Special gifts for the motoring enthusiast
CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS/ Mark Smyth looks at some of the gift ideas to spoil the petrolhead in your life
Last week the Daily Mail in the UK ran a rather humorous double page spread on who exactly pays the huge amounts of money for objects featured in the Financial Times’ How to Spend it luxury publication. There are, of course, those who do, but we thought we would look around for some interesting motoring-related gifts that are a little more reasonably priced.
Unusually this year, very few press releases or even review items have crossed the Motor News desks. Perhaps it is a sign of the times so we put our heads together to decide what we would appreciate receiving as real motoring enthusiasts as well as some of the items we have come across.
Motoring and watches have always gone together. In fact there are publications dedicated to this very pairing. There are, of course, famous brands such as Tag Heuer with its Carrera and Rolex with its relationship with Le Mans and Daytona. Earlier this year we discovered a brand in the UK called Omologato and then in November its watches became available in SA.
Every piece is inspired by motoring, from classic looks like the Berlinetta and 722, to ones that pay homage to Porsche, Martini and Le Mans. My favourite is the Racing Chrono 24 with its Martini stripe and stitching on the strap.
I’ve sent the details to the wife in hope. Pricing starts in SA at just over R7,000. (omologatowatches.co.za). If you have racing in your blood then you might want to drop hints about the GP Store. We even discovered a booth at OR Tambo recently so there is no excuse for your other half to say they don’t have time to get something while you head away for a much-needed break.
The main one in Sandton City features clothing and other items from a range of motorsport teams, mostly F1. Ferrari, Mercedes-AMG F1, McLaren, Williams and BMW Motorsport are all there, as well as Automobili Lamborghini, Bentley Motorsport and Aston Martin Racing. MotoGP fans are also catered for and you can have almost anything featuring the famous number 46. And there are caps, lots and lots of caps.
If you were not fortunate enough to get your hands on this year’s infamous Pirelli Calendar, then there are plenty of other options to adorn the wall in your study or at the office. On a visit to Pablo Clark Racing recently we discovered the official Scuderia Ferrari calendar. There is a fascinating story behind it that we were not aware of. The pictures are always shot German photographer by Gunther Raupp, something that annoys the Italians immensely. However, Raupp was personally commissioned to do the official calendars by none other than Enzo Ferrari himself, so it seems there is nothing they can do about it. This year he has shot some incredible pictures of the latest Maranello masterpieces and the calendar costs about R1,000. Not bad for a limited run of just 5,000 worldwide.
If you are not sure where to get the ideal gift for the petrolhead in your life, then try your nearest dealership. Many have merchandise shops that are a treasure trove. From F1 merchandise at Mercedes to Dakar items at Toyota, handbags at Ferrari to adventure gear at Land Rover, there is generally something for everyone.
This is all before you even get into the online world, although given our postal service, or lack of, things can be a bit hit or miss with online delivery unless it comes via a courier service.
You can also resort to the usual items, things such as portable satnav devices or dashcams from Tom Tom or Garmin, phone covers featuring a favourite brand or a subscription to Business Day so you never miss an issue of Motor News.
Speaking of printed things, there are always books and you can find publications dedicated to brands and motorsport at most major bookshops or Motorbooks, where incidentally
IF YOU HAVE RACING IN YOUR BLOOD THEN YOU MIGHT WANT TO DROP HINTS ABOUT THE GP STORE
you will also find welcome gift, model cars.
There is no shortage of options when it comes to buying for the petrolhead, in fact sometimes the range of choice is as confusing as the number of new car models in our market. Just in case, keep the receipt. that