The shops are shut and pubs aren’t serving, so next month’s Fathers’ Day is looking like all but a write off. Alas, the internet exists, and dads nationwide aren’t going to let us get away that easily…
So, if you’re thinking ahead or last-minute panicking, look no further than our ultimate gift guide for the petrolhead parent in your life.
Perhaps the most obvious choice, and no doubt the most valuable during these troubled times, is beer. In last year’s gift guide we suggested you head over to the Prescott Ale brewery to collect a crate of its Hill Climb, Track Record, Chequered Flag and Grand Prix Ales. However, this year, why not check out the similarly racey Ignition, Pitstop, Chequered Flag and Octane from the Silverstone Brewery, which offers delivery.
With all kinds of consummation options from a £10 taster pack to the ‘Beer in a box’ (10 and 20-litres from £30), there’s bound to be something for every palette.
Of course, Goodwood offers its own motorsport-inspired ale. Lucky Leap is named after racing driver Masten Gregory who ‘leapt’ from his car before a crash at the 1959 Goodwood TT. You can buy it in a gift pack with our St. Simon lager and Grogger pale ale here.
If your dad didn’t read our guide on how to store your car through lockdown, then this may be the best gift you’ve ever given him…
Fuzz & Tim’s Classic Car Care Kit – that’s right, it’s developed with help from CAR SOS’s Fuzz Townsend and Tim Shaw – is the ultimate survival set for any neglected classic car, and features everything dad will need to get his pride and joy shipshape again.
Alongside the usual potions – shampoo, tyre dressing, polish and glass cleaner – are two microfibre cloths, two foam applicators and a wash mitt. And don’t forget the satisfaction of supporting a small British business during these trying times.
Currently discounted from £35 to £15, dad and his classic car will thank you.
UK lockdown restrictions have been eased slightly to allow certain recreational activities to take place under social distancing rules. Luckily for us, that includes track days. So why not treat dad to the ultimate post-lockdown track day treat, which promises a fun-fuelled day of on track action, and the chance to reacquaint himself with his car?
With prices starting from just £160 the epic experience includes a full driver briefing, a buffet lunch and plenty of track time.
Now usually, something as tame as a jigsaw wouldn’t make it anywhere near our list, but as we adapt and overcome the restrictions of lockdown, puzzles have become surprisingly popular. What better a way to challenge dad’s problem-solving skills than a good ol’ fashioned jigsaw, and preferably one with a classic car on?
There’s plenty of cool car puzzles for sale on line, but out favourite – and don’t call us biased – has to be the collection of Goodwood moments immortalised in hundreds of tiny pieces by Media Storehouse UK.
With prices starting from £27 for a 400 piece puzzle, and rising to almost £40 for 1,000 pieces, it’s the ideal present to keep dad quiet for the rest of lockdown. We particularly like this one of cars lined up at the start line during a race meeting in 1955…
Another brain-engaging, keep-dad-busy present is LEGO. We include a set in every gift guide, and the lockdown has no doubt given fathers nationwide the opportunity to finally catch up. It seems like the perfect opportunity, then, to give dad the means to transport all of his mini models with the Lego Technic Car Transporter.
Comprising 2,493 pieces of foot-stabbing plastic, the model features all the functionality of the real thing, with the ability to raise and lower the car decks and rear ramp in order to manoeuvre vehicles into position, before locking them into place. You can even tilt the driver's cab to access its detailed V6 engine, complete with moving pistons.
For £139.99, the model also includes a V8 muscle car, which if you squint hard enough almost looks like a Chevrolet Camaro…
While we’re on the vein of getting the car running after lockdown, a jump starter pack could prove invaluable to frustrated fathers. One of the best that we’ve seen on the market recently is the Black & Decker Instant Start Booster Pack, which boasts a huge 450amps – enough to get even the largest of V-engines running again after months under cover.
The £225 device features a handy ‘keyless’ on/off switch, meaning it can be activated remotely, plus a powerful light, built in AC battery charger and 260PSI air compressor. It’s the Swiss Army Knife of powerpacks, and the key to dad’s heart.
If the cleaning kit and jump pack just aren’t going to cut it, then maybe look for something a little hardier. We have just the tool for the job… Or rather, the Wera tools, to be specific. The German brand offers innovative tooling solutions for all automobile needs, from ratchets to screwdrivers, L-Keys to drill bits. With colourful, edgy designs, they’re arguably the coolest tools around. The company is offering a special deal on their Kraftform Kompakt 20 to our readers by using this link.
With overseas holidays likely to remain vetoed for much of the summer, it looks like a road trip is on the cards… And nothing screams family discord like cramming into a hot car for a long drive.
Make things so much smoother for everyone by treating dad to a sat-nav device this Father’s Day. Currys currently has a sale on, and one of the brilliant buys we’ve spotted is the GARMIN DriveAssist 51LMT-S EU 5" Sat-Nav (a mouthful, we know), which is available for just £129 (down from its previous price of £259).
Alongside lifetime maps and speed camera updates it features a host of useful functions, including an in-built dashcam, voice activated navigation, hands-free Bluetooth calling and driver alerts.
Home decoration is very much the mode du jour at the moment, with lockdown inspiring people to spruce up their dwellings. Looking around we have to say we’re quite the fan of Carvolution’s incredible bespoke artworks. Drawn-to-order, these pieces can feature as many of your father’s cars as you can afford, in neat little sketches with a caption below.
Prices start at £95 for one car, rising to £810 for 102 vehicles…
If 102 cars aren’t enough to cover the walls of your dad’s man cave, then take a look at the incredible historic racing photographs that Jarrotts has to offer. The rare collections include pre-war to rally, and everything in between, with some epic grid and action shots.
If you’re feeling frivolous, splash out on one of the rare special signed edition snaps, with examples from Sir Jackie Stewart, Jack Brabham, Michele Mouton and Graham Hill, and many more.
If your dad is more of a studious type than a have-a-go-hero, why not treat him to an automobilia encyclopaedia?
From the A–Z of Grand Prix Cars (£25), to in-depth tomes on every car you could name – and then some – Hortons holds a treasure trove of incredible books from throughout the history of motoring. The only problem you will have is deciding which to buy him…
If your old man is a little too old for the aforementioned Lego set (is that even possible?), perhaps treat him to a pre-built scale diecast model from RM Toys. Road and racing cars feature in the catalogue, in sizes ranging from 1/12 to 1/64, and with varying degrees of accuracy.
Pick up a 1971 Plymouth Hemi Cuda for just £14, while £580 will buy you a slightly larger 1968 Le Mans winning Ford GT40 MK1 in Gulf colours. There aren’t just cars, either, with emergency, military, locomotion and seafaring models also on offer.
Socks are usually the Christmas present of choice, but if you’re clutching at straws this Father’s Day, why not treat dad to a colourful new pair. For just £9, Heal Tread offers socks colour matched to a variety of vehicles, from the British Mini to the Kawasaki ZXR.
Or splash out on the £178 ‘Supercharger’ pack, which includes 25 of the company’s most popular designs in a custom crate. Although be careful, that may ruin your last minute Christmas gifts for years to come…
Two of Britain’s motoring greats combine to form this awesome Father’s Day package. For just £99, you can surprise Dad with a Motor Sport subscription, GRRC Fellowship and access to both the Goodwood online archive featuring over 25 years of action and the Motor Sport digital archive.
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/shop/subscriptions/subscription-offers/gdfdmis
Motor Circuit
Motorsport
LEGO
Jackie Stewart
Stirling Moss