I'm sure that this letter will be filed along with countless others in response to "The Merger", but here it is anyway.
Have you ever gone to the drive-through with such a craving for a nice juicy burger, ordered what you wanted, drove home like pavlov's dog with the thought of digging into a huge beef patty.  Then you get home, open the bag, and see that you did not get the beef you wanted.  You got chicken. " Mustang and Fords, The Source for CLASSIC Ford Performance" is my Beef if you will and the new "Mustangs and Fords, the source for FORD performance is my chicken".  Changing the magazine with The Merger without telling your loyal readers was just that, chicken.  I just renewed my subscription last month.  My last issue was to be July '08, this issue.  If I had known this was to change, you would not have my money now.  Consumers purchase what they want.  When you give them something other than what they want, they get pissed.  They find another vendor to give them what they want.  I originally ordered your magazine for the CLASSIC cars, hence CLASSIC in the title.  My advice is to get rid of all the late-model crap and return to your roots again.  If not, you have lost another reader.
Signed,
Screwed in the drive-thru  

Not to beat a dead horse here, but if you've read my posts earlier in this thread then you'd know that there's little chance of my management changing their minds. If you only knew the depth of this change (budgets, print orders, staff, marketing materials, etc.) you'd realize this isn't just a "test" to see if the readers would like it. I'm sorry to say there will most likely, like 98% sure, there's no going back, sorry to say. As stated earlier I was not allowed to notify the readers in the June issue. If you wish to cancel your sub or transfer it to another title simply contact subscriber services (link at the bottom of our web site page). Sorry...

Mark  

Mark
I can sympothize with your situation. I have canceled my subscription affective today, the new layout, chicks, the amout of adds, the late models taking up half the magazine. I had gotten rid of all my car mags subscription except M&F becasue it was dedicated to old fords and being a Galaxie owner I would read and enjoy the mustang articles even thought most of it didn't apply to my car, but now the about of content for old fords(non mustang) will only be 20-25%% instead of 40-50%. I didn't buy some of the others becasue they where racing only, or ricer style ect and the ad content. The mag cost more then my subscription to hotrod but becasue it was "clean" I didn't mind. But i'm sorry to say that there just won't be enought old Ford content for me to be worth my while so to speak. I hope you make the best out of your new magazine,

Mike L'Heureux Yukon, Canada  

BTW if anyone is interested its been brought to my attention another magazine that is dedicated to Vintage Fords and Mercs
http://www.XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.com/home.htm
check it out

EDIT: I understand you may no longer wish to get MM&F, but we can't allow advertising/promotion of another publishing company on our own message boards. I'm sure they will find a replacement magazine on their own if they wish to do so. Please do not do so again, as it will cause this thread to be locked and/or a ban of your usage. Thanks for understanding...  

I too can sympathize the position Mark is in.  Upper management (regardless of company) typically makes decisions soley based on bottom line, not realizing the true impacts of their bonehead decisions.  I have had a few days to look through the issue, read the articles, and ponder my thoughts.  Like many other readers, I am dissapointed.  (I have considerably cooled down from the first night I recieved the issue.)  Mustangs and Fast Fords WAS the best magazine that catered to what I wanted.  A magazine dealing with classic performance fords (mainly mustangs) that had no frills, limited and properly placed ads, great content, and had no scantily dressed woman trying to sell the magazine.  I appreciate newer Ford vehicles and the hobby that goes along with them.  I also appreciate the fact that classic Fords and newer Fords may meet in a restmod environment.  However, combining the two is a mistake.  There is already a magazine for newer modified fords in Muscle Mustangs and Fast Fords.  I now have 1/2 a magazine I have to sift through because the information is not really what I am looking for.  If anything, Modified Mustang should have been merged with Muscle Mustangs and Fast Fords leaving the traditional Mustangs and Fast Fords alone.  
I am not going to do anything drastic like cancel my subscription or jump off a building. But, it really sucks your management are penny pinchers first and enthusiasts second (if at all).  

Well you certainly have lots of input, and lots of work ahead of you.  Good luck and do what you can. Another "huge Ford fan" that bleeds Ford Blue.
Don in Tucson  

I subscribed to a magazine that was devoted to early Ford musclecars. This magazine is not what I paid good money for. You may come out with all the reasons as an editor you can think of but as is evidenced from the posts so far. You and your superiors have made a bad and poorly thought out business decision based on the dollar and not the interests of existing subscribers. I am in Australia and the interest in classic Ford muscle is very strong here as in the USA. We have no interest at all in late model Ford anything as it is not readily available here. I have a modified 1966 Mustang coupe that is a joy to drive and have owned Falcon GT's but I will not be renewing my subscription to this magazine. Go back to the original style that we all wanted.
KD  

Mark, As the editor and the front man I really feel for you in this situation. It is not a position you would have sked for but, you are the go to man and this avenue is the only forum we have to express our disappointment at this change. There is nothing personal as far as I am concerned but I can see this magazine going the same way as SS&DI years ago where those publishers forgot the audience they had and chased "new" readers/subscribers. Whether the bottom line was good in this case or not, the existing subscribers deserved more respect than has been shown here. Messages or inferences on this website do not reach all subscribers/readers.
KD  

Well we all can wait and see how everything pans out.But I can only agree with the majority of posters that after reading Mustang&Fords for years ,I finally took the leap and subscribed to what i considered the best publication available here Downunder.The new mag isnt what I bought,but being the first issue hopefully we will see the format that we are used to,creep back in.I still feel some what deflated after the first issue,it feels cheap looks cheap and hasnt got the soul of the original magazine.And yes i am one of those "If it hasnt got chrome bumpers I dont care" guys.That my perogitive.But that is also what drew me to the original mag.To Mark I really hope that the new format works,but I doubt if Ill renew my subsription.
Chris  

HMMMM remember when Fonzie jumped the shark in Happy Days? "Jumping the shark" I hope for Mark and the team it dosnt end the same way.......chris  

Well, if canceling our subscriptions doesn't work we should try boycotting and/or complaining to the advertisers. Maybe that will wake up the brass at Source Interlink.  

Great idea but I  have never wanted a set of 22 inch diamonty encrusted wheels or a plastic shaker scoop so my new cars seems old.Nothing in the new mag appeals to me .When ever you have to wade through 9 pages of drivle to get to the content/editorial page what(or should that be WHO)does the mag put first.The pulication loses face If iwant that many adverts Ill read my Summit catalouge.It has about the same ratio of feature cars to adds and its free.......Im annoyed  

I have been a rec'ing Mustang since it started. The Mustang & Ford magazine since it came on board.
NO PROBLEMS -  
The "NEW" Modified Mustangs & Fords is not what I wanted
or needed. When my subscription ends my membership will also end.  
As a past owner of a 1966 427 Galaxie, 1966 GT350 & a 1965 289 Cobra - this is not my mag. Currently own
a restomod 1965 Mustang.
I like the old cars - why do you need a girl in photo
to sell something ??
Sorry but I will be finished soon -
 

Please tell me one thing? When I called to cancel my subscription, I was told we got a letter stating the changes, but Mark commented earlier that he not allowed to talk the changes... So answer me this... why are they saying it was in a letter and yet Mark was told something different? Mark any help with this?
Jim  

Hey guys, just got back from Michigan...

I don't know why the subscription services people would tell you that. They are not Source Interlink, they are sub-contractors, and thus, know very little about what's going on.

I really doubt this company would have spent the money on sending each subscriber a letter when I could have fully explained the situation in the previous issue (June) for free.

Mark