, which, using a green background color, was known as “The Green ’un”. Many issues carried the strapline “Circulated throughout the World”.

Covers of The Motor Cycle in the 1940s and 1950s

The covers eventually used a variety of different background colors after 1962, with a name-change to Motor Cycle.

Motor Cycle Weekly continued as newspaper-format until 1983 when it reverted to magazine-format. After less than a year as a ‘glossy’ it was closed. Here below is a set of vintage photos that shows covers of The Motor Cycle in the 1940s and 1950s.

The Motor Cycle magazine, October 17, 1946

The Motor Cycle magazine, October 31, 1946

The Motor Cycle magazine, December 11, 1947

The Motor Cycle magazine, November 25, 1948

The Motor Cycle magazine, December 22, 1949

The Motor Cycle magazine, June 16, 1949

The Motor Cycle magazine, September 1, 1949

The Motor Cycle magazine, February 2, 1950

The Motor Cycle magazine, June 15, 1950

The Motor Cycle magazine, December 6, 1951

The Motor Cycle magazine, March 29, 1951

The Motor Cycle magazine, October 2, 1952

The Motor Cycle magazine, February 19, 1953

The Motor Cycle magazine, November 12, 1953

The Motor Cycle magazine, November 19, 1953

The Motor Cycle magazine, September 17, 1953

The Motor Cycle magazine, June 10, 1954

The Motor Cycle magazine, May 6, 1954

The Motor Cycle magazine, May 27, 1954

The Motor Cycle magazine, July 14, 1955

The Motor Cycle magazine, June 30, 1955

The Motor Cycle magazine, May 5, 1955

The Motor Cycle magazine, May 12, 1955

The Motor Cycle magazine, May 19, 1955

The Motor Cycle magazine, November 10, 1955

The Motor Cycle magazine, November 17, 1955

The Motor Cycle magazine, June 14, 1956

The Motor Cycle magazine, December 26, 1957

The Motor Cycle magazine, May 22, 1958

The Motor Cycle magazine, May 29, 1958