The holiday season is an annual excuse to play with some of the coolest and most fun items we’ve come across throughout the year, but the recommendations don’t stop being any less relevant whether you’re a last-minute shopper or looking for a car-related gift for further down the line. No matter the occasion, you can’t go wrong with any of the below items, so read on for great ideas for the enthusiasts in your life—or yourself.
Pacto Helmets
from $880 | pacto-store.com
For when your ball cap isn’t period correct, Pacto’s excellent vintage-styled helmets are picture perfect for the Mille Miglia or Goodwood Revival. These helmets come in a number of styles and colors, and each is constructed of era-appropriate materials and designed to incorporate both goggles and visors. They aren’t rated for actual track driving that requires Snell certification, but they look perfect for a spirited top-down cruise through the canyons.
Bentley Key Case
$400,000+ (est)
This holiday season, forget about generic model-car stocking stuffers, and pick up the new Bentley Mulsanne W.O. Edition commemorative box that’s chock-full of primo desk tchotchkes and assorted Bentley paraphernalia. Aside from a fancy metal paperweight and a 1:18-scale model of a 1930 Bentley 8-Litre Saloon, the gorgeous wood box comes with a set of real Bentley keys. That’s handy, considering the only way to get this box is to pony up for one of the 2019 Bentley Mulsanne W.O. Editions.
Peerless Bourbon
$70 | kentuckypeerless.com
If you’ve never heard of Peerless, there’s good reason for that; this is the first new bourbon release from the Kentucky distillery in 102 years. In fact, until a rye release in 2017, the Peerless name was absent from shelves since right around Prohibition. Now the founder’s great-grandson has revived both the name and the distillery, and its bourbon is set to be one of the hottest releases of this past year.
kentuckypeerless.com
Lego 1974 Porsche 911 Turbo 3.0 Building Kit
$15 | lego.com
This is hardly the first time Porsche has teamed up with Lego, but it is your first chance to nab the excellent 1974 Porsche 911 Turbo by itself and not as part of a bigger set. Better still, it comes with more than just the car; the 180-piece kit includes a minifig wearing a Porsche crest on his plastic shirt, along with a handful of itty-bitty cones to practice autocrossing
on your desk.
Lego Technic Land Rover Defender Building Kit
$199 | lego.com
For something a little more challenging and detailed, there’s also a fresh Lego set for the all-new 2020 Land Rover Defender. Falling under the Lego Technic family, the 2,573-piece kit packs incredible mechanical detail, including a full independent suspension, moving pistons in the inline-six, working transmission with high and low range, and complex steering for the front wheels. Inside, a detailed interior gives you a peek at the transmission and drivetrain internals.
Sony RX100 VII Camera
$1,200 | sony.com
Sony’s newest compact professional-ish point-and-shoot is perfect if you plan to celebrate the holidays somewhere abroad, especially if you want to upgrade from your smartphone camera while also leaving the bulky DSLR at home. More of a videographer? You’ll be tickled to learn the RX100 VII includes 4K capability.
Porsche Classic Driver’s Manuals
$85 | classicshop.porsche.com/pcos-usa
For true anoraks, acquiring the correct drivers’ manuals and documentation is a sore point. Usually, for stuff printed prior to the 1970s, the material is deteriorating, and few examples remain in near-perfect condition. Porsche recognized this dearth and began reprinting some rather rare documents and booklets for collectors. Aside from the regular 911 and 944 paperwork, there’s a good number of some seriously rare issues, including glove box material for the 959. Here’s the best part: You don’t actually have to own the car to buy the reprints.
Bamford X Black Badger Fordite TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 5 Watch
$6,740 | bamfordwatchdepartment.com
Fordite—a faux-gem created from years and years of paint buildup in old car factories—is nothing new. However, we hadn’t seen the material make its way to a major watchmaker until the color-mad craftsmen over at Bamford got their hands on enough Fordite to make a few limited editions. Given the nature of Fordite, all editions are unique, and the dials are some of
the most striking we’ve seen.
L’Art de l’Automobile Apparel
From $100 | lartdelautomobileshop.com
Mechanic-turned-dealer-turned-fashion designer Arthur Kar is hard at work on this latest apparel project, inspired by motorsports, automotive design, and streetwear. Building on his deep experience in car culture in both Paris and Los Angeles, the apparel wears bright and stylized designs, pulling from a wide array of themes. Availability of the releases changes often, so head over to L’Art de l’Automobile to see what’s on the racks now.
Discommon Thermoformed Card Wallet 2.0
$110 | discommon.com
Be honest: Do you really need all those receipts and discount cards? It’s time to clean out your wallet, and while you’re at it, upgrade to something a little more aesthetically appealing. Discommon’s card wallet is a good place to start, especially with the laminated leather design and space for up to eight cards. It’s sturdier than it looks, too; your card numbers won’t push through the formed pockets, and there’s RFID blocking technology.
Zero Breeze Mark 2 Air Conditioner
$1,099 | zerobreeze.com
Working in a hot, stuffy garage is no fun, no matter how many clothes you remove or how many box fans you stack. If you can swallow the price tag, the Zero Breeze Mark 2 portable A/C unit cools things down for those weekend projects, or maybe infield camping at the next race. It boasts the capability to make an enclosed space legitimately frosty and has a massive five-hour battery life. Now you don’t have an excuse not to work during the Texas summer.
Mullin Estate Wines
$28-$78 | mullinestatewines.it
Legendary automobile collector and industry patron Peter Mullin can now add vintner to his impressive résumé. He’s the driving force behind his namesake Mullin Estate Wines, a new Italian wine label that offers a variety of styles inspired by Mullin’s extensive collection of prewar French cars. As such, each bottle comes with a fetching label emblazoned with an image of the car that inspired the juice inside.
Floyd Cabin Carry-On
$420 | floyd.one
Inspired by skate, car, and surf culture in 1970s Venice, California, the Floyd Cabin is a bright and stylish alternative to the dreary world of rolling suitcases. The polycarbonate exterior can be had in a multitude of colors, contrasted by a bright orange interior trim. If that isn’t enough style for you, each case rolls on a set of clear red wheels that appear ripped directly from a skateboard.
“Bentley: A Century of Elegance and Speed”
$200 | larusmiani.it
There really isn’t anything else quite like the Bentley Continental R’s from the 1990s. Those ludicrously long coupes were some of the last truly hand-built cars from Bentley, and they remain incredibly special relics from a time when luxury meant more than features and materials. Celebrating this incredible decade is a new exclusive coffee
table book from high-end Italian fashion house and atelier Larusmiani. With incredible photography, the book puts readers behind the wheel of some of the rarest specially commissioned Bentley Continental R’s in existence.
“Never Stop Driving”
$28 | quartoknows.com/motorbooks
A collaborative work from some of the most prominent writers in this industry, “Never Stop Driving” is an ode to our emotional connection with the car, and how both car and enthusiasts have shaped society for the better. The book is full of personal anecdotes on what it means to be a car person in 2019, and reflects on where we’re going as a culture. What’s more, it includes snippets from car celebs like Jay Leno, Patrick Dempsey, and Mario Andretti.
“F1 Mavericks”
$50 | quartoknows.com/motorbooks
It’s always contentious to claim a specific era as Formula 1’s most exciting, but you can make a good case for the turbulent period between 1958 and 1982. “F1 Mavericks” delves into a time when innovation occurred race to race, and the on-track action was arguably better than anything seen before—or since. With hundreds of gorgeous in-period photos and interviews with some of the era’s key engineers, drivers, and team principals, this is a must-have for F1 aficionados.
“The Unknown Kimi Räikkönen”
$19 | simonandschuster.co.uk
This is an unprecedented look into the life of everyone’s most quotably unquotable Formula 1 driver, Kimi Räikkönen. The famously private and apparently monosyllabic Finn has never before pulled back the curtain on his life as he does here, at times to great comedic effect. And anyone who says you can’t like to knock back a drink or five and also be a world champion is in for a rude awakening.
“Slow Car Fast: The Millennial Mantra Changing Car Culture for Good”
$19.99 | carrarabooks.com
The debut book from fellow automotive journalist Ryan ZumMallen, “Slow Car Fast” is an exploration of the rapidly changing landscape of car culture, especially the scene in Southern California. ZumMallen presents a wide range of viewpoints from tuners, mechanics, drivers, and designers that help build the world we love so much.
Seiko 5 Sports Watch
$295 | seikowatches.com
With its newest addition to the extremely popular Seiko 5 family, the Japanese watchmaker proves it does cheap thrills better than anyone else. The new Seiko 5 Sports is a one-size-fits-all lineup, pulling inspiration and design from other well-loved Seiko models. The general case, bezel, and hand designs come from the vaunted SKX family but now offer a massive number of colorways: 27 individual permutations, to be exact.
Nintendo Switch Lite Gaming Console
$199 | nintendo.com
Nintendo’s wildly popular TV/handheld hybrid console just got its first major rework since its launch back in 2017. Although the regular Switch is still available, the new Switch Lite ditches the docking capability and mounts the regular Switch’s removable outer control sticks (Joy-Con) in place. The result is an eminently portable handheld system, perfect for long waits at the dealership or rain delays at the racetrack.
Origin Neuron Gaming Desktop PC
Starting from $1,500 | originpc.com
If you want to play the latest and greatest racing titles and driving sims, you’re going to need a PC that can keep up with the graphic demands. Origin PC’s mid-size Neuron is as powerful as you need it to be, with a huge list of graphics cards, processors, storage, and cooling hardware to choose from. The base build will set you back around $1,500, with top-tier builds breaking the $13,000 mark.
“Grid” (2019) Game
$60 | codemasters.com
After five years in the shed, “Grid” is back. Codemaster’s popular “simcade” series returns for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows with a huge roster of cars, circuits, and race modes. Unlike some of the more hardcore racing sims, “Grid” is more about thrills and fun than replicating reality, so expect this to be more exciting—even if that also means more silly—than a round in “Assetto Corsa.”
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