This is the first of our two-part Father’s Day Gift Guide, which contains a selection of artwork, literature, and models. The second half—apparel and accessories—will follow next week.
There are a few ways to handle Father’s Day—thinking it needs to be “handled” probably being indicative of one of those ways—and if you’re reading this then there’s a good chance you can credit your dad or grandpa for facilitating the kind of behavior that led you to browse an automotive-themed gift list, so why not treat the holiday as it deserves to be: as a day to celebrate the distinct and powerful relationships that come with fatherhood, not as stop at the Hallmark store on the way home from work. Forgive the obvious question, but really, how many days have you spent with your dad in the garage learning from him, working with him, swearing at inanimate objects with him, or just simply being together, sharing time?
As contrived as the idea is of trying to stuff all the recognition that such a relationship deserves into a single day, it doesn’t mean it isn’t a good one. Because so many of us have so many memories with our fathers of both the grand- and regular variety, sometimes the sheer amount of all of that can cause a loss of perspective. It can result in things being taken for granted that shouldn’t be. Father’s Day prods us to reflect on it all, to recalibrate how we show our appreciation. Though a single day on the calendar is surely too small to contain everything there is to praise about our dads, we can use it as a reminder that that’s the case: that even though it’s true that no object or gesture or speech will ever adequately represent the relationship, it still deserves our best effort: whether that’s a card drawn by shaky hand exclusively with green crayon, or you’ve somehow managed to purchase Dad’s favorite car for him, it really is the thought that matters most.
That said, why not make sure that if you’re going to give a gift that it’s one he won’t have to fake a smile for? We’re posting this first part of our guide a bit early in part for practical reasons (international order lead times), but more importantly we don’t want your procrastination to take on corporeal existence in the form of a pair of socks or something else that imparts genuine intent on the “You really shouldn’t have” response to what’s in the wrapping paper.
We’ve done the work of actually looking further than the first few storefronts in the mall, so all you have to do to earn your son or daughter cred is pick out something he likes. You do know if he’s a Ferrari fan or a Porschephile right? That part’s on you.
Petrolicious Digital Gift Card
A gift card to the Petrolicious Shop is the perfect gift to give. Available in digital format, gift cards are redeemable online for our full selection of gear so you can’t go wrong. Your father is sure to find something they like.
Even if you aren’t sure of his exact tastes, we’ve picked out a couple collections of prints and posters that should equally impress the all-knowing sage who’s taught you everything you know and the father that has a minor interest in cars and a material interest (like everyone should) in things that look good hung on a wall. For home, garage, or office, for the fan of Group B, swooping Italian silhouettes, or icons of vintage Formula One, we have you covered.
We’ve covered these extensively detailed model cars before, but take another look to see if anything in the selection of vintage cars is one of your dad’s favorites. These cars belong to that rare and exalted group of cars that made an impact decades ago that’s endured to this day, growing in influence over time.
One of these cars would make a great desk piece- “desk piece” is a horrible pair of words. But that doesn’t change how nice it’d be to have the red 250 GTO to look at.
Maybe your father taught you how to read, maybe you taught him, and even if he can’t, the images on these pages provide more than enough enjoyment. We have a wide spread of great lit available, from detailed dives into the histories of famed cars, designers, or otherwise; to sweeping coverage of whole eras, marques, motorsports, and combinations of such.
We’ve got coffee table books big enough to break the bookshelf the two of you built years ago, all the way down to quick, compact reads suited for traveling on planes, trains, and automobiles.
