Whether your special someone is into fixing up cars, watching auto racing, or is simply an admirer of car design and performance, you may be on the hunt for a great Valentine’s Day gift. We’re here to help, with ideas for gifts or experiences that are sure to please. Here are some top Valentine’s Day gifts for the car enthusiasts in your life.
- Driving Experiences
- Car-Focused Trip
- Lego Car Set
- Driving Sunglasses
- Amazon Echo Auto
- Driving Gloves
- Bluetooth Key Tracker
- Custom Floor Mats
- Wireless Phone Charger Mount
- Driving Slippers
Driving Experiences
Why buy someone a replica of their favorite car as a gift when instead they can get behind the wheel of the real thing? In the US, there are several options, from zipping around a racetrack to renting an exotic car for a day. Depending on where you live, you might be able to find an option within driving distance, or you might need to make the Valentine’s Day gift a little grander and plan a trip around the driving experience.
One popular destination for a driving experience is Las Vegas. Among the options here are Dream Racing, Exotics Racing and Speed Vegas. All of these options have multiple cars to choose from, with racetrack experiences starting at $99 and going up to $600, depending on the car you choose and how many laps you want to do.
The NASCAR Racing Experience also has locations across the country where you can drive a racecar or do a ride-along. Prices for that range from $250 to $2,300, depending on how much track time you want and which location you choose.
Car-focused trip
If you’re looking for a gift that does not involve actually driving cool cars, but rather looking at them, find a car-focused trip. Plan a visit to the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, where you can see one of the largest car collections in the world. If you’re in the Midwest, Detroit could be a worthy destination because of the amount of car-centric things to do there. The Henry Ford, the Automotive Hall of Fame in nearby Dearborn, and the Ford Rouge Factory Tour are all worthy options. Lastly, if your favorite car enthusiast is also an auto racing enthusiast, you can snag tickets to the Indianapolis 500 or Daytona 500.
Lego Car Set
While driving or owning a dream car might be out of reach for Valentine’s Day, LEGO has your back. You can gift one of their many car sets that include Ford Mustang, Porsche 911, Technic Bugatti Chiron, Technic Dodge Charger and many, many more. The good thing about this gift is that it fits almost any budget, with sets ranging from around $80 up to more than $300.
Driving sunglasses
Anyone who’s been driving on a particularly sunny day knows how important a good pair of sunglasses can be to reduce glare and drive safely. If you’re looking for a useful gift, here is what you should look for in a pair of sunglasses if your valentine drives a lot. They should have UV protection, while also reducing glare (usually through a special coating, and have a tint that’s not distracting, like amber or gray. Large, chunky sunglasses are also not great for driving as they may need constant readjustment due to slippage, and might also obstruct your view. You can’t go wrong with options like an aviator or other minimal frames, or some sportier frames that are meant for driving.
Amazon Echo Auto
Is your Valentine also into the latest technology? Then maybe the Echo Auto is the perfect gift. With this device, you can control the entertainment system, play music, hear the news and call people using your voice, just like in your home. Just be sure to make sure that the recipient’s car is compatible with the Echo Auto.
Driving gloves
Give a little gift of luxury with some chic driving gloves. Perfect for winter weather or long drives, driving gloves can give you a better grip on the steering wheel and cut down on hand fatigue caused by vibrations. Plus, they look pretty cool, right? Many driving gloves are made of leather and can cost $300 or more. However, you can find great options for less than $100, like the Dents Silverstone leather driving gloves that even work on touch screens.
Bluetooth key tracker
Nothing can be more frustrating than losing your car keys when you really need to get out the door. Luckily now there are some options to find them that doesn’t involve tearing the house apart. A Bluetooth key tracker like Tile, Apple AirTag or another option makes a great gift, and pretty much anyone can afford this gift.
Custom floor mats
If you need a practical Valentine’s Day gift, then you can give the gift of clean car floors. You can get personalized floor mats with a name or motif on them, or simply get high-quality mats that are custom-fit to the vehicle. You can even get mats featuring their favorite car brand, whether or not they are driving their dream car.
Wireless phone charger mount
Make sure your special someone always has a fully charged phone when they’re on the road by buying a wireless phone charger mount. You can find versions that attach to the car’s air vent, cupholder or another spot, and you only need to make sure that the charger is compatible with the kind of phone and type of vehicle the gift recipient has.
Driving slippers
Buying a special pair of shoes for driving may seem strange, but if your Valentine does a lot of driving, they may love a good pair of driving slippers. They combine the comfort of slippers with a good grip on the bottom that will definitely beat a pair of regular shoes on longer drives. Plus, who wouldn’t want a comfortable pair of shoes?
