The 35 Best Gifts for the Car Lover in Your Life
- 1/36
Whether you're shopping for a little something for yourself or looking for a good gift to pick up your autos-obsessed sweetie for Valentine's Day, we've assembled 35 of the coolest gifts to help you get the job done. If your thing is vintage cars, we've got gifts for that. If video games are more like it, yep, we got that, too. There are items here for auto enthusiasts of all kinds, so dig in, click Shop Now, and enjoy a few of our favorite products.
Additional reporting by Rich Ceppos, Darren Fitzgerald, Daniel Golson, Max Mortimer, Eric Stafford, and Alex Stoklosa.Car and Driver - 2/36
Meguiar's Complete Car Care Kit
Generic
walmart.com
$23.88
If you want to give your automobile a perfect hand-washed gleam, you should consider the Meguiar's Complete Car Care Kit. Meguiar's has been producing high-quality car-detailing products for more than a century. The kit is a great value and features a comprehensive assortment of products. Included you'll find carwash soap, scratch remover, tire foam, glass cleaner, cleaner wax with applicator pad, and interior detailer.
Michael Simari - Car and Driver - 3/36
ZUS Smart Rear View Camera
nonda
amazon.com
$113.11
Backup cameras are federally required on new cars now, but for the millions of cars on the road that were built before the mandate, Nonda has a simple solution. This wireless backup camera broadcasts a Wi-Fi signal to a compatible smartphone and delivers a 170-degree wide-angle image and two gridlines to help you line up your parking spot. The camera itself mounts on your car's license plate and lasts two months between charges.
Michael Simari - Car and Driver - 4/36
Vintage Tees
Honda Vintage Culture
vintageculturestyle.com
$24.99
Anyone can slap a logo on a T-shirt, but Honda Vintage Culture takes it a step further with officially licensed images from Honda that showcases the brand's racing heritage. Two of the available T-shirts feature the infamous RA271 F1 race car in 1964. The company also makes two stylish and high-quality zipper jackets modeled after vintage mechanic's uniforms from the 1960s.
Austin Irwin - Car and Driver - 5/36
GGBAILEY All-Season Textile Floor Mats
GGBAILEY
shop.ggbailey.com
Need to protect your car's carpet from dirt, melting snow, and road salt, but hate the look of rubber floor mats? GGBAILEY's all-season textile mats could be a perfect fit. These mats are custom fitted and offered in either dark gray or beige. The tightly looped carpet easily traps liquids and dirt while the thick rubber backing and stitched vinyl edge help keep everything contained. These textile all-season floor mats are a great addition to your car's winter wardrobe.
Michael Simari - Car and Driver - 6/36
Swagger 5 Elite Electric Scooter
Swagtron
amazon.com
$349.99
Electric scooters are all the rage right now-and are a handy tool for that last mile of the commute-but only one has Swagger. Meet the Swagger 5 Elite. Its electric motor drives the front wheel and propels the scooter pretty quickly up to an observed top speed of 18 mph. A digital speedometer is displayed on the handlebars, but the Swagtron app connects via Bluetooth and provides even more info. The Swagger 5 folds up and easily fits in the trunk of any car.
Michael Simari - Car and Driver - 7/36
KeySmart
amazon.com
$22.00
The KeySmart key organizer is for the Type A auto enthusiast in your life. With space for up to 10 keys installed neatly in a jackknife arrangement, KeySmart more easily fits in pockets, purses, and car storage cubbies. It's offered in aluminum, plastic, or leather bodies; our favorite is the KeySmart Pro, which adds a flashlight and Tile integration for GPS tracking. Additional tools can be added as accessories, including a bottle opener, pliers, and a USB drive.
Michael Simari - Car and Driver - 8/36
Secure360 WiFi Dash Cam
Waylens
amazon.com
$294.97
Dash cams are all the rage right now, and for good reason. Not only do they provide endless entertainment on YouTube of bad drivers and hilarious antics, they also can help provide proof of someone else's negligence in the event of an accident or catch a thief as he rifles through your glovebox. Waylens's Secure360 records a 360-degree view and also has a battery life of 360 hours. A companion app on your laptop or smartphone lets you check in on your car any time, and the camera even has night vision to record at night.
Brad Fick - Car and Driver - 9/36
Tecovas Weekender Duffle
accessories
tecovas.com
$295.00
Whether you’re heading up the coast in a convertible or venturing off-road in an SUV, a nice duffel bag makes weekend getaways even better. The Tecovas Weekender duffle is a stylish alternative to a canvas bag. Starting at $295, it's half the price of many other leather duffels, but no one would ever guess. Constructed of vegetable-tanned leather and sporting brass accents, this bag smells as great as it looks and offers plenty of space for several days' worth of adventures.
Jeff Xu - Car and Driver - 10/36
Piloti Driving Shoes
piloti.com
Driving shoes can make anyone feel like Steve McQueen, even if they’re wheeling a Toyota Prius. Piloti's shoes are offered in casual sneaker and loafer styles as well as high-performance racing shoes, starting at $150. We’ve been trying out the Pistone sneaker, the classy Officina loafer, and the special-edition James Hunt low-top, and all three fit snugly and are narrow enough to allow the wearer to operate the small pedals of a vintage sports car.
Michael Simari - Car and Driver - 11/36
Candycar
CandyLab Toys
candylabtoys.com
$9.50
Like the larger CandyLab cars, these bite-sized wooden Candy Cars are brilliantly designed and painted to resemble iconic cars from all over the automotive kingdom. Roughly the size of a Hot Wheels car, the small Candy Cars would fit right in with your miniature fleet or serve as a stylish automotive alternative to desktop knickknacks.
Jeff Xu - Car and Driver - 12/36
Corvette Special Editions
Keith Cornett
amazon.com
$28.50
Since its introduction for the 1953 model year, the Chevrolet Corvette has made an everlasting impression on automotive enthusiasts the world over. Keith Cornett's Corvette Special Editions details the most exclusive and memorable examples of the famed American sports car with photos and encyclopedic documentation of specs, pricing, and features.
Austin Irwin - Car and Driver - 13/36
Candylab Toys Wooden Cars
amazon.com
$5.00
Candylab Toys' lineup of minimalist wooden car models are perfect for small kids and car-loving grown-ups alike. There's a wide range of vehicles available, from muscle cars to woody wagons-and even some special models such as a police car and a tow truck. A range of accessories enhances the fun, with trailers and canoes that attach magnetically. The toys start under $25, with others priced at close to $40 and higher-end special editions nearing twice that price.
Michael Simari - Car and Driver - 14/36
Heel Tread Socks
catalog
heeltread.com
$12.00
There's a more inconspicuous way to display your auto enthusiasm than branded tee-shirts-like these brilliantly detailed socks from Heel Tread, for example. Heel Tread's designs cover much of the automotive world and feature iconic styles such as the Gulf livery, BMW's M division's classic colors, and the same plaid pattern used on the original Volkswagen GTI. These colorful socks will let you represent your favorite automotive brand even when you're in a suit and tie.
Michael Simari - Car and Driver - 15/36
Colour Your Classic Car!: A Colouring Book for Adults
amazon.com
$13.41
As it turns out, coloring inside the lines is therapeutic, even for adults, so why not chill out while saturating images of cars? Grab a copy of Colour Your Classic Car! and some markers, and go to town. Fair warning: Most of the vehicles in the book are European. Another hint that this is geared toward the Continent-and adults? There is some nudity in a few of the illustrations.
Michael Simari - Car and Driver - 16/36
Autodromo Stringback Driving Gloves
autodromo.com
$125.00
A nice pair of driving gloves really enhances a chilly spring or fall joy ride, and these beautiful and functional mitts from Autodromo are perfect. The soft leather palm provides a strong grip on the steering wheel, and the stitched back breathes nicely to help avoid sweating. Is your car lover also a watch enthusiast? These gloves have a split-cuff design that creates extra room for a timepiece.
Michael Simari - Car and Driver - 17/36
ZUS Quick Charge Smart Car Charger
nonda
amazon.com
$37.99
Sliding behind the wheel with a nearly dead smartphone and only a short drive to the next destination with little time for a charge? This quick-charging gizmo from Nonda is exactly what you need. It plugs into a 12-volt outlet and creates two fast-charging USB ports that Nonda claims can provide a 100 percent charge to two smartphones in under two hours. Connect the device to the companion app and it can also serve as a parking-location reminder, monitor the health of the vehicle's battery, and track mileage, among other things.
Brad Fick - Car and Driver - 18/36
Explorer’s Guide for the World’s Most Adventurous Kid
Atlas Obscura
amazon.com
$13.27
This one's for young travel enthusiasts making plans to see the world. The Atlas Obscura Explorer's Guide for the World's Most Adventurous Kid is brilliantly illustrated and packed with information about the world's most celebrated destinations. Reaching most of these sites requires flying rather than driving, but this book's intended audience is still years from driver-education classes anyway. Make no mistake: adults will enjoy this read, too.
Brad Fick - Car and Driver - 19/36
GentScents Air Fresheners
gentscents.com
$7.99
Say goodbye to cheap cardboard trees and hello to the modern-day automotive air freshener. GentScents is a subscription service designed to keep your car smelling its best; a wooden plank soaked in fragrant oil arrives periodically via mail, and you secure it to the provided sun-visor clip in your car. Several scents are offered, including sandalwood, cedar, and orange spice, but GentScents also ships seasonal fragrances throughout the year. Plans start at $7.99 per month.
Michael Simari - Car and Driver - 20/36
Linear Edge Wood Wall Art
custom
linearedge.com
$99.00
Linear Edge produces sculptures of the world's most iconic racetracks-and even some obscure ones-created out of layers of wood. Two-dimensional versions of this wall art start at $99, with larger sizes of each track available for an extra $100. In addition to the 90 available circuits, the company can create custom tracks for no additional cost. Linear Edge also produces 3D versions that show the elevation changes of each track and wooden engravings of iconic car models.
Michael Simari - Car and Driver - 21/36
Nitrous Oxide Espresso
Motorized Coffee Company
motorizedcoffee.com
$14.99
Here's something that will get our engines revving at the next Cars and Coffee: A bag of premium java from Motorized Coffee Company. This auto-enthusiast-owned boutique coffee roasting company offers several different types of beans, including decaf and cold-brew versions, and all of them come with car-themed names such as Nitrous Oxide Espresso and Morning Drive. Yum!
Michael Simari - Car and Driver - 22/36
Hum by Verizon
verizon
verizonwireless.com
Nearly everyone has a smartphone nowadays-even Great-Aunt Beatrice-but not everyone has a vehicle that can communicate with their mobile device. Hum by Verizon changes that by providing vehicle diagnostics, roadside assistance, and more with help from a smartphone app. The HumX device costs $69.99 plus a $15 per month subscription, which includes hands-free calling and a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot. In other words, it makes any jalopy a safer and savvier mode of transportation.
Michael Simari - Car and Driver - 23/36
Autodromo Watches
autodromo
huckberry.com
$875.00
Yes, we know, premium watches are often pricey, making them dicey gift propositions. But Autodromo's wristwatches are generally affordable given their specifically automotive flair and Japanese automatic movements. Several choices are priced well below $1000; the Stradale pictured here is $875. Choose which style suits you-most have faces resembling gauges-and the desired strap and bezel, and you'll have a slick everyday watch that telegraphs your car nuttiness.
Michael Simari - Car and Driver - 24/36
Handmade Fordite Jewelry
Fordite
urbanrelicdesign.myshopify.com
Integrate a love for cars into your wardrobe in a subtle way with jewelry made of fordite by Urban Relic Design. Chunks of fordite, which is also known as motor agate, are formed from layers of automotive paint and chipped off the machines at manufacturing plants. The artist shapes and polishes these man-made "gemstones," then sets them into gold, silver, stainless steel, or copper to create truly one-of-a-kind pieces; rings, necklaces, earrings and cufflinks are all available.
Brad Fick/Michael Simari - Car and Driver - 25/36
LEGO Technic Car Building Kits
LEGO
amazon.com
$349.95
You or the car person in your life might be into Legos. And we're not just talking about the kids. Most of our staffers are-surprise!-adults, and our office is covered in a collection of Legos. You can judge, or accept it and learn to love the brand's easy giftability. At the top of the car-themed model range sits this $350 1:8-scale Bugatti Chiron. There is also a similarly large Technic Porsche 911 GT3 RS as well as smaller-scale cars from the Creator series.
Jeff Xu - Car and Driver - 26/36
FIXD Active Car Health Monitor
1,804 customer reviews
amazon.com
$59.00
Uh oh! Your car's check-engine light came on-is it something simple like a loose fuel cap, or is it more serious? Say goodbye to the age-old dashboard-light guessing game with FIXD. The small device plugs into your car's data port and broadcasts a diagnostic report to a smartphone app. It can also estimate a cost of repair, direct you to a local mechanic, and provide handy maintenance reminders to help keep your ride in tip-top shape.
Michael Simari - Car and Driver - 27/36
Brush Hero Water-Powered Cleaning Tool
Brush Hero
amazon.com
$39.99
If you're all too familiar with the painstaking process of washing wheels, rejoice! The Brush Hero reduces the necessary effort to clean between the spokes on everything from a Mazda Miata to a Bentley Bentayga. The rotating brush head has enough torque to easily clean the dirtiest rims; it connects to a garden hose and sprays water to rinse away debris.
Brad Fick - Car and Driver - 28/36
Casio Edifice Men's Watch
Casio
amazon.com
$319.99
Casio's latest Edifice watch bundles Bluetooth connectivity and a race-friendly lap timer at an affordable price. The dark-blue face is accented by bright-blue inner dials and lit by a small LED light so it's viewable at night. Linking the watch to your smartphone allows it to maintain the correct time, depending on time zone. It's solar powered, too, so you won't have to take a break from track day to recharge. Its upscale appearance and metal bracelet belie its reasonable price.
amazon.com - 29/36
Mr. Steak Infrared Portable Grill
Mr.
basspro.com
$229.99
Kick your tailgate party up a notch with the Mr. Steak portable infrared grill. This compact cooker fits easily in a car's trunk, and its gas-and-infrared burner provides more heat than rivals that use only propane. Steaks, chicken, and burgers cook quicker and will cause mouths to water at your next camping trip or football game. The Mr. Steak portable grill features flip-out legs and a removable grease tray.
Jeff Xu - Car and Driver - 30/36
Felix Gray Polarized Sunglasses
turing
shopfelixgray.com
$95.00
Polarized sunglasses have long been a staple of car guys and gals to help block out glare and provide a clear view of the road ahead. But some brands take the polarization a little too far, turning everything a shade sepia. Felix Gray has gotten things just right with its line of sunglasses, offered in a variety of styles. These sunglasses are lightweight, thanks to thin lenses and Italian acetate frames, and they wear comfortably for long periods of time.
Michael Simari - Car and Driver - 31/36
TopCoat F11 Polish & Sealer Kit
TopCoat
amazon.com
If applying a traditional paste wax seems like too much time and effort, check out F11 by TopCoat. Unlike traditional waxes, F11 is a polymer-based synthetic wax that bonds itself to the paint at a microscopic level, filling in small imperfections and scratches. Just spray it on the target area and buff it in; sound easy enough? It can also be applied to glass because of its hydrophobic (water repelling) formula, and it lasts three to six months between applications.
Brad Fick - Car and Driver - 32/36
BMW History Books
amazon.com
$50.00
Here are two new great books for the BMW lover. Icon recalls the development, production, sales, and racing history of the BMW 2002-the model that established the German brand in the United States and made BMW's reputation as the maker of sports sedans. Heroes of Bavaria traces BMW's factory racing history, starting in the 1930s. Both books were written by noted BMW authority Jackie Jouret and are fat with insider information and filled with hundreds of photos.
Austin Irwin - Car and Driver - 33/36
KeySmart Urban21 Backpack
KeySmart
amazon.com
$299.99
KeySmart's Urban 21 backpack is a great way to tote your belongings each day. Its compact shape and waterproof outer layer are perfect for those who choose to park farther out and walk to avoid parking-lot door dings. Our favorite feature is the hard-case top pocket that helps protect fragile items if the bag is sliding around in the trunk. Inside are a dedicated pocket for keys, a laptop sleeve, and optional Tile integration to ensure the bag is never lost.
Michael Simari - Car and Driver - 34/36
Nintendo Labo Vehicle Kit
Nintendo
amazon.com
Car and gaming enthusiasts of all ages will find hours of entertainment building, playing with, and tinkering with the Nintendo Labo Vehicle Kit. The kit is more than just glorified papercraft-you’re really paying for the thousands of hours that went into the carefully crafted instructions, clever minigames, and interesting documentation on how it all works. Pair it with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and the kit’s steering wheel and pedal controllers add even more fun.
Michael Simari - Car and Driver - 35/36
WeatherTech Floor Liners
amazon.com
$55.00
WeatherTech makes many accessories for cars and trucks, but the company is known best for its full-coverage floor liners. Each mat is custom measured to ensure an exact fit, and the sides of the liners extend all the way up to collect and contain liquid, dirt, snow, road salt, and mud so nothing leaks onto your car's factory carpeting. WeatherTech offers liners in a variety of colors and provides coverage for all rows of seating.
Michael Simari - Car and Driver - 36/36
Car and Driver Subscription
subscribe.hearstmags.com
Shameless self-promotion, we know. But, hey, a subscription to Car and Driver magazine is the gift that keeps on giving the whole year. The car lover in your life will enjoy 12 beautifully designed magazines full of news, reviews, and comparison tests, not to mention coverage of our annual 10Best Cars and Lightning Lap events. Perhaps your car guy or girl would also enjoy a subscription to our sister publication, Road & Track, which specializes in performance cars and motorsports.
Austin Irwin - Car and Driver
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