The best Christmas gifts for classic car fans

Wheely good presents for vintage petrolheads

Choosing Christmas gifts for a classic car fan can be trickier than fixing the clutch on a clapped-out Capri.

If your recipient doesn’t own a scale model of their favourite motor already, you can bet they've got three wall prints and a gaudy themed T-shirt.

Worse still, there’s no telling what could happen if you gift them a coaster featuring a standard Mk3 instead of their actual favourite, the Mk1 Capri 1600GT. Oops.

Worry not: like the humble mechanic you didn’t know you needed, we’ve rummaged through the parts bins of the internet to find a bumper grid of cracking festive presents – perfect for the vintage petrolhead in your life.

T-Lab Paddock Hill T-Shirt (£25)

Still rocking that oil-stained top you bought at the British Grand Prix in ’72? We salute your devotion to sustainability but, in the interests of cleanliness, it might be time for an upgrade.

This appealing racing-green tee offers a subtle nod to the famous first corner at Brands Hatch, without screaming “all modern circuits are rubbish and I’ve drawn better layouts than Hermann Tilke on a napkin after five pints.”

Buy the T-Lab Paddock Hill T-Shirt here

Land Rover Icon (£50)

A symbol of humankind’s victory over slippery surfaces, the humble Land Rover has become the Hoover of off-roaders.

Rugged, reliable and better than any other 70-year-old in slippery conditions, it’s an iconic classic worth celebrating – and this coffee-table compendium is a fine place to start, packed with details of all the models, stacks of action snaps and tales from those who’ve lived with the Landie over its lifetime.

Buy Land Rover Icon here

Sensorist (€185)

Your old man might claim he can check the humidity in a garage using nothing but a tea towel and some bath salts, but the rusted chassis on his Mk1 Golf suggests otherwise.

For a more reliable solution, stick this sensor kit in your garage: it’ll take humidity readings and direct them via the bundled gateway to your smartphone or PC – so you’ll always know whether your leather is living its best life.

Buy Sensorist here

Lego Aston Martin DB5 (£130)

Give someone a licence to build with this blocky recreation of 007’s most iconic sports car.

Equipped with all the kit you’d expect from a scaled-down spy wagon – including revolving number plates, a bulletproof screen and tyre scythes – this brick-built replica of the stunning DB5 is a kit Q could be proud of.

Just a shame the ejector seat doesn’t work on irritating in-laws.

Buy the Lego Aston Martin DB5 here

London Motor Show print (from £15)

Still plastering pictures of ’80s supercars across your walls? While the side strakes of a Testarossa might set your knees aquiver, they’re unlikely to go down well with those of a subtler disposition – or an aversion to angular bodywork.

Replace the posters of your teenage years with something understated: this throwback Motor Show print from the London Transport Museum offers ’30s charm, coachbuilt sophistication and fantastic font selection in equal measure – and you can always keep the Ferrari snaps in your cupboard for later reference.

Buy a London Motor Show print here

Mariclaro Wallet (£70)

Cut up the front seats of an E-type to make a wallet and you’ll make enemies in every Jaguar owners’ club.

Buy this hand-crafted cash-carrier, on the other hand, and you’ll be keeping cows alive: the leather is reclaimed from rusted relics that would otherwise be sent to the scrap-heap.

As a nice touch, each wallet is stamped with the donor vehicle’s model, year and mileage – but not the name of person who used to sit on it.

Buy the Mariclaro Wallet here

Suixtil Motor Racing Beanie (£65)

OK, so £65 might seem steep for what is essentially a woolly hat, but this is no ordinary beanie: this a racing beanie, made by Suixtil – suppliers to the likes of Formula 1 legend Juan Manuel Fangio in the ’50s and ’60s.

More than that, it’s made from soft cashmere and lambswool, packs flaps to keep your ears warm at winter race meetings and comes with those all-important driving goggles printed on the noggin – less effective than the real thing but much easier to remember.

Buy the Suixtil Motor Racing Beanie here

Goodwood Tin Mug (£9)

Nothing says motorsport quite like sipping hot coffee on a freezing Sunday morning, sitting on a damp hill overlooking a former airfield as you await the sound of roaring engines. But not until 10am, of course.

As caffeine containers go, this enamel mug from Goodwood is pretty neat – not least because it comes in a fetching shade of British racing green.

Buy a Goodwood Tin Mug here

Playforever VM201 Malibu Lucas (£21)

Forget plastic cars and tacky toys. For a four-wheeled gift that’ll go the distance, Playforever's stylish speed machines are what you need.

More than mere playthings, they’re designed to last lifetimes, inspired by some of the greatest cars of all time and look just darn stunning – whether pushed around on the rug or mounted on the mantelpiece.

We’re particularly fond of the Maserati-inspired Malibu, but there’s something for every taste in the range, from ’70s-style F1 cars to sleek Le Mans speedsters.

Buy the Playforever VM201 Malibu Lucas here

Heel Tread Socks (£9)

Where better to show your motoring addiction than on the body part that pushes the loud pedal? On the one that operates the brakes, obviously.

Thankfully, these automotive socks from Heel Tread ship in pairs – and they’re almost as iconic as the cars that inspired them.

From the tartan interior of a Golf GTI to the GT40’s legendary Gulf livery to the not-so-subtle stripes of a BMW E30, there’s a set to suit the soles of every speed freak.

Buy a pair of Heel Tread Socks here

Sparco Vintage Classic Race Suit (£590)

A dressing gown might keep you toasty warm this winter, but it’s not much use if you need to hop into your sports car at a moment’s notice.

Whether you’re nipping down to the shops or competing on the track, this retro race suit from Sparco is sure to sort you out. It’s FIA-approved so you know it’ll keep you safe, while a slot on the chest is ideal for storing your aviators – perfect for channelling your inner James Hunt, even if you’re just cycling to the Post Office.

Buy a Sparco Vintage Classic Race Suit here

U-Gears U-9 Grand Prix Car (£42)

We know, we know: it’s too cold to work on your kit car during the winter months. That’s why it’s taken you five years just to prepare the shell. And you couldn’t possibly sand it down in the summer, right?

In any case, for something to keep your fingers busy this Christmas, U-Gear’s DIY Grand Prix car is a surefire hit.

More than just a flat-packed plaything, the crank-powered racer packs a world of detail for the patient builder – from working pistons to functional suspension. Piece together its wooden parts and you might just learn something useful for your life-size project.

Buy a U-Gears U-9 Grand Prix Car here

Bellroy Key Cover Plus (£40)

It might be cool to own a stable of stunning classics, but you’ll look the fool if you stroll up to your Ferrari only to find you’ve brought your Porsche keys. Muppet.

Put paid to fob confusion with this handy holder from Bellroy: slim and stylish, it can carry up to eight keys on a secure toggle and snaps shut by the power of magnets.

Buy a Bellroy Key Cover Plus here

Christopher Ward C8 Birkin's Blower (£1995)

Think this ticker is expensive? It’s a darn sight cheaper than the fabled Bentley Blower that sold at auction in 2012 for £4.5m – and, coincidentally, it contains part of a piston from that very car.

Developed by Tim Birkin from a Bentley 4.5-litre, the legendary Blower was a 240bhp monster that set the track record at Brooklands in 1932, with a speed just shy of 138mph. 

Pick up this limited-edition number from Christopher Ward and you can wear part of it on your wrist. Presumably if you buy all 90 you can build an entire piston. Maybe.

Buy a Christopher Ward C8 Birkin's Blower here

Ford GT MkIV Scalextric (£41)

Mario Andretti’s Ford GT might have crashed out of the 1967 Le Mans race, but this scale replica of the stunning gold MkIV should cut a dash on your carpet track – and might just power you to a win.

Equipped with working lamps and a faithful paintjob, the magnet underneath would surely be outlawed in the real race – but will give your mini machine massive downforce through the kitchen kink and into the conservatory chicane.

Perhaps best not to go for the full 24 Hours though, eh? The electricity bill would be massive.

Buy the Ford GT MkIV Scalextric here

Suixtil Grand Prix Driving Gloves (£70)

For those who own a classic car, these Suixtil driving gloves make a fine addition to any driving ensemble: based on ’50s designs, they’re crafted from lamb’s leather and a knitted upper, with a seamless palm for ultimate comfort as one grips the wheel.

For those who don’t own a classic? They’re the perfect thing to wear while caressing other people’s cars at a concours event, before being politely asked to leave – sans gloves.

Buy a pair of Suixtil Grand Prix Driving Gloves here

Classic Car Parts Chess Set (£1500)

We’ll admit, this one’s hardly a stocking filler. In fact, you could buy a standard chess set instead and spend the rest of your cash on an affordable classic. Like a nice Austin Maxi, or something.

But then you wouldn’t get to move your Aston Martin valve – sorry, queen – to D4, taking the Range Rover rocker arm that functions as a knight before claiming the Lotus wheel nut that serves as castle in this game of automotive logic and bank-breaking design.

Every piece is made from recycled car parts, hand-crafted and individually finished in the USA. It’s truly bespoke and really very nice – though you still might have more fun in the Maxi.

Buy a Classic Car Parts Chess Set here