If You're Getting Desperate, Chances Are These Christmas Ideas Can't Hurt

Yes, we await your wrath in the comments section. Rather than take time out of our day to satisfy head office’s wish for some holiday gift ideas — a concept you’re no doubt thrilled with — we decided to let someone else do the work. Thankfully, there’s no scented oil in sight (though motor oil and other fluids does make a good gift; I’ve received a 4.4-liter jug under the Christmas tree more than once).

Instead, what we have here is a rare thing. Some pretty good shopping ideas for a classic car lover that doesn’t leave us squirming. Happy head office, happy staff, and hopefully not-too-perturbed reader. You just know there’ll be another one come Boxing Day. We’re already taking bets! – Steph

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Classic cars are a labor of love for owners, and a point of lust for enthusiasts.

Chances are if you’re shopping for a classic car lover, it’s going to be impossible to get parts for their old vehicle because it will be way too specific and expensive. Show them that you care anyway by checking out these accessories and memorabilia that any classic car lover would want:

These can be expensive but oh so worth it. Some people think driving gloves are lame, but they’re just wrong and jealous, look at Ryan Gosling in Drive and tell me they aren’t cool. Fratelli Orsini makes a beautiful pair of Lambskin Leather Driving Gloves, and the car lover in your life will appreciate feeling like a LeMans driver from 1960.

If your classic car lover has a particular brand of automobile that they like, then how about showing everybody how much you love them? Available from windbreaker to full on winter suit, there is a myriad of styles to suit anyone’s wants, like this Aston Martin Racing team jacket that would impress even Andy Palmer.

Three pedals or not, it feels good to have a pair of shoes that fits you like the gloves you just bought! This isn’t a gift that you have to go crazy for either, Puma, Adidas, and even Converse All-Stars are excellent shoes to get a good feel on the pedals. You could spring for something crazy like a pair of Piloti or Sparco shoes if your enthusiast partner is REALLY serious about driving, or participates in actual racing events, but for a lot of folks, Chucks do just fine.

Art is a staple in any home, and many classic cars can be described as art themselves, but you can’t hang a real car on the wall (or can you?). Lots of options here, LeMans posters have been a beautiful advertisement for the great race since it started, and a reprint of almost any year of the race is available. Cars that have been running for a long time such as the Porsche 911 and the Ford Mustang have the luxury of a generation poster, which shows every generation of cars from its inception up to the current model.

Hey, we’ve all been there, and we know that classic cars have moods, some days are better than others. When your classic-car lover is stranded by the side of the road because of a horseless-carriage-hissy-fit, make sure they have a portable battery booster to get them going again.

If you’re not driving, working on, or sitting in the garage admiring your classic, perhaps you’d like to watch other people drive (or, crash) some vintage metal in your living room! Bullitt, Grand Prix, The Driver, and Smokey and the Bandit are prime examples of automotive culture and are must-watches for any car lover. Oh, and who could forget “ Gone in 60 Seconds“? The original, not the Nicholas Cage one. We don’t talk about that one.

Unless your old car has a retrofitted AUX cord, it’s probably going to have one of these devices used for playing music (if it has a stereo at all). Find out what kind of player the car has, and buy the album or song on that medium. Some albums are now available on retro formats, so keep an eye out for albums like the Drive Soundtrack on cassette.

Work on cars yourself? As much as you think you can do everything, you’re going to need help eventually, especially in those “where does that spring fit?” moments. Chilton and Haynes manuals are a staple of the DIY garage and have been since 1965 when the first book hit shelves (for an Austin Healey Sprite, by the way).

Lots of car media these days is found on digital, rather than tangible pages, but sometimes it’s nice to go back to basics with something that doesn’t require an internet connection, but does require to actually flip pages by hand (weird right?) and if you’re a history buff – which you must be for liking old cars – the option is there for vintage magazines that came out in the year that your special car was built, or perhaps the year you were born. Hot Rod Magazine has been running since January of 1948 and would make an excellent choice as a stocking stuffer.

It seems simple but it’s a great gift, something about owning a smaller version of the car in your garage just feels right to a classic car lover. Hot Wheels have been in constant production since 1968, and it’s hard to imagine that they wouldn’t have what’s in your garage in miniature form (or, your dream car, if you don’t own it yet). However, If you don’t feel like setting up the track, you can buy your car in pieces in the form of a model-ki and have an inch-perfect representation of your pride and joy.