Christmas Gifts for Car Buffs

Every year we take a look at the good and the great automotive Christmas gift ideas so you don’t have to. Here we go.

Drive Experience

Whether it’s a track day voucher where they can take their own car on the track or a drive session in a proper race car this is a great gift for the driver in your family. Track days run at most of the motor racing circuits in New Zealand and race car experiences are widely available. Prices start from around $150 for a track day with your own car and from around $500 for a drive in a real race car.

Pet Hammock 

Our pets generally get away with anything. If you or I climbed onto the back seat of dad’s precious car with muddy feet we’d be walking home and have a cleaning job when we got there. Dogs, on the other hand, get a pained smile and pat on the head. But you can save the car’s upholstery with this cheap and effective gift. They are easy to install and cheap to buy. Your gift recipient’s car will love it even if they don’t. Prices range from around $15-$50

Top Trumps Retro Collection

Once upon a time the biggest Trump name was associated with a card game. Those of a certain age will remember and, I suspect, be quietly chuffed to get this little stocking filler. Available online at around $30.

Haynes Explains Manuals

Anyone who has owned an older car with dreams of doing the maintenance themselves will be thoroughly acquainted with the world of Haynes workshop manuals and their grainy black and white photos and often vague instructions for performing delicate tasks. But now they have branched out into more exotic topics such as F1 cars, spacecraft, zombies and a range titled Haynes Explains where they use their classic workshop manual formula to explain how marriage, babies, teens and pensioners work. Available online for under $20

Gas/Clutch Socks 

Some people still drive manual cars and even insist on teaching their children to drive them on the off chance they may have to in the future. If you know one of these dinosaurs or their unfortunate offspring then they’ll probably want/need these. * full disclosure: I’m a manual driver. Available online for around $20.

If none of these work then there’s always car care cleaning packs – the bog standard socks and undies of automotive gifts.