The New York Times kills off Autos section

New Yorkers, newspaper readers, new car buyers and automotive enthusiasts around the world will be saddened as we are to learn today that The New York Times is shutting down its automotive section. The supplement came as part of the newspaper's Sunday edition for some 20 years, but will run no longer as the Times works to trim overhead and streamline operations in an effort to keep from going under completely.

The Autos section of NYTimes.com will reportedly continue to operate, although it's unclear what the cutback will mean for the employment of longtime automotive editor Jim Cobb, his deputy Norman Mayersohn (for whom this writer had the privilege of working years ago) and the rest of the staff and roster of stringers, but we wish them each all the best, wherever they land.

The news comes a year after the publication shut down its Wheels blog in a previous round of budget cuts, and over six years after the LA Times similarly shut down its automotive section. The shuttering of these and other automotive supplements comes amidst hard times for traditional newspapers, many of which are facing declining advertising revenues, plummeting subscription levels and competition from free online news outlets.