Navigating the winding roads of gift buying for a car enthusiast can be tricky; what we’d give to have enough money to buy them that dream car! But, with a bit of clever thinking, you’re sure to find them the perfect present within your price range. Here’s a selection of handy gifts for the car lover in your life:
- Air vent phone holders
A car magazine is a traditional gift idea for him, but you can go one better with an air vent phone holder. They’ll fit to any car, keeping their smartphone easily visible and within arm’s reach without blocking the view of the road. Of course, talking on a cellphone that’s not hands-free is illegal.
- A ‘no blind spot’ rear view mirror
Another unexpectedly good present is an extra width rear view mirror. They’re traditionally used by police officers and race car drivers to give a full 180-degree view of the road behind them. That’s a whole five lane motorway!
- Bluetooth cassette adapter
Long car journeys (or even just a commute to work) wouldn’t be as much fun without a good music playlist. We suggest a Bluetooth cassette if your car enthusiast has an old stereo, enabling any car enthusiast to play music from their device.
- Personalised number plate
A personalised number plate is the closest thing to jewellery for a car, isn’t it? A statement of individuality (or even an investment) might just make it the perfect gift for a car enthusiast.
- Driving shoes
A decent pair of driving shoes can make all the difference to a car enthusiast, whether they’re performance driving or simply nipping to the supermarket. An accurate feel for the pedals will help to make their drives much safer, as well as reducing the amount of wear and tear on their car!
- Gap fillers
Ever lost your pound coin for a trolley down the gap between your car seat and handbrake? Us too! Understated and practical, a gap filler might be just what the car enthusiast in your life needs to keep their loose change from disappearing forever.
- Vehicle seat protectors
Designed to protect seats from dirt, scuffs, marks and stains, vehicle seat protectors are right up there when it comes to practical gifts for a car enthusiast. Many designs also come with built in iPad holders, perfect for occupying young passengers during long journeys.
- In-car chargers
Given how much time we spend in our cars, no gift guide would be complete without an in-car charger. Forget single port chargers and upgrade your gift to one of the four port family friendly variety instead – for as little as a fiver!
- Drivewear Transitions sunglasses
We like the Drivewear range of sunglasses designed by Transitions. With their specially designed feature lenses that adapt according to light levels, and essential UV protection, they’re a great gift for a car enthusiast whether they’re driving in summer or winter.
- Glove box jump starter
We all cross our fingers that a flat battery never happens to us, but it’s good to prepared – which is why we recommend this gift. This powerful little gadget takes up next to no room and only needs to be plugged into the DC power connector to get an engine going again.
Darren has owned several companies in the automotive, advertising and education industries. He has run driving theory educational websites since 2010.