• by Montgomery Miller
• November 14th, 2019

Gift Ideas (and More) for the Car Lover in Your Life

(Updated Encore from Nov. 2018)

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, let’s start with the search for the perfect turkey. Then we can move on to clever automotive gifts. There was a time when a simple Butterball turkey or a fresh turkey from the local farmer could be stuffed, popped in the oven and that was that. Those days are long gone, especially here in Texas where deep frying and smoking turkeys has become all the rage. Of course, you can still bake a traditional turkey and serve it up with all the fixin’s, but there are plenty of creative alternatives to consider…

Of course we’ve seen the commercials depicting a handsome husband leading his blindfolded wife to the driveway where we see brand a new Lexus with a red bow around it surrounded by pretty snow drifts and such. However, if giving your loved one, you know the one with a passion for driving, a new Lexus, Acura, Tesla, BMW or Mercedes-Benz, is a bit more gift than you had in mind, fear not. There is a whole world of automotive gifts out there in every price range and to fit every driving passion.

Let’s face it, even with the most advanced navigation and Bluetooth technology, many of us still prefer to have our phone mounted somewhere up on the dash for easy viewing and safety. A recent article on pcworld.com called out a number of top sellers including:    

BE Universal Smartphone Car Air Vent Mount
iOttie Easy One Touch 4 Air Vent Mount
Koomus CD-Air CD Slot Smartphone Car Mount
Kenu Airframe+ Smartphone and Phablet Car Mount
Spigen Kuel A200 Car Phone Mount Magnetic Air Vent Holder
Square Jellyfish Jelly Grip Vent Mount for Smartphones

Personally, the magnetitic holders seem to work better than the traditional vent-mounted holders, but everyone has their own preference for their specific dashboard configuration.

Here in Texas, we know plenty about rain and pretty much everyone keeps an umbrella handy in the car. The trouble, however, with traditional umbrellas, is they tend to drip all over your cozy leather interior. Fortunately, someone who likes to keep their leather dry, as I do, invented an umbrella that inverts, trapping the water inside while keeping your interior dry. WSKY 12 Ribs Inverted Umbrella has 5 out of 5 stars on Amazon, comes with a snappy Leatherette Umbrella Cover and best of all, can be yours for under $25.

For that special hi-tech someone in your life, who also has trouble finding the car after a long day of shopping at the mall, there’s an app for that! With Find my parked car: The parking spot, gps, maps, you’ll never lose your car again. Simply use the app to save your spot and the app will return you to your vehicle regardless of how many shopping bags you’re carrying.

Google Maps also offers a built-in feature to assist you with finding your car. When you park your car, open Google Maps and tap the blue dot that shows your current location. Then tap the “Save your parking” option. Google Maps will save your spot on the map, complete with an indication that “You parked here.”

Valleycomfy offers a line of beautiful and durable genuine leather steering wheel covers to fit a car, truck or SUV with a snug, universal 15.5-inch wrap. Lined with a special odor-free rubber that offers a slip-free fit, this item is well suited for the driving enthusiast in your life.

Of course, not all great automotive adventures happen on the road. True aficionados will appreciate a beautiful coffee table book dedicated to their favorite ride like Speed, Style, and Beauty, Cars from the Ralph Lauren Collection; Drive Time: Watches Inspired by Automobiles, Motorcycles and Racing (featuring a Forward by Jay Leno); the Art of the Classic Car by photographer Peter Harholdt, or perhaps Tesla Model S - Best Car Ever! by Frank van Gilluwe and Kim Rogers. Or, for the Porsche lover in your life, Porsche 911: 50 Years, by best-selling author Randy Leffingwell. Whatever his or her passion, a book filled with beautiful automotive images always makes a fine gift.

Speaking of watches, drivers of fine cars often have an affinity for fine time pieces. There is the Baume & Mercier Clifton Club Shelby Cobra Limited Edition; or the Blancpain L-Evolution Super Trofeo; or perhaps the TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 36 Chronograph Flyback if you’re in the mood.

If you’re looking to improve someone’s ride, literally, you might consider putting a new set of high-end tires under the tree. Consider the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, specially suited for summer driving; or the Continental TrueContact Tour for reliable all-season driving; and for the rigors of winter driving there is the Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 or Blizzak DM-V2…all top picks by Popular Mechanics.

Needless-to-say, we’ve all had occasion to need a good quality, reliable flashlight while on the road. But not any ordinary flashlight will do. A lover of all things automotive will want something special for the glove box. Consider the Streamlight 51046 Night Com UV LED Flashlight in alluring black. This bad boy puts out 115 Lumens, is weather resistant, shock resistant, has four modes and the 4 LED bulbs claim to have a 50,000-hour lifespan.

For the pedal-to-the-metal speed demon in your life, there’s the Max 360 by Escort radar detector featuring Bluetooth, GPS and comes preloaded with a database for speed and red-light cameras. Who knew?

Ah, what to do with those nasty snack wrappers and other trash that seem to have no logical place to go inside your car. The Drive Bin is an attractive, waterproof bin that comes complete with disposable plastic bags and attaches easily to a headrest for storage with a quick-clip strap.

Scale model cars make a wonderful, affordable gift that is super cool and doesn’t take up much garage space. At Legacydiecast.com you’ll find a wide range of exquisitely detailed scale models for every taste. They offer classic cars, vintage cars, sports cars, luxury models and more. Perhaps a 1966 Bugatti will look sweet parked under the Christmas tree?

In the hi-tech realm, Bestek offers the potable self-powered Bestek Jump Starter for those times when traditional jumper cables simply can’t get the job done.

And finally, for our forgetful autophile, there is the Bluetooth-equipped Tile Mate which slides easily onto your keychain and allows you to track your keys with the assistance of a simple-to-use mobile app.

So this Christmas, why not bring a little joy to someone’s driving experience with a cool automotive gift they’ll be able to enjoy for years to come?