I get emails from people all over the country, all over the world even who read the Dave Knows Cars Blog. I recently got an email from a gentleman in the UK interested in writing a guest post for the blog. We discussed potential topics and he sent me a fun article that’s fitting for this time of year… last minute Christmas shopping for that car lover in your family? Here are some good ideas. The guest post is sponsored by the UK’s leading car insurance coparison site: Moneysupermarket.com , it may be of special interest to DKC blog readers in the UK.

“Moneysupermarket.com is a leading UK car insurance comparison website, comparing quotes from over 100 different insurers they have over 15 years’ experience providing consumers the very best deals in car insurance. Moneysupermarket.com also offer a variety of comparisons on other financial services including mortgages, credit cards and loans. For more information visit www.moneysupermarket.com.”

12 car gifts of Christmas

Christmas is coming and with it comes the well-worn dilemma of what to buy everyone! But if you have to buy for a self-proclaimed petrol head then the options are pretty much endless! So here’s a list of 12 car gifts to give this Christmas…on the first day of Christmas…

 Books
There’s a library of car-related books out there with repair manuals available for almost every model ever made to autobiographies of almost every driver that’s ever driven.

 For example, if the autophile in your life likes to get under the bonnet at the weekend then a Haynes manual is as good a present as any as it’s a good safety net to ensure they can put the engine back together properly after they’ve taken it apart!

 And there’s also Haynes manuals for those that don’t like getting their hands dirty such as ‘Wallace and Gromit’s Cracking Contraptions’ to a ‘Roary the Racing Car Manual’.

 Other books that might be of interest include the controversial ‘The Man in the White Suit’ by Ben Collins, which had everyone at Top Gear and the BBC in a spin as the Formula 3 driver revealed he was this Stig or ‘Winning is Not Enough’, the autobiography of Jackie Stewart, a proper racing driver! 

 
Picture by World of Good on Flickr.

DVDs
DVDs are a great idea for when the car fan in your life doesn’t want to get off the couch. Classic road movies are always a good idea so films like Two Lane Blacktop, starring James Taylor and Dennis Wilson (yes, the ones you are thinking of!), Sideways, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Cannonball Run or Easy Rider should do the trick. Or then there are movies that feature some great car chases such as Bullitt, Ronin or the Italian Job.

 If feature films aren’t your thing then there’s factual DVD’s out there that cover all types of vehicle as well as Top Gear DVDs and Jeremy Clarkson DVDs if you like your explosions to be voiced-over by a Daily Mail reader!

Gadgets
There is a gamut of gadgets out there to make driving a more pleasurable and easier experience so it could be a good idea to give some of these gadgets this Christmas.

The cold weather can play havoc with car batteries so portable jump starter could prove invaluable if you can’t get your car going in the cold. Am-Tech’s 3-in-1 is a particularly good buy at £49.95 as, not only is it a jump starter, it also has a built in air compressor and a torch. 

If tech is more your thing then the Pure Highway Digital Radio tuner could be just the ticket as it receives and transmits digital radio stations through your existing car speakers and can also connect to mp3 players. The SuperTooth Buddy Handsfree Bluetooth kit is also a smart device that clips onto the car’s sun visor and has a built-in microphone and loudspeaker for making and receiving hands free calls. This could also save you from a £60 fine and 3 penalty points, the minimum sanction for being caught using your phone whilst driving!

Music 
Most people love listening to music in their cars, it makes even the dullest journey that little bit less painful. But, unfortunately, any music compilations that are packaged as ‘driving anthems’, or some derivative thereof, seem to consist solely of power ballads and soft rock anthems. So it’s probably a better idea to just make your own personalised compilation for the driver in your life…unless they’re a middle-aged man that insists on wearing nothing but stone-washed denim and a suit jacket no matter what the occasion…then ‘Now That’s What I Call the Greatest Ever Driving Anthems in the World…Ever!’ should do nicely!

Toys
For the kids there’s sit-in scaled down version of the Mini that is available for £120 or, for just over twice that price, you can pick up a Porsche 356 Ride-on electric car. For the kidults there’s a whole range of car related toys from classic Scalextric sets, to Lego and Meccano kits to vast array of radio controlled cars. 

Video Games
So you can’t bothered getting off the couch this Christmas but want something a bit more interactive than a DVD…then get on your games console! Top driving titles include Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, Blur, Formual 1 2010 and the old Nintendo classic MarioKart Wii!

Novelty gifts
Nothing says Christmas quite like a novelty gift and there are literally thousands of car-related gifts out there. Choose from VW key chains, Stig alarm clocks, Ferrari desk tidies, racing car nail clippers, racing car letter openers, racing car dumbbells…you get the idea! Caagis.com is as good a site as any for novelty car gifts!

  
Picture by BenSpark on Flickr

 Clothes and accessories
Though they’re not as en vogue as is days gone by there is still a massive market for classic driving attire such as gloves, helmets and goggles. Halcyon Classic Parts is a good place to start and they also stock classic car parts as well as motorcycle and aviation apparel.

If that’s not your thing then there’s also a lot of more contemporary car/clothing crossover items such as the Adidas/Porsche Design collection, the classic Tag Heuer Monaco watch and Ford have even produced a clothing range that includes a stylish pair of board shorts.

Driving experiences
A lot of people will dream of owning a Porsche or a Ferrari but few will ever get the chance. So the next best thing could be a track day that lets you put both cars through their paces. Racing-school.co.uk offers a package that lets you drive a Ferrari 360 Modena and a Porsche 911 Turbo around Rockingham Speedway…so if you were ever in any doubt as to which you prefer this experience may just make your mind up for you!

But if that’s not quite fast enough then Silverstone.co.uk offer a single-seater experience that allows you to take a Formula 3 car on a 130mph free-lapping session around the famous race track! Or if track days aren’t your thing then sites such as buyagift.co.uk offer rally and 4×4 driving days.

 
Picture by M.Peinado on Flickr

Live experiences
Some people prefer to watch cars than drive them so tickets to a live driving event or a car show could be the answer. For example, Formula One fans could pick up tickets for next season’s British Grand Prix or next years Autosport International Show that takes place at the Birmingham NEC on the 15^th and 16^th January.

Classic car lovers can experience the golden age of race cars at the Goodwood Revival whilst modified car fans can compare bass bins and big bores at Santa Pod’s Ultimate Street Car event. 2011 will also see a full calendar of events for classic cult cars such as Minis, VWs and Morris Minors.

Car modifications
Though modifications can massively increase the cost of your car insurance some drivers can stop adding bits here and there so why not treat the hot-hatch fanatic in your life to some interior or exterior add-ons?

Sites like carstyling.co.uk or ultimatemods.co.uk offer everything from exterior styling to engine tuning so there’s something there for every petrol head.

And it’s also worth checking out comparison sites such as moneysupermarket.com to see how you can save on your car insurance, even if you drive a modified vehicle.

A Car

  
Picture by sheeshoo on FlickrPanzer82

Probably a bit on the expensive side but you could always buy your nearest and dearest car lover an actual car this Christmas! But beware, a £300 ‘spares or repairs’ is never going to look great, even with a big red bow on it!