AN ICON of Australian motoring, Wheels Magazine, has a new owner as it reaches its 71st year of publishing.

Wheels was owned by Are Media since 2020, along with 4×4 Australia and WhichCar under the Wheels Media umbrella.

Wheels will from this month, be part of Motoring Media Network (MNN), a customer content agency and the publisher of performance car magazine, evo Australia, which is run by Matthew O’Malley.

Mr O’Malley said Wheels was one of the most renowned and trusted brands in Australia.

“Having previously been involved with the brand over a decade ago, I always knew of its untapped potential, particularly on the digital front,” he said.

“We established Motoring Media Network over 11 years ago to launch evo Australia, but it’s no secret that I’ve held a strong interest in acquiring the Wheels brand for a long time, always with the view of re-establishing its rightful position at the top of Australia’s automotive landscape.”

While Wheels has been acquired by MMN, 4×4 Australia and WhichCar have been bought by their management and editorial team. The three publications will now work together in a partnership.

In a statement, 4×4 Magazine said that under the newly established 4×4 Media banner, 4×4 Australia will continue to be the go-to reference across print, digital and video platforms for 4×4 vehicles, aftermarket reviews and “a dedicated travel hub shining a light on the destinations best suited for off-road adventuring.”

4×4 Media has also acquired WhichCar and the group’s managing director, Christian Clark, said the move to an independent publisher “allows us to maintain our unwavering commitment to our loyal magazine buyers, online audiences across WhichCar, and brand advertisers.”

He said it will be “a business-as-usual transition with some truly exciting updates due later in the year.”

“4×4 Australia itself has evolved considerably over the last few years by building an enhanced connection between Australian buyers online and the 4×4 cars, and the accessories they dream of,” he said.

Mr Clark and Mr O’Malley are working closely on a seamless transition and look forward to building on these established brands.