Last Minute Holiday Gift Ideas for the Automotive Aficionado
 Christmas Car(d)From Datusn World |
By Marty
Bernstein
AIADA Contributing Editor
OMG! Suddenly you remember you must get a gift
for that special person, colleague, client, customer or relative who should
have been on your Christmas, Chanukah or
Not to worry. We’ve got your back with our
annual list of gift items that are readily available at major Big Box
stores or through e-tailer websites with guaranteed delivery. As usual they
run the gamut from very practical and useful to something very unique for
the car lover who has everything.
The Belkin Charger for
non-wired automobiles
A great gift for those whose vehicles do not
have the special connection that lets them play iPod tunes through the
in-dash stereo system. The Belkin Tune Deck powers and charges the Nano
through the cassette deck and also serves as a cradle for an all-in-one,
in-car audio solution. Everything needed is included.
Price: $49.94 at www.Amazon.com or www.Belkin.com.
iGo Everywhere – 1
device recharges cell phones, PDAs, iPods, Bluetooths
For the person that travels and uses electronic
devices -- and who doesn’t -- this little beauty powers and charges
multiple gadgets with this one AC and DC power solution device. It works at
home, on the road and or in a vehicle. No need to carry lots of power cords
and adapters.
Price: $39.95 at www.belkin.com. Special tips may be
needed and are extra.
The Rolls-Royce of umbrellas? The Rolls-Royce Umbrella, of course!
No matter if it’s a little shower, a few
sprinkles or even a steady downpour or deluge, the Rolls-Royce umbrella
will be sure to keep you dry. Hand-crafted featuring a carbon fiber main
shaft with ribs, springs, and cap made of tempered chrome-plated steel,
Teflon coated fabric top (the Brit’s call it a cap) that is stitched
to the ribs with special waxed thread, stitched edges resist fraying,
turned aluminum trim and the Rolls-Royce double R monogram. This umbrella
comes in a handy, specially designed carrying case. Test it today at
Rolls-Royce dealers.
Price: Car starts at $338,000, umbrella
included.
The Alphabet and the Automobile: From Alfa to Z28, and all the others too
A dazzling array of race cars, roadsters, sports
cars and sedans roars to life in the pages of this beautifully illustrated
automotive book. Despite the A to Z format, this book covers an amazing
variety of technical details, facts and history that is really informative
and entertaining. The printing and paper quality is unmatched.
Price: $17.95 at the publishers’ site www.davidbull.com, or at www.Amazon.com.
Take great pics anywhere, anytime with the compact Sony Cyber-Shot
Ever see a magnificent sunset set, a beautiful
classic car, your kids or grandkids doing something only they do and wish
you had a camera at that very moment? Most people do. For those special
moments and special people here’s the new Sony Cyber-Shot
that’s almost foolproof. Point and look in the huge 3” display,
then shot that picture in 7 million pixels with a Zeiss lens. Ultra slim,
ultra light, ultra right and it comes in black, silver and
red.
Price: $400, but often available for less at Big
Box retailers and on the web.
Business owners or start-up entrepreneurs will profit from Breakaway Brands
In business today, no matter the industry or
product, the key word is branding. Building a brand is as important as
getting a great banker and a good lawyer. How to get good, much less,
great branding is difficult. Two executives from Arnold Worldwide,
a major advertising agency (remember VW’s introduction of the new
Beetle?) Francis Kelly and Barry Silverstein have written this
book including 50 successful branding strategies that every business
person should use. No B.S. from these guys. Learn how others have built
their brands and businesses too.
Price: $29.95 at booksellers and on www.Amazon.com.
Feel the need for Speed?
Going to a driving school is not like the
driving courses offered in high schools. Ohhhh, no! I’ve done a
couple driving schools and it is a massive dose of male ego
enjoyment not-to-mention a surge of testosterone. Mazda, it was just
announced, is providing 123 race cars for two different courses that will
be offered at Skip Barber Schools at some great venues: Mazda
Raceway-Laguna Seca in
Visit www.skipbarber.com for pricing
info.
Glove Box Essentials from
Royce Leather
Every car or truck neat-freak needs an organizer
to keep all the important documents – titles, insurance, warranty
cards, etc. – in one place in the glovebox. There are two from Royce
Leather – the glove compartment organizer holds all the essential
papers and cards in a compact 10.5” x 7.75” folder that comes
with a pen. The other is a bigger organizer for documents and papers as
well as a pen, tire gauge and flashlight. There’s a pocket for maps,
first aid essentials and the owners book.
Price: $37/$65 and available at www.royceleathergifts.com.
Their favorite car pictures
belong in a Digital Frame
Car collectors often carry pictures of their
"beauty" in their wallets, but that’s a tiny photo that really
doesn’t show off the beauty. Now that digital photos are so common, a
digital photo frame is a great idea. They run from around $100 to over $250
at all the electronic stores and the usual websites. They’re really
neat and allow for immediate updates.
Visit www.kodak.com for
pricing.
