Father’s Day gift ideas for car-mad dads

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If you’re anything like us, you will just have realised that it’s less than a week until Father’s Day. 

This Sunday, 21 June, marks the one day of the year when we can all thank our dads for being awesome with a carefully selected card and appropriately dad-themed gift.

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We’re not saying that all dads love cars, or that only dads can be into motors, but if your father is one of the millions who does love all things automotive here are a few last-minute gift ideas to show him your appreciation.

Socks are a well-worn stereotype when it comes to dad presents but set yours apart from the usual fare by tailoring them to his particular passion. Heel Tread produces socks in dozens of automotive-inspired styles, ranging from famous racing liveries such as the Martini colours used by Lancia to the VW Golf’s famous tartan upholstery, Ayrton Senna’s legendary helmet colours and even the A-Team van.

Classic livery mug (From £8, Me and my Car)

Whether your dad spends hours in the garage tinkering or sitting on the sofa watching others do the hard work, these mugs offer a touch of the workshop at home. They come in more than a dozen finishes recognisable to most car fans, from classic oil tin designs to iconic racing liveries such those from Jim Clark’s Lotus and Ayrton Senna’s McLaren.

Play mat T-Shirt (£12.99, Etsy)

A two-in-one gift. It’s a cheeky retro T-shirt for dad but when he collapses in an exhausted heap on the floor the kids can use him as a play mat for their toy cars, complete with roundabouts, junctions and buildings. 

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Haynes manual (From £12.99, Haynes

The Haynes manual is a British institution. For 55 years, Haynes manuals have been providing step-by-step workshop instructions for the home mechanic, each book dedicated to a particular model. Haynes continues to produce its traditional workshop manuals but has also branched out into books offering practical car “hacks” and detailed breakdowns of classic Formula 1 racers. 

Lego’s car kits have progressed over the years from a few square bricks on wheels to some incredibly detailed and instantly recognisable replicas of real vehicles. The range of options now stretches all the way from miniature Speed Champions renderings of the Nissan GT-R Nismo and 1985 Audi Sport quattro S1 at £17.99 up to the £159.99 Land Rover Defender Technic kit and the jaw-dropping 1:8 scale Technic versions of the Bugatti Chiron (£329.99). 

Car cleaning kit (£20, Halfords)

You can spend anything from a fiver to £100 on cleaning products for your car but this Autoglym gift pack is an affordable Father’s Day present. With a bottle of bodywork shampoo and conditioner, a bottle of super resin polish, polish applicator and a finishing cloth it’s a good starting point for any car-proud parent trying to keep their car looking its best.  

Top Gear track driving experience (£149, Trackdays.co.uk)

A track day is the ideal opportunity for any dad to release his inner Stig and Trackdays.co.uk is now offering the chance to do this and be the star in a reasonably priced car on the actual Top Gear test track. For £149 your dad can race around Dunsfold Park in an Ariel Atom, go off-roading in a Land Rover and then try to break Matt Le Blanc’s track record in the reasonably priced Kia Cee’d. 

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Thinkware M1 motorsport camera (£299, Thinkware)

Designed for bikers and motorsport enthusiasts, the M1 is a rugged weatherproof device from in-car camera specialist Thinkware. It offers full HD recording through compact twin cameras for front and rear coverage and is IP66 rated, meaning it’s dust and waterproof and can be used reliably in the toughest outdoor conditions. 

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