SHARP Holiday Gift Guide: Presents for Car Enthusiasts (& Appreciators of Good Design)
People who love cars are easy to shop for as long as you don’t try to get them anything they’ll actually want. A pair of branded socks from a car company? Ugh. A t-shirt with a random car on it? Probably a swing and a miss. No, instead of taking a stab in the dark, try one of these stylish gifts for the gearhead in your life, hand selected by our editors. We promise that each and every one of them will be better than the USB-powered travel thermos you found on Amazon.
Rolls-Royce Chess Set
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It’s the game of kings, so naturally it should be played like royalty. At $40,000 this ultra-lux chess set from the artisans at Rolls-Royce certainly fits the bill. It’s made of Obsidian Tulip and Blackwood veneer, as well as Cashmere Grey leather and metal. The chess pieces are stored within the board itself, which opens up to present the pieces like you might present a sword to a knight. Even if you don’t play chess, it’s a beautiful desk ornament.
Ayrton Senna’s Racing Helmet
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Auction house RM Sotheby’s is always a treasure chest of automotive delights, offering up countless vintage Ferraris and Jaguars, rare Lola racecars and coachbuilt masterpieces from Zagato, Bertone and Pininfarina. Those auctions grab the headlines. But, dig a little deeper, and you’ll find some more affordable, giftable items as well, like this iconic racing helmet worn by Ayrton Senna during four Grand Prix weekends in the 1991 season.
A Tour in a Vintage Mercedes-Benz
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A road trip is always good, but a road trip in a vintage Mercedes convertible is a bucket-list experience. Normally you’d have to go to the trouble of buying a classic Merc and fixing it up, but Classic Car Travel has teamed up with Mercedes to offer turnkey (no pun intended) driving experiences in the legendary Mercedes SL. The car is backed up by a service team and tour guide to organize everything, right down to the route, hotels and meals.
A Vintage Movie Poster
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Bonhams is probably best known for its fine art, antiques and watch auctions, but the house always has some wonderful hidden gems offered for sale in its “Automobilia” category. At the moment, this poster featuring Kirk Douglas behind the wheel of a Maserati 250F Grand Prix car is being offered with no reserve. It was made for the Mexican market, to promote the 1955 film The Racers. (Photo courtesy Bonhams.)
1:18 Audi RS e-tron GT
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When we first reviewed Audi’s flagship EV, we said it’s one of those cars you really need to see in person to fully appreciate its design. It’s impossibly low and long, and despite being unveiled back in 2021, it still looks like a concept car from the future. Updates to the 2026 make the e-tron GT even more spectacular, with 912 horsepower (in “performance” trim) and 0-100 km/h time of just 2.5 seconds. Of course, with a price north of $220,000 it’s a bit much for a holiday gift. So, instead, try this exquisite 1:18 model available through Audi; having it on your desk is the next best thing to seeing the GT in the metal.
Ferrari Collectibles
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No, this isn’t some fly-by-night eBay listing for assorted Ferrari memorabilia. Ferrari’s new “Collectibles” series was dreamed up by the company itself, and unveiled earlier this year at Milan Design Week. The collection includes a Tipo 048B engine from Ferrari’s 1991 Formula 1 car, a V12 from the LaFerrari, as well as various pistons, crankshafts, and carbon fibre parts, all mounted and ready to be put on display as the works of art they are. “We drew on all the experience of minimalism and the research aimed at dematerializing as much as possible every element that is not strictly necessary,” says Flavio Manzoni, Ferrari’s Chief Design Officer. “The use of transparent materials and the employment of structural elements, essential in the design, gives an effect of suspension and lightness to the object, allowing it to be contemplated in the essence of its form, encouraging interaction with the user and the surrounding environment.”
Vintage SoCal Racing Posters
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These posters would look good in any garage, or any living room for that matter. This set of vintage Southern California racing posters — from Riverside, Bonneville, and elsewhere — is currently being offered by Bonhams as part of its Fall Automobilia Online auction. The guide price is between $210 and $420 but the lot is offered without reserve so you might as well put in an offer.
Lego Jeep Wrangler
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If you think you’ve outgrown Lego, well then we’re sorry to tell you that you’ve outgrown joy as well. The brand offers a massive assortment of gifts and kits for gearheads of all ages, from F1 machines to supercars to this, the Jeep Wrangler. (It’s currently sold out on the official Lego site, but still available through several online retailers.) “Ask any Jeep Wrangler owner and they’ll tell you that their vehicle is just a bigger version of this new LEGO set,” said Mark Allen, Jeep’s head of design. And, well, he’s not wrong.
Riese & Müller Load 60
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Yes, this is stretching the idea of holiday gift giving a bit far, but if your budget can accommodate it, the Riese & Müller Load 60 and 70 are like the Mercedes S-Class of electric cargo bicycles. (Even diehard gearheads get sick of sitting in city traffic and gridlock.) These bikes are designed and assembled in-house at the company’s state-of-the-art campus in Mühltal, Germany. Yes, prices can climb over $16,000, but this bike is better engineered than many cars we’ve driven. Riding it is sublime. It’s a full-suspension, kid carrying, effortlessly elegant electrically-assisted bike that’s so good it will change the way you think about bicycles, and perhaps even transportation.
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