Mere weeks ago, if you’d asked us if we’d ever put a car on one of our front covers, we probably would have shaken our heads. “Not on your nelly, my friend,” we might have said. “We’re not one of those magazines.” And yet here we are, at the launch of volume 29, with a race car undisputedly on our front cover. Or more precisely, a race car door on our front cover. Why? Well, it looks cool. But more importantly, there’s an interesting story behind this car door (and the other ones also featured inside). They all harken back to the days of Prohibition, when moonshine runners in the U.S. started modifying their rides so they could outrun the law. It’s a booze- and petrol-fuelled story that’s as much about craftsmanship as it is about history. But it’s also, undisputedly, about cars. How things change.

Here's a quick squiz at some of the other curious tales you'll find in volume 29:

The Keeper of Time (and Old Robots)

Antiquarian horologist Brittany Cox spends a great deal of her time literally on the clock.

How to Survive a Zombie Attack

Meet the Melbourne scientist who has a plan for the end days.

The Mystery of the Moon Rocks

Why have so many pieces of Moon rock gone missing?

Dancing a Bout

These wrestlers bring colour to Inner Mongolia.

Across the ditch: Volume 29 should hit stores in New Zealand on December 24. Ask your local if it's not on shelves then.

Overseas readers: We'll be with you in shortly (click here to find out when), but if that's too far away you can order a copy online and we'll send it straight out.