IT’S been 40 years since Street Machine was born, so we’re marking the occasion with a big 244-page issue for September.

Befitting of such an auspicious edition, we announce the finalists for the coveted Milwaukee Street Machine of the Year. It’ll be up to you to decide our SMOTY winner from the 16 incredible nominations, with $5K cash on offer for one lucky voter!

The 40th celebrations kick off with a retro-tastic cover starring Street Machine’s first big giveaway car, the unmistakable HQFORU! The cover is the result of a collaboration between photographer Chris Thorogood – who took the original image – Pat Skinner of Ten Tenths Creative – who created the illustration – and SM art director Leah Gamble – who knocked it all together. You can check out more of Pat’s incredible work here.

Built by Kevin Bartlett in 1985, the wide-body HQ Monaro was our first and most iconic giveaway car, garnering 40,000 entries. Inside, Street Machine historian Simon Major details its history and catches up with the car’s long-time owners Rodney and Judith Menso.

Judith also has this purple-dipped, Whipple-blown LX Torana hatch featured in this issue. It’s got a heap of cool custom touches and an even cooler story behind it. After debuting at Rockynats, HER LX has now earned a MotorEx Superstars invite.

The HQFORU cover sits on one side of the giant-sized pull-out poster, while on the other side is every front cover of Street Machine since day dot! There’s hours of fun in that one alone.

Howard Bell’s LITRE8 Torana is another icon of SM history that’s still going strong. We follow the living legend to Winton Raceway for a thrash, and it’s safe to say both man and machine are still plenty capable!

Telfo sits down with legendary SM editor Geoff Seddon for a chat on all things cars, bikes and print publishing. Seddo took the reins back in 2000 and supercharged the mag for the new millennium.

Brush up on your knowledge with an A-Z of Street Machine, a potted history going all the way back to 1981. There’s also a look at every Street Machine project car, our Movers & Shakers list for 2021, a deep dive into Carnage, and a look at all the cars in the SM team’s own garages.

Expression Session makes its long-awaited comeback, with a digital rebirth courtesy of designer Aiden Donald. First off the line is an epic ‘EH Camino’ concept, backed by some ultra-realistic renderings.

As well as all of the 40th celebrations, we’ve got your usual serving of feature cars, including the standout 440WOG Valiant hardtop. Owner Leo Mortakis wanted to blend modern form and old-school function in his big-block-powered VF Valiant. With a four-cog ’box, twin carbs and coil-overs, we think he’s right on-brief.

Ang and Mitch Wallace inherited this XP hardtop, which has been in the family for almost five decades. Now running a stout 440hp Windsor, tough stance, and a/c, it’s a perfect cruiser.

There’s no shortage of killer second-gen Falcons getting around these days, and Frank Vadnjal’s clean green XW Fairmont now joins the ranks. A family tragedy made the car a personal mission for Frank, and the result speaks for itself.

HK-HG Holdens and big Auto Drags are an indomitable combo, especially when finished off with an angry small-block and deep black paint. Vinnie Pratico jumped at the chance to own this ripper Premier and has been loving it ever since.

We’ve also got Brandon Zito’s seriously fast, twin-snail LC Torana, a triple-rotor Datto ute, and even one characterful electric Cortina!

There’s also a shedload of tech in the mag – including a look at the basics of EV conversions, a deep dive into direct injection, and a look at the Roadster Shop chassis that will form the basis of Moits Motorcars’ ’68 Camaro build.

Of course, the September 2021 issue is also packed with your usual favourite sections (plus a giant, unmissable poster!), so keep an eye on your mailbox or the shelves of your local stockist. Happy birthday to us!