KFT
| KFT automotive technology | |
|---|---|
| description | Technical journal of motor vehicles |
| language | German |
| publishing company | Technik-Verlag, Berlin |
| Frequency of publication | 1951–1999 (monthly) |
| Sold edition | 147,000 copies |
| (IVW 4/93) | |
KFT or motor vehicle technology was a monthly trade magazine in the German Democratic Republic about technical developments in the motor vehicle industry. The newspaper emerged from New Motor Vehicle Fachblatt , which was split up in 1951 into KFZ Fachblatt (West Berlin) and KFT (East Berlin).
The focus was on reports from research and development in the automotive industry, often with an economic focus. Western vehicles were also discussed, provided that they were technically innovative models. The writing style was sober, scientific, and largely objective. Thematically, however, one dealt primarily with the development of motor vehicle construction in the GDR and other socialist countries. From the 1960s on, detailed vehicle assessments and maintenance instructions were also part of the KFT profile. Usually advertisements for vehicles from the GDR adorned the cover picture. The format and scope of the magazine changed several times. The KFT was black and white except for the cover pages, which only changed with the new look from July 1990. Until then, it contained almost no advertising. In contrast to the popular, quickly sold out car newspaperThe German road traffic was mostly unproblematic to get the KFT. The issue price was unchanged from 1951 to 1989 at 1 DM / MDN / Mark . The print quality of the magazine deteriorated over the years due to worn printing machines, in the 1980s some photos were washed out beyond recognition. Paper quality, too, had deteriorated rather than improved over the years.
With a modernized look, the high-circulation magazine initially survived the transition to the market economy and was taken over by Bauer Verlag. It also found interested readers in the old federal states, but could not last. In 1999 the magazine was integrated into the Auto Zeitung as a technology section . The last issue was No. 16/99. This made the KFT one of the last German specialist journals for motor vehicles in general. The only still existing German trade journal on motor vehicles in general is the Automobiltechnische Zeitschrift . Other West German trade magazines such as the KFZ Fachblatt or the Motor Rundschau had already been discontinued in the 1960s.
Changes in design and content
At the beginning, the cover pages as well as the content were printed in black and white, with 24 pages per issue. The scope was later expanded to 40 pages. From 1958 the cover photo was colored. The scientifically dry character was loosened up from 1959 with vehicle reviews.