Father’s Day 2018: A CarAdvice gift guide

There’s gifts, and then there’s Father's day gifts. And, if your dad is a hardcore petrol head, or even just a casual auto enthusiast, these specially handpicked gifts as highlighted by the dads in the CarAdvice office ought to bring a smile to your old man’s dial come father day morning.

By now half the blokes your dad works with have probably done a speedway drive day, and they’re a real hoot too, but give your dad ultimate bragging rights with a day spent learning to master high-performance Euro metal at some of Australia’s most iconic motorsports locations.

Audi Driving Experience days take place in locations like Barbagallo, Phillip Island and Sydney Motorsport park – or opt for something really out of the box by packing dad off to an ice driving experience in Austria.

You might even be able to cover next year's gift too, if dad takes a shine to it, with the ability to rise through the ranks of Audi’s program – and unlike some other programs, dad doesn’t need to be an existing Audi owner to take part.

Audi Driver Experience has full details.

Regular CarAdvice readers will no doubt already have these on their shopping lists, but in case you needed reminding, Lego Creator’s James Bond-spec Aston Martin DB5 and Lego Technic’s Bugatti Chiron are too good to pass up.

In the case of the DB5, you’ll find a full suite of working features from the iconic Bond adventure, Goldfinger, including revolving number plates, front machine guns, and even a fully functional passenger ejector seat. Classic Aston details like the inline six-cylinder engine aren't left out either. Available from Lego.

If you dad has the patience of a saint and a little more spare time on his hands, perhaps the 3599 piece Bugatti Chiron model would be more his thing, complete with W16 engine with moving pistons, replica Chiron wheels, a switchable active rear wing accessible via an included ‘top speed key’ and a unique under-bonnet serial number.

Consider this one the ultimate test of your papa’s patience… If you’ve left him with any to begin with – also available from Lego.

If you thought Lego was the only construction kit worthy of your car-loving dad’s time, guess again. Meccano throws its hat into the ring this father’s day and if supercars aren’t your old man’s favourite, maybe he’d like his own Silverado instead?

Complete with opening doors and bonnet, and working suspension. Tradie dads might not be able to get their hands on the real thing, but hopefully this will do the trick in the meantime. Visit Hobby Warehouse for more info.

Some dads are pretty handy on the tools, and others are best pointed in the direction of the nearest professional when it comes to mechanical issues.

It doesn’t matter if your old bloke is a part time pro, or could do with a skills brush-up; this visible V8 kit from model maker Revell should keep him entertained and is just the thing to provide a little mechanical exposure without the need to devote an entire garage and a series of weekends to an expensive engine rebuild.

For all the mums tasked with buying father’s day presents, keep this one in mind for introducing the young-uns to the wonderful world of wrenching their own cars as well. Metro Hobbies can hook you up with this one.

Nothing's as handy as a good pocket knife, or at least pocket knives were handy, but times have changed and rugged dads wouldn't be seen dead with a plain old Swiss Army Knife anymore. Instead, all the prepared padres are packing multi tools, like this one – just the thing if your dad's a Toyota HiLux fan through and through.

If your dad is anything like mine, nothing would make him happier than a gleaming car in the driveway. If you reckon your dad would be just as chuffed to have his pride and joy looking like it just rolled out of the showroom why not set him up with a detailing kit packed full of just about everything he could need.

Bowden's Own Car Care has just the thing: called the Little Intro To Bowden's Own, this kit has everything from cleaning products to a washpad and microfibre towel – right down to a Great Barrier Thingy. It's a clever little device that traps dirt and grit at the bottom of the bucket, keeping it from impacting the final pristine finish.

There's all kinds of kits on offer, but check here for the intro kit.

Mum might not be as pleased to see this one hanging in the lounge room, but if dad doesn't have his own mancave, it's gotta go somewhere right? Any HSV-loving family will probably allow this one to go up right alongside your baby photos though.

Available framed, or as a print only, the limited-run HSV Design Series features a range of iconic models including the VL SS Group A 'Walkinshaw', 1996 VS GTS-R or a choice of 2017 GTSR, GTSR Maloo or GTSR W1. Go to HSV's memorobilia shop to get yours.

According to Anthony Crawford, these are "Without doubt the best driver’s sunnies in the game, glass lens is just one of the reasons.

"They’re beautifully made too with silicon in the right places to stop them ever falling off your face during exercise or sailing even," he says. Check them out here.

Brands with long histories have a fantastic ability to roll out some pretty impressive merchandise and Jaguar certainly lives up to that reputation. If you dad subscribes to the timeless style aesthetic, then Jag's Heritage Watch could be the ideal accessory.

Styled to perfection with a white-faced three dial chronograph mounted to an Italian leather strap and styled with Jaguar's heritage logo on both the face and the buckle. Available direct from Jaguar.

Could dad's ride do with a serious upgrade? If his average-joe work Camry isn't delivering the high performance image he deserves, there's a quick and easy solution available to transform his underwhelming ride into a supercar quickly and easily.

Okay, maybe not, but making your old man's clapped out ute or ho-hum SUV sound like a V8, V10 or V12 is sure to be a hoot nonetheless and the Sound Racer X is a quick and easy way to make it possible.

If your father is a dyed-in-the-wool Ford fan but your budget doesn't stretch to the classic Mustang he's always had his heart set on, these Mustang headphones are sure to be the next best thing.

Embossed ear cans featuring the classic Mustang logo should help dad escape into his music. Corded, with a 120cm detachable cable, gold plated 3.5mm stereo headphone jack, and capable of a 20-20,000 hz reproduction range. Head to the Blue Oval Store to grab your set.

From all of us here at CarAdvice – have a happy Father’s Day.