Classic & Sports Car’s Christmas gift guide 2025

See wonderlandmodels.com

Build Your Own V8 Engine

Chosen by Paul Hardiman

If you’re an in-the-kitchen-at-parties type, any distraction in the season of commercialised family time is a lifeline. The eager wait for an Airfix kit to ruin by snapping it together before you are ready appears not to be a ‘thing’ any more, but building your own engine on the table? Bring it on!

There are lots of kits in varying degrees of complexity, realism and cost – you can even get a baby small-block Chevy that runs on real petrol – but I like the Haynes offering of an old-school V8 that’s not so tiny or complex it’ll make you give up in frustration.

It’s built in transparent casings, so it’s educational, too; add three AA batteries and it cycles, with ‘firing’ plugs. It’s not cheap, but it promises hours of entertainment and £67 is way less than I spent last time I built an engine in the kitchen…

See haynesmuseumshop.org

PROMOTED: Unwrap happiness this Christmas with Scalextric

Scalextric sets have been a must-have Christmas gift for decades, bringing families and friends together for exciting real-life, high-octane racing fun.

With collectible car packs ranging from the golden era of motorsport with the 1963 Monaco Grand Prix to TV legends such as The Professionals and their iconic Ford Capri MkIIIs, there is something for every classic car lover. Scalextric provides everything you need to have a fun-fuelled racing Christmas!

See scalextric.com 

QuickJack car lift

Chosen by Aaron McKay

Getting a car up in the air in 30 secs, secure and without damaging the sills, a hydraulic lift such as this would be a game-changer. If I didn’t have to faff around with a trolley jack and axle stands, I’d much sooner tackle tasks underneath – which is most of them.

QuickJacks start with this 3500SLX (rated to 3500lb) at £1561.50, which looks like the perfect hobbyist’s equivalent to a professional four-post lift. Not only is it low-profile enough when not in use to slip under the Christmas tree, but it also comprises two separate platforms that allow access to the centre of the car, and can be operated via a car battery as well as the mains.  

See liftmasterltd.com

PROMOTED: Autoglym Deluxe Exterior Collection

Exclusive to Halfords, the Autoglym Deluxe Exterior Collection is the perfect gift for those who wish to give their car’s bodywork added glow this Christmas.

The kit is packed with seven products and three accessories that will enhance the appearance of exterior bodywork and deliver long-lasting protection. This essential gift kit features Ultra High Definition Shampoo that cleanses exterior surfaces with ease, Rapid Ceramic Spray that produces a shine and delivers up to three months of protection, and Instant Tyre Dressing that delivers a light sheen to tyres.

Accessories include a Microfibre Wash Mitt and an InstaDry cloth. RRP £84.99.

See halfords.com

YourLifeInCars artwork

Chosen by Simon Hucknall

I’m not much of an ephemera collector. Other than books for research and a few framed photos of highlights from this line of work, my life is devoid of car-related trinkets. But I’ve recently delved into the archive and found some faded, dog-eared snaps of the cars I’ve owned since my teens, and YourLifeInCars sprang to mind.

Graphic artist Oliver Hydes will immortalise your car history – or ‘Carvolution’ – in a bespoke work, with anything from one to 80 cars, each hand-drawn and personalised. Prices start from £165.

See yourlifeincars.com 

Playforever Ken Cash

Chosen by Charlie Calderwood

I’m told by Classic & Sports Car’s HR department that I need to take my eyes off my screen every 15 mins or so, and I find a natural way to prompt these mini breaks is cool stuff around your office. Having things you enjoy looking at and picking up is ideal, and that’s the best explanation a childless 30-something can give for why I want this Playforever toy.

Loosely based on a Ford GT40 and named in Ken Miles’ honour, it’s one of those objects you can’t resist fiddling with, and is as brilliantly built and satisfying to play with as you’d hope from how it looks (and costs, at £43.50). I’ll take mine in blue, please. 

See playforever.co.uk

PROMOTED: Pocher Porsche 917KH 1:8 model kit

This Christmas, gift the ultimate collector must-have with the limited-edition Pocher Porsche 917KH Martini Edition 1:8 scale model kit, with only 20 available! Crafted by the renowned Pocher Die-Cast brand, this stunning replica features more than 316 precision-engineered components, capturing Porsche’s legendary 1971 Le Mans winner.

This Christmas collection includes a silk-finished manual and exclusive officially licensed Martini Racing accessories, a beanie hat and ceramic mug. This is a rare chance to own a piece of history. Once these are gone, they’re gone!

See uk.pocher.com

Formula One commentary notes

Chosen by Ryan Standen

Drivers are the obvious stars of F1, but it’s the commentators who lodge the sport’s most iconic moments in our minds with their one-liners, heartfelt reactions and unforgettable slip-ups.

The Sports Commentators reproduces handwritten commentary notes from David Croft, Harry Benjamin, Jonathan Legard and Ben Edwards. They’re a fascinating insight into how these unsung heroes prepare for races. You can choose from Legard’s scribbles for the 1997 European Grand Prix, Crofty’s jottings before 2021’s Abu Dhabi finale or this year’s special-edition Silverstone print, which pairs Croft’s 2025 race notes with a list of every driver who has won at the Northamptonshire circuit.

There are hundreds more in the firm’s archives, priced from £35-175.

See thesportscommentators.com 

PROMOTED: Personalised Motor Folio

This beautifully hand-finished, premium-bonded leather folio is designed to keep every important document for your car in one stylish place. Each Motor Folio is personalised with your vehicle’s details, lined with soft suede and built to last, with reinforced corners.

Inside, you will find record sheets, protective wallets and a USB stick for digital copies – perfect for detailing provenance, preserving service history and adding a touch of class to any glovebox. Ideal for car enthusiasts and collectors, it’s available in four elegant colours.

See motorfolios.com

Bahco socket and spanner set

Chosen by Damon Cogman

I don’t need a set of top-quality tools like this £186.99 box of Bahco square-drive sockets and combination spanners (part no S103), but Christmas isn’t about needing, it’s about wanting – and I really want this.

The 103-piece set from the 139-year-old Swedish tool specialist comes in a tough carry case, ready to take on the demands of classic-car maintenance. Each item is made from steel alloy, and there’s a big selection of hex sockets, including shallow and deep options, and for spark plugs.

There’s a pair of 72-tooth ratchets, nine allen keys, 13 spanners and more, such as screwdriver bits and extension bars. The blueprint-style illustration helps you remember where everything goes, too.

See screwfix.com

PROMOTED: Gift your loved ones a classic vehicle health check this Christmas

Not perhaps the most exciting, but potentially the most invaluable Christmas gift for classic car owners. Leading lubricant brand Motul has long been known for quality and innovation, and this Christmas it could give the classic car of someone you care for the equivalent of a blood test.

Motul’s oil-analysis service is available to all, for both engines and transmissions. The spectro-analysis picks up traces of elements that either shouldn’t be in your oil or are present in much higher amounts than usual, and this can give an early warning of problems, or even impending catastrophic failure!

The analysis (including the sampling kit) costs just £40. 

See motul.com

Land-Rover Series II RCC kit

Chosen by Martin Port

Top of my list would be an old bench-top Myford lathe for the workshop – handy for turning up or altering the myriad small parts needed through the course of a build or restoration. However, the big kid in me would settle for one of Boom Racing’s 1:10-scale Series II Land-Rovers.

The radio-controlled 88in has an aluminium chassis, steel driveshaft and an anti-torque-twist transfer case – which means that, once the motor and steering servo are added, the mini rock-crawler is almost as capable as the real thing. Admittedly, attention to detail and build quality don’t come cheap – the unpainted body and leaf-sprung chassis kit will set you back £607.57 – but there’s already an enthusiast following, with customers producing exact replicas of their own Landies.

If nothing else, finding this under the tree would keep me busy for the rest of the winter.

See boomracing.com

PROMOTED: T-lab ‘Racing Lines’ T-shirt

Part of its motorsport collection, T-lab’s ‘Racing Lines’ T-shirt is a sleek homage to the thrill of motor racing. The bold, swooping stripes evoke style and speed, with two drivers locked together, giving and expecting no quarter.

Perfect for racing fans, or anyone who loves a touch of vintage flair, this shirt brings heritage and horsepower together in one timeless look.

See t-lab.co.uk

My travels on Racer Road

Chosen by Simon Taylor

I’m always happy to be given a book for Christmas, almost any book. But this is special. American journalist and photographer Pete Lyons was one of the finest race reporters of the second half of the 20th century, and his lyrical style was often copied but never equalled.

This £70 tome is not an autobiography, but a gentle, friendly invitation to share his memories of a life on the road, his friendships with almost everybody in F1 and Can-Am, and the joys, sorrows and special moments for someone who loved motor racing unconditionally. Every one of its 550 pages is a joy.

See evropublishing.com

PROMOTED: Give the gift that lasts all year!

Classic & Sports Car gift subscriptions are a gateway to a vibrant global motoring community, with a range of special offers available across the festive period. Buy a subscription as a gift for a loved one or simply treat yourself, and you or your lucky recipient will dive into the fascinating world of classic cars, meet kindred enthusiasts and indulge in the finest photography and the most entertaining stories.

What's more, opt for digital access (available on its own, or alongside getting the print magazine delivered direct to your door every month) and you'll immediately gain access to the recently launched Classic & Sports Car Archive, offering instant access to our entire 46-year back catalogue.

Explore more than a century of automotive history, featuring world-class writing and photography, with an advanced search function that allows to easily search, share, and cite every feature, news story, and report, including all special editions and supplements.

As an extra special touch, if this subscription is a gift, we'll send you a separate Christmas card for you to present on the big day.

See themagazineshop.com/classic-sports-car/

Austin J40 pedal car

Chosen by Martin Buckley

My first encounter with an Austin J40 was one bolted to the floor of a carousel that came to Denton market. I had no idea they were sold as toys back then, I only saw them in the context of the merry-go-round. This was the early ’70s and they looked dated but still ‘real’: you could sense the relationship with a grown-up car.

Obviously you could find one on eBay, but the Austin Pedal Cars company has put the J40 back into production, complete with hand-formed aluminium body and finely engineered mechanicals, so is the go-to place to find one. The new Continuation cars are built to order and a price is hard to establish, so I’m tempted to go for an original and this scruffy 1959 project car that’s currently on offer is very appealing.

It is an ex-fairground car and is sold with a box containing all of the parts needed to complete its restoration. At £5125 it’s hardly cheap, but it looks good value compared to the £11,500 minter that’s also for sale. Shame I don’t fit any longer. 

See austinpedalcars.com

PROMOTED: The Magic of a Shadow

The definitive history of the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow and Bentley T-series as never told before. This new book The Magic of a Shadow describes the technological revolution of these magnificent cars, introduced in 1965.

Specific chapters are dedicated to the elegant Corniche two-door saloon and convertible, the Camargue and the various other special models.

The evolution of the Silver Shadow up to 1980 and of the Corniche up to 1995 are described, along with a chapter revealing previously unreleased drawings issued by HJ Mulliner, Park Ward.

See nubesargentea.com

Goodwood The World Champions 1950-2025 jigsaw

Chosen by Lizzie Pope

You can’t have missed the fact that Formula One celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2025, and this product is a tasteful, sociable way to honour the anniversary, without breaking the bank. It should be easy to wrap, too.

Christmas provides a special opportunity to spend time with friends and family, so whether you have guests for an extended stay or a revolving cast of visitors, grab a coffee, tea or mulled wine and tackle this 1000-piece jigsaw.

With the 2025 drivers’ champion yet to be confirmed at the time of writing, completists might wince, but it costs a bargain £20 and there are still eight cars and the names of all the 1950-2024 winning pilots to piece together.

Better get clearing a 69x48cm space on the dining-room table, then…

See shop.goodwood.com

PROMOTED: HVMR Digital Vehicle Archive

For the classic car enthusiast who has everything, gift them Historic Vehicle Maintenance Records (HVMR) this Christmas. This UK award-winning service provides a ‘Personal Classic Vehicle File’, securely storing all of a car’s history, documents, photos and video content.

Owners can instantly upload, share, and save content via smartphone, tablet or laptop. HVMR is a must-have for securely storing documents (such as MoTs, V5s and insurance) and tracking provenance (including race history, show awards and restoration stories). It even allows seamless garage integration via a QR-code submission system for instant uploading of documents, a transparent audit trail and annual inspection records. Give the gift of digital peace of mind.

See hvmr.co.uk

Porsche 917 sculpture

Chosen by Mick Walsh

The gorgeous, simplified shapes of Robin Bark’s work have powerful under-the-tree appeal, as his latest Porsche 917K sculpture shows. This elegant, sand-cast aluminium piece is meticulously hand-polished by Robin before nickel-plating further enhances the dramatic shape.

As well as looking dazzling from every angle, his compact artworks are lovely to handle. Measuring 178mm long and weighing 1kg, this limited edition is available in two versions: Le Mans legend Richard Attwood has signed the sterling silver option, which is limited to just 10 and priced at £1500; the standard, nickel-plated edition numbers 15 at £875 each.

Both are presented in bespoke wooden boxes. Robin’s full range features three other Porsches including 911, 356 Speedster and 550 Spyder. As well as his beautiful sculptures, this multi-talented artist produces original paintings and greetings cards, too.

See robinbark-motorart.com

PROMOTED: Don’t miss the Legends series!

Curated by the team behind Classic & Sports Car, the Legends series gathers together some of the finest stories from the pages of Britain's best-selling classic car magazine from the past 30 years.

From marque histories such as Ferrari, Bentley and TVR to celebrations of the greatest car-building nations and the great decades, the Legends series makes the perfect gift for yourself or a loved one. There are even special offers on selected editions, too.

Back issues are selling out fast, but look out for new arrivals including the latest edition, 1970s Legends, which turns its focus on to the decade of flares and tie-dye, and the forthcoming Rolls-Royce Legends, which goes on sale on 18 December.

See magsdirect.co.uk/classic-sports-car-presents/

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Alastair Clements

Alastair is Editor in Chief of Classic & Sports Car and has been associated with the brand for more than 20 years

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