Top 5 gifts for the car lover in your life

If your lover is also a car lover then there are some gifts that you can give this Valentine’s Day.

It is coming up to the magical date of February 14th, when Hallmark decreed that we should all spend a fortune on over-priced roses and over-priced rosé. When you suddenly remember that satin sheets are a thing and when every film on the television stars Meg Ryan. Yes, even Die Hard. 

It doesn’t have to be this way, of course. If your lover is also a car lover then there are some gifts that you can give this Valentine’s Day that combine motoring with monogamy…

1. Lego Porsche 911 GT3

This is the gift that says ‘I know you’re a car nut and you’d rather spend the day with a box of plastic bits that you can assemble into something that resembles the sort of Porsche you could have bought if you hadn’t got married and had kids. Enjoy.’ Not a cheap present by any means (it’s the same price as a romantic weekend away, in fact), but one that will absorb and distract your betrothed for hours on end. Days even. Weeks, possibly, giving you a chance to sneak out with your pals for a night on the town. Romance, eh? Available from lego.com

2. Go Pro Hero 5

Nothing says ‘I want to forever record your likeness on 4K quality HD digital footage’ like a Go Pro. Of course, it’s primarily designed to be strapped to the bonnet of your Ferrari so that you can film yourself lapping the Nürburgring, casually flicking onto opposite lock as you take the Karussell at speed. Or for fitting to your bicycle helmet so that you can gather evidence on all the taxis who try to have you into the canal by flicking your backside with their door mirrors. Whatever, it’s never a bad idea to have a good camera on standby, especially if it’s waterproof, shockproof and basically indestructible. Available from gopro.com

3. T-Shirts from Redbubble

Clothing given on Valentine’s Day is, of course, more normally supposed to be silky, lacy and not designed to be worn for very long, but we motoring fans are different. We prefer 100 per cent cotton and the ability to show off our devotion to specific cars, racing teams or even circuits. So get thee hence to redbubble.com and check out its range of motoring and motorsport-inspired t-shirts. We especially like the James Hunt design. What’s not romantic about that? Available from redbubble.com

4. Autodromo watch

Now, this is a serious gift. This is not a jokey ‘ha-ha-ha-I-love-you-really’ gift. An Autodromo watch is expensive enough to be considered a very serious present to give someone, and if it’s given on Valentine’s Day then it’s most definitely an expression of true love. Fashioned to look like classic watches of the sixties and seventies, with motorsport-themes running through the colours and names, these are distinguished pieces of wrist furniture for the discerning car lover. Go for a Group B Evoluzione with the cool striped fabric strap. Available from autodromo.com

5. Mercedes gear-stick wine-stoppers

For when the rosé has gone flat, or you just can bring yourself to finish the last gasp of the Malbec, there are these gorgeous (and we really mean that) wine stoppers from Mercedes. Shaped and styled to look like the gear shifters of a classic 1960s ‘Pagoda Roof’ SL sports car, they will re-seal your favourite tipple with soothing Germanic efficiency and no little style. A tiny bit of the romance of classic grand touring, brought to your dinner table. Now, where’s the Alka-Seltzer? Available at shop.mercedes-benz.com