Top 10 Car Gifts
Well it's December 1st and grudgingly we have to admit it's probably time to think about getting some presents sorted for our loved ones...
We've put together this list of our top 10 car gifts for the motoring enthusiast in your life. Most of them are deliberately pricey. If the car nut in your family has everything and you can't think what to get them, then you'll find the present to knock their socks off here. We've included a couple of cheaper items too, not because they're cheap but because they're classy and good for the price. With an alarming 24 days left until the big day, you may already have done all your Christmas shopping but if you're anything like us, you'll still be running around like a headless chicken on the the 23rd. Maybe you'll find something here to help make the process a little less painful.
1. Heavy Duty Steel Parking Signs
[caption id="attachment_6071" align="aligncenter" width="250"]
Parking Signs[/caption]
We've started off with a cheaper one, just so as not to put you off before we've got started. This series of steel signs come in a range of colours and sizes and specifically name a number of vehicles. They're suitable for indoor or outdoor use and are fun way to reserve your spot. Available from Motorgifts at £24.99
2. Vintage Sparco Classic Race Boots
[caption id="attachment_6073" align="aligncenter" width="900"]
Sparco Classic Race Boot[/caption]
This retro classic racing boot from Sparco is made from soft Italian leather and ideal for fans of vintage and classic cars who want to top off the look while driving their pride and joy. Even granddad would love these, with their classic 1960's styling. Available from GPDirect for £190.65 + VAT
3. Espresso Veloce Serie Titanio V12 Coffee Machine
[caption id="attachment_6076" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
Espresso Veloce Serie Titanio V12 coffee machine[/caption]
Bit of a special one this. As you can see from picture above, It's a coffee machine produced as a half scale Formula 1 engine. These are made to order by Espresso Veloce using precision manufacturing techniques with tolerances within a tenth of a millimeter. It's not cheap, yours for the princely sum of £8999 from Gearbox Gifts but you can pretty much guarantee that one of these on the counter top is going to make you look more swish than Kate Moss in chiffon and every time you pour yourself a brew you can wax lyrical about chemical anodising and aviation grade titanium alloy. Small price to pay really.
4. Fifth Gear Bottle Stopper
[caption id="attachment_6078" align="aligncenter" width="550"]
Fifth Gear Bottle Stopper[/caption]
And back down to earth with this little offering for £12.99. It's just a wine stopper but it's styled on a rather classy gear knob. Carved from cherry coloured wood and with chrome detailing, it looks the business. And at the very reasonable price, it's perfect for dad on a pocket money budget. Available from MeAndMyCar.com
5. PitStop LXE Series Office Chair.
[caption id="attachment_6079" align="aligncenter" width="288"]
PitStop Office Chair[/caption]
This one is for the car nut who has everything. It couldn't be more car themed if it tried and would look great in your work or home office. The PitStop LXE is modeled on a race car bucket seat, the arm rests are covered in tyre tread, it has a gear knob adjustment lever and careers around the office on 5 mini alloy wheels. The bucket seat is mounted to the wheel frame by a racing suspension spring which sits on a brake caliper. Only available in the U.S. from AutoGeek.net for $599.99
6. Limited Edition Exhaust Tailpipe Lamp - Honda F1
[caption id="attachment_6083" align="aligncenter" width="733"]
Honda F1 Tailpipe Lamp[/caption]
Car themed gifts don't come much cooler than this. What you are looking at is a genuine Honda F1 exhaust pipe. Chances are your lamp may once have been hurled around the track by Jensen Button, Jacques Villeneuve or Takumo Sato before sitting pretty on your desk or sideboard. Designed and handmade in the UK, the run will be limited to just six lamps complete with certificate of authenticity from Memento Exclusives. Yours for just £1099
7. Rolls Royce Silver Shadow Desk
[caption id="attachment_6087" align="aligncenter" width="519"]
Rolls Royce Boot Lid Desk[/caption]
Jamjar Junkies are a small firm based in West Sussex who specialise in upcycling bits of classic cars into pieces of iconic furniture. Ideal for either fans of the cars or owners who want to continue the theme into the house, their furniture seamlessly doubles as an art installation with a practical purpose. They've a few gems to offer on their website but we very much admire and covet this Rolls desk that they're selling for a reasonable £1400.
8. Alfa Romeo Touring Bike
[caption id="attachment_6089" align="aligncenter" width="420"]
Alfa Romeo Touring Bike[/caption]
There are quite a few car manufacturers doing bikes these days. Porsche, Smart, Ferrari and BMW, to name but a few, all make their own bicycles and the list goes on and on. You could probably get your hands on a bike to match your car from any number of makers. This is the one for the Alfa fan in your family. Bizarrely priced at £551.02, you can get it direct from the Alfa Romeo website.
9. Morgan Motors Leather Suitcase
[caption id="attachment_6091" align="aligncenter" width="1100"]
Morgan Leather Suitcase[/caption]
Well until today we wouldn't have ever envisioned ourselves calling a suitcase sexy but this little number from Morgan Motors is the bee's knees. We love the old-school styling and obvious build quality, as you would expect from Morgan. We wouldn't be at all surprised if it's wooden framed too! Only available from Morgan, the world's first sexy suitcase can be yours for £480.
10. Castrol Replica Pouring Tin
[caption id="attachment_6092" align="aligncenter" width="453"]
Castrol Replica Pouring Tin[/caption]
And finally, another very reasonably priced gift to finish on. Again, very suitable for the classic petrol head, this lovingly created replica of an original pouring tin would look great adorning the work bench in your man-lair. Reminiscent of the forecourts of our youth, just looking at it brings back a host of noises and smells of dad's garage and now you can have it in yours too, perpetuating those same memories for another generation. It's on sale from The Heritage Motor Center for just £14.99
Parking Signs[/caption]
We've started off with a cheaper one, just so as not to put you off before we've got started. This series of steel signs come in a range of colours and sizes and specifically name a number of vehicles. They're suitable for indoor or outdoor use and are fun way to reserve your spot. Available from Motorgifts at £24.99
2. Vintage Sparco Classic Race Boots
[caption id="attachment_6073" align="aligncenter" width="900"] Sparco Classic Race Boot[/caption]
This retro classic racing boot from Sparco is made from soft Italian leather and ideal for fans of vintage and classic cars who want to top off the look while driving their pride and joy. Even granddad would love these, with their classic 1960's styling. Available from GPDirect for £190.65 + VAT
3. Espresso Veloce Serie Titanio V12 Coffee Machine
[caption id="attachment_6076" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Espresso Veloce Serie Titanio V12 coffee machine[/caption]
Bit of a special one this. As you can see from picture above, It's a coffee machine produced as a half scale Formula 1 engine. These are made to order by Espresso Veloce using precision manufacturing techniques with tolerances within a tenth of a millimeter. It's not cheap, yours for the princely sum of £8999 from Gearbox Gifts but you can pretty much guarantee that one of these on the counter top is going to make you look more swish than Kate Moss in chiffon and every time you pour yourself a brew you can wax lyrical about chemical anodising and aviation grade titanium alloy. Small price to pay really.
4. Fifth Gear Bottle Stopper
[caption id="attachment_6078" align="aligncenter" width="550"] Fifth Gear Bottle Stopper[/caption]
And back down to earth with this little offering for £12.99. It's just a wine stopper but it's styled on a rather classy gear knob. Carved from cherry coloured wood and with chrome detailing, it looks the business. And at the very reasonable price, it's perfect for dad on a pocket money budget. Available from MeAndMyCar.com
5. PitStop LXE Series Office Chair.
[caption id="attachment_6079" align="aligncenter" width="288"] PitStop Office Chair[/caption]
This one is for the car nut who has everything. It couldn't be more car themed if it tried and would look great in your work or home office. The PitStop LXE is modeled on a race car bucket seat, the arm rests are covered in tyre tread, it has a gear knob adjustment lever and careers around the office on 5 mini alloy wheels. The bucket seat is mounted to the wheel frame by a racing suspension spring which sits on a brake caliper. Only available in the U.S. from AutoGeek.net for $599.99
6. Limited Edition Exhaust Tailpipe Lamp - Honda F1
[caption id="attachment_6083" align="aligncenter" width="733"] Honda F1 Tailpipe Lamp[/caption]
Car themed gifts don't come much cooler than this. What you are looking at is a genuine Honda F1 exhaust pipe. Chances are your lamp may once have been hurled around the track by Jensen Button, Jacques Villeneuve or Takumo Sato before sitting pretty on your desk or sideboard. Designed and handmade in the UK, the run will be limited to just six lamps complete with certificate of authenticity from Memento Exclusives. Yours for just £1099
7. Rolls Royce Silver Shadow Desk
[caption id="attachment_6087" align="aligncenter" width="519"] Rolls Royce Boot Lid Desk[/caption]
Jamjar Junkies are a small firm based in West Sussex who specialise in upcycling bits of classic cars into pieces of iconic furniture. Ideal for either fans of the cars or owners who want to continue the theme into the house, their furniture seamlessly doubles as an art installation with a practical purpose. They've a few gems to offer on their website but we very much admire and covet this Rolls desk that they're selling for a reasonable £1400.
8. Alfa Romeo Touring Bike
[caption id="attachment_6089" align="aligncenter" width="420"] Alfa Romeo Touring Bike[/caption]
There are quite a few car manufacturers doing bikes these days. Porsche, Smart, Ferrari and BMW, to name but a few, all make their own bicycles and the list goes on and on. You could probably get your hands on a bike to match your car from any number of makers. This is the one for the Alfa fan in your family. Bizarrely priced at £551.02, you can get it direct from the Alfa Romeo website.
9. Morgan Motors Leather Suitcase
[caption id="attachment_6091" align="aligncenter" width="1100"] Morgan Leather Suitcase[/caption]
Well until today we wouldn't have ever envisioned ourselves calling a suitcase sexy but this little number from Morgan Motors is the bee's knees. We love the old-school styling and obvious build quality, as you would expect from Morgan. We wouldn't be at all surprised if it's wooden framed too! Only available from Morgan, the world's first sexy suitcase can be yours for £480.
10. Castrol Replica Pouring Tin
[caption id="attachment_6092" align="aligncenter" width="453"] Castrol Replica Pouring Tin[/caption]
And finally, another very reasonably priced gift to finish on. Again, very suitable for the classic petrol head, this lovingly created replica of an original pouring tin would look great adorning the work bench in your man-lair. Reminiscent of the forecourts of our youth, just looking at it brings back a host of noises and smells of dad's garage and now you can have it in yours too, perpetuating those same memories for another generation. It's on sale from The Heritage Motor Center for just £14.99