Articles

Gifts for car lovers: ideas under £30

PlateFob, 30 October 2026

Good gifts for car lovers under £30 fall into a few groups: things that keep their car clean, small gadgets that make driving easier, books and magazines about the cars they love, a model of their own car or their dream car, and personal things such as a keyring with their own reg. The best choice depends on whether they spend Sunday washing the car, reading about it or watching it race.

Quick list

• A detailing kit: wax, a wash mitt and proper drying towels.
• A pack of microfibre cloths: cheap, and car people go through them fast.
• An interior brush set: soft brushes for vents, seams and dashboard edges.
• A digital tyre pressure gauge: small, and used every few weeks.
• A phone mount: the map at eye level, the phone out of their hand.
• A boot organiser: for the cables, cloths and bottles that roll around.
• A book about their favourite make, a race series or a famous road.
• A magazine subscription about the kind of car they like.
• A die-cast model of their own car, or of the one on their bedroom wall at 12.
• A model kit to build over the winter.
• A print of their car or of a circuit they love.
• A number plate keyring with their own reg on it.
• Small stocking fillers: de-icer and a scraper, an air freshener, driving sunglasses.

For the one who washes the car every Sunday

A detailing kit

A small kit with a wax or a quick detailer, a wash mitt and a couple of drying towels suits anyone who already owns a bucket and a hose. Plenty of kits cost less than £30. If they already have a favourite wax, ask what they use and buy the next tin, so you are not giving them something they will never open.

Microfibre cloths and drying towels

Keen detailers keep separate cloths for glass, paint, wheels and the inside, and they wear them out. A large pack of good cloths is one of the few gifts they will use up, and one of the cheapest on this list.

An interior brush set

Soft detailing brushes reach the air vents, the stitching on the seats and the edges of the dashboard. For someone who notices dust on the gear lever, this is the right present.

Leather or fabric care

If the car has leather seats, a leather cleaner and conditioner is a sensible gift. For cloth seats, an upholstery cleaner does the same job. Check which one their car has before you buy.

Gadgets for the car

A digital tyre pressure gauge

A gauge in the glovebox lets them check the tyres whenever they like, without a trip to the garage forecourt. Digital ones are small, and many have a lit screen for checking in the dark.

A phone mount

A mount puts the map at eye level and keeps the phone out of their hand. Holding a phone while driving is illegal in the UK, even when stopped in traffic (gov.uk). Check which type suits their car: some clip to an air vent, others stick to the dashboard or the windscreen.

A boot organiser

A folding box with dividers keeps the cleaning kit, cables and screen wash from sliding around every corner. For someone who keeps the cabin spotless, it does the same for the boot.

A car charger and a short cable

A fast charger for the 12V socket or a spare cable that lives in the car.

Books and magazines

A book about the cars they love

There are books on almost every make, model and race series, plus books about famous roads and drives. Pick something about the car they talk about most, whether that is a classic, a rally car or a modern electric. If you are unsure, a book about a particular era of motor racing tends to suit a wide range of tastes.

A workshop manual for their car

For the one who does their own servicing, a manual for their exact model is a practical present. You will need the make, model and year, so check the car or its paperwork.

A magazine subscription

Monthly car magazines cover classics, track cars, modified cars and new cars, and each one has its own audience. A short subscription spreads the gift over several months. Prices vary by title and term, so check the publisher's site.

Model cars and things for the shelf

A die-cast model of their car

Die-cast models come in many scales, and smaller ones are often well under £30. A model of their own car in the same colour is the personal choice. A model of the car they wanted as a child also works, and so does the car they learned to drive in.

A model kit to build

A plastic kit with glue and paints is a winter project for someone who likes to make things. Choose a kit that matches their patience: some have a few dozen parts, others several hundred.

A print or poster

A print of their car, a classic poster, or a circuit layout they have driven or watched from the stands. Frame it if your budget allows, or give the print rolled in a tube.

Personal gifts with their own reg

A number plate keyring

Plenty of car lovers can recite their reg, and some paid for it. A number plate keyring puts that reg on the keys they carry every day.

At PlateFob we make these as a cast metal fob, 67.1 x 14.3 x 5.5 mm, in chrome, gold or black. The front carries their UK reg, current or cherished, up to seven characters in the plate font, with a side flag if they like. The back can carry the yellow rear plate, a few words in a font you choose, your handwriting, a photo, a map of a favourite drive with a date, or a voice message of up to 30 seconds that they open with their phone camera and play. You build it in 3D on the site, and it comes in a gift box.

One chrome fob is £19, plus £2.99 postage, so £21.99 in total. Any two with words, a photo or the rear plate on the back are £35 with free postage, which suits a car with two keys. A voice or map back is £25 for one fob. Orders are not open yet: you can build one now and leave your email. Our car lovers gift page has more on the three metals, the flags and the map back.

You need their reg to make one. If it is a surprise, look at the car next time you pass it.

Something with the car's name

If the car has a name, it can go on almost anything: a keyring, a mug, a print. For a car that has been in the family for years, an old photo of it in a frame does the same job.

Experiences under £30

Track days and supercar driving experiences usually cost more than £30. Some car days out can fit the budget:

• a ticket to a car show or a classic car meet
• entry to a motor museum
• a spectator ticket for a club race meeting
• a short session at an indoor karting track

Prices vary by venue and date, so check before you buy. A ticket with a printed programme or a model of a car they will see there makes it something to unwrap.

Small stocking fillers for car lovers

Cheap, and all of them get used:

• a de-icer and a scraper for the first frost
• an air freshener in a scent they actually like
• a coin holder for parking machines that still take coins
• sunglasses for driving into a low winter sun
• a tyre tread depth gauge
• a pair of driving gloves

For more small presents for men who like cars, see our Christmas stocking filler page. Buying for a father who keeps his car spotless? The dad keyring page is written for him. If the car lover in question has only just got their licence, our guide to gifts for new drivers has ideas for the first months on the road.

Questions

What do you buy a car lover who has everything?

Something they cannot buy for themselves off the shelf: a model of their own car, a print of it, or a keyring with their own reg. Consumables such as microfibre cloths and wax also work, because they get used up.

What is a good car gift under £20?

Microfibre cloths, an interior brush set, a tyre pressure gauge, a phone mount, a magazine or a small die-cast model often come in under £20. Prices vary by shop, so check before you buy.

Can I get a gift with their number plate on it?

Yes. A number plate keyring carries their reg on a small metal fob. It is a keyring, not a number plate, and it cannot be used on a car.

What if they have more than one car?

Give a fob for each car, each with its own reg. Two PlateFob fobs with words or the rear plate on the back are £35, and postage is free for two or more.