This is your warning that Father’s Day is fast approaching in the UK. You’ve still got plenty of time to grab a gift, but we know dads in particular can often be tricky to buy for.
Well, we’re stepping in to help – provided your dad is a petrolhead, at least. We’ve rounded up a few car-based ideas that could go down a winner this year or something you can subtly suggest to your kids so you get a gift you’ll actually like.
There are a few affiliate links in this post, which we earn a small commission on if you make a purchase, but it won’t affect our ability to tell you if something is decent or terrible.
Lego Speed Champions BMW M4 GT3 & M Hybrid
It doesn’t matter how old you are, everyone loves a bit of Lego. These days, the Speed Champions range means car enthusiasts are pretty well catered for when it comes to building block replicas of real-world icons.
New for 2024 is the BMW M4 GT3 and M Hybrid twin pack, allowing you to build the brand’s sportscar racing efforts as a pair. Plenty, then, to keep dad and the kids occupied if Father’s Day is a little quiet.
Autoglym cleaning kit
Every petrolhead should be, and often is, equipped with a decent cleaning kit. If your dad is lacking on that front or needs a top-up, this Autoglym cleaning kit covers all the bases.
The 12-piece pack includes all the products to get a car looking squeaky clean, including the wheels and tyres, as well as mitts and cloths. It’s all wrapped up in a neat-looking bag, too.
Impact driver
Has your dad had a project car sitting around for years that really needs some time spent on it? An impact driver could be the tool to kick-start things.
Undoing nuts that haven’t been undone in years can be a pain in the you-know-what, but they’re made all the easier with an impact driver.
This cordless Ryobi impact wrench is £149.95, and has a 1/2” square drive, with a 1/4” adaptor included. So you can actually see what you’re doing while working underneath a car in low light conditions, it has a trio of LED lights dotted around the head.
EA Sports F1 24
Is your dad a gamer? Well, this is good timing, as the new F1 game has just launched.
Admittedly, EA Sport F1 24 doesn’t do much that 23 didn’t, but nonetheless a fresh racing game is always a welcome gift. There have been some changes to the handling model, and the ability to race as an ‘Icon’ in career mode. Time for dad to live out his Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost or err, Pastor Maldonado, fantasies.
A trip to Caffeine & Machine
Stuck on a physical present for dad? How about taking him out for a nice breakfast or lunch by some rather special cars instead?
If you’ve never visited Caffeine & Machine, you should. There’s three locations in the UK now, each with the same cars and coffee vibe. The joy is the variety of stuff that turns up, with everything from JDM rustbuckets to exotic supercars and everything in between.
Each location is ticketed on a weekend, so it’s worth booking early to avoid disappointment.
More info at caffeineandmachine.com
AMG aftershave
Does your dad drive a Mercedes-AMG? Or a C-Class which he’s keen to stress is an AMG Line because look, the logo is on the floormats? Then a bottle of AMG-branded aftershave might just be the perfect thing.
Available in three scents, AMG Thrill is designed to be the perfect accompaniment for any diehard fan of Affalterbach’s finest produce. We actually had a chance to try out each at the launch of the CLE 53 recently and if we had to pick one, we’d go for Black Thrill.
Buy it on parfums.mercedes-benz.com
Supercar driving experience
Nobody is going to be disappointed with the chance to drive a supercar, and it’s a very easy gift to buy. Any voucher for a supercar driving experience is going to be a win-win, frankly, it’s just a case of choosing which one.
We’ve picked out a £50 Red Letter Days voucher which is said to be eligible for a choice between 250 different driving experiences across the country. You can spend more if you’d like to, or opt for a different kind of voucher – either way, you can’t go wrong.
McLaren pen
Let’s be real, a good pen goes a long way – and a bright orange one is going to be tricky to lose. That makes this papaya McLaren pen a practical purchase, but also a neat little thing for a thoughtful present.
Granted, at £14, it’s expensive for a ballpoint. Then again, it’s significantly cheaper than this Bugatti Pur Sang pen.
Buy it on McLaren Store for £14
Tamiya Ford Escort Cosworth
Tamiya RC car kits offer the best kind of things to build – ones you can play with after.
Tamiya’s TT-02 chassis has been in production for seemingly forever, and the result is plenty of bodyshells to pick from. We’ve picked out the Ford Escort Cosworth, largely because it’s the one OP’s dad would want most, but there’s practically endless choice.
It’s worth noting you’ll need to buy all the electronic bits separately, though many sites (like Modelsport which we’ve linked) can offer you a bundle deal.
Exceptional T-shirts
It wouldn’t be a gift guide without some shameless self-promotion, right? Head over to the CT shop to take your pick of a variety of t-shirts, hoodies and more, ideal for the petrolhead in your life. Our pick of the bunch is the Airbag Preservation Society T-shirt for £23.99, but there’s enough to suit all tastes.
