Gifts to last beyond the holidays

ALONG WITH horrendous traffic, overeating and guilt, Christmas is a time for rekindling family ties and friendships and—above all—it’s a time for giving. We’ve put together a grab bag of gift ideas, ranging from quite practical to the extravagant:


For kids and the young at heart, we found a unique-looking set of automotive building blocks. Automoblox is a wooden construction toy that allows one to mix and match different automotive bodies, cockpits and wheels. The original set are about 250mm long and come with plastic figures, while the mini line cars are palm-sized. Designed by Patrick Calello, the toys have wooden car body sections with plastic interconnects, polycarbonate wheels and screens and rubber tires. With names like the C9 Sports Coupe, T9 Pickup Truck and S9 Sedan, the vehicles follow a clean retro-futuristic design theme.

It’s a good way to teach young kids fine motor skills and demonstrate how cars are assembled. (Of course, a better way would be to arrange a field trip at one of our local car plants, but that is another story.) For grownups, it’s a good way to relieve stress after a hard day at the office. The mini vehicles are priced from P600 and up, with a boxed set of three at around P1100. Available at Powerbooks.

Reading up on cars is always an excellent way to spend some leisure or bathroom time, both of which should be plentiful during the holidays. There’s the excellent Car Design Yearbook series by Stephen Newbury. Made for the armchair Randy Rodriguez in all of us, Car Design Yearbook compiles all the production and concept cars released that year. (Mr. Rodriguez is the Filipino designer of the Nissan 370Z.) Plenty of photos are coupled with the fascinating stories behind individual models as well as automotive design trends.

For rabid motorsports fans, you can’t do much better than giving them a (very heavy) copy of Ferrari Formula One or McLaren Formula One. Rainer Schlegelmilch is the man behind the lens, and no one has captured the unforgettable spectacle of the sport, and the quiet moments when drivers think that no one’s looking, as well as he has. For non-Ferrari and McLaren fans, Mr. Schlegelmilch has also published the amazing Grand Prix de Monaco and several roadcar brand histories. Car Design Yearbook and the Schlegelmilch books are available at National Bookstore, from P500 and up.

Actually, one gift can easily trump an F1 book, and that’s a trip to one of the 2011 races. 2010 has been one of the most suspenseful seasons in recent memory, but indications are 2011 will be even better, with stronger Mercedes and McLaren teams. The Australian Grand Prix (March 27) is closer than it seems. Red Rock Travel has packages starting at USD668 for the Malaysian GP to USD1,860 for Melbourne. Visit www.redrocktravel.net

For those who want to give something practical, as well as obsessive owners who want to consider their car a worthy recipient, Bosch has a multitude of products to improve performance, safety and convenience. From long-life platinum spark plugs to quality headlamp bulbs which maintain their performance, Bosch has the right product for nearly all car models. Horn-y drivers may appreciate a set of Bosch Europa Horns, which reportedly emit a strong and clear tone for safety. Available at various Bosch dealers around the country.

Motoring-branded watches (e.g., Breitling for Bentley) may be a mixed bag where prestige and ultimate value is concerned, but watches with a strong relationship to motoring or racing can be among the ultimate gifts. One of the most desirable is new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Openworked, featuring a skeletonized movement. A certain Michael Schumacher, who recently changed allegiances from Omega, certainly agrees. Prices will begin at around USD30,000. Available from Lucerne.

Speaking of giving, Christmas is an occasion for giving some thought to the less fortunate. Time is certainly the best gift; otherwise, you can surely find some charities or charitable friends who will gladly accept your donations. Help given to those in need are the gifts that will last beyond the holidays.