In a strike of excellent commercial fortune, there is no concrete knowledge of how the romantic day began. That’s great news for marketing departments because it means they can spin Valentine’s Day however they please in order to snag customers.
In our world of work, PR contact is constant and some really do stretch it with Valentine's Day pitches. This year we've been emailed about sourdough bread with the suggestion it's a great Valentine's Day starter course. In a very different approach, we've also been contacted about a gum that acts as an aphrodisiac that basically contains the same stuff as pre-workout products.
But people like cheesiness. That’s why Love Island is so popular and therefore most are willing to dive headfirst into the soggy and often cringeworthy blancmange that is Valentine’s Day.
But car people don’t tend to be of that ilk so much. During most annually celebrated traditions, car fans are usually found in the garage tinkering or waxing away, blissfully unaware of what’s going on in the outside world. Therefore, if you are set on getting a car fan a Valentine’s gift, we suggest very strongly that it be something useful. Frankly, that piece of advice extends to a motoring-related gift for any occasion.
The most useful motoring gifts for Valentine’s Day
We’ve organised our suggestions in ascending order of price so you find it easier to stick within your budget.
Natural Dried Rose Petals
Best romantic add-on
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If you are set on going all romantic then good for you, do what you want and don't let anyone else dissuade you. Maybe you've even gone the whole hog and bought your loved one a new car. Like a cabernet or Malbec with steak, these natural (and therefore biodegradable) rose petals are a wonderful accompaniment to a gift.
Chocolate Racing Cars Gift Tin
Best chocolate cars
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Bang on theme and very tasty. Locally made Fairtrade chocolates. Tin size: 9.5 x 6.5cm. Plain tin sits well on the garage shelf.
Greased Lightning Showroom Shine 1L
Best waterless car wash
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Greased Lightning's Showroom Shine is the most effective spray on, wipe off car wash on the market. The company explicitly says it's a lifestyle rather than a car enthusiast's brand in order to make it appeal to the masses. It can try and play the cool kid all it likes but there is no denying this is a great product we car nerds recommend to any petrolhead who wants a fast detailer for their car.
Bilt Hamber Double Speed-Wax 250ml
Best car wax

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You know how breakfast cereals usually have added vitamins and minerals? This carnauba paste wax has added hydrophobic polymers to make water bead more readily on the paintwork. It's a hard-wearing and easily applied wax that comes with a microfibre and application pad.
Bond Cars: The Definitive History
Best 007 book

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The world's most prominent spy (surely an oxymoron) has seriously good taste in cars. Explore the fascinating history of 007's motors in this excellent hardback written by Jason Barlow. Featuring rare archival material and page after page detailing the elaborate stunts that went into each film.
Porsche 911 Turbo History Lineage Print
Best car fan du00e9cor
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Workshop, mood room, office, whatever. If you know the car fan you're buying for is a Porsche nut, this is a great gift option. It is available in A4, A3, A2, A1, and A0 sizes (A2 size priced here) and is printed on canvas. Print comes framed.
NEBO Slyde 2K Torch
The best torch that sticks to your car
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In the olden days, you couldn't keep a lamp in a compartment because the whale oil would spill and the horse carriage would catch fire. Even during the mid-20th century, decent torches were too bulky to fit in a glovebox. But now in the crisp, modern world of micro technology, you can have a small sun stored in your car.
This is our favourite small sun - it's very bright, well made, rechargeable, and has a magnetic base, which is very handy for changing a wheel or illuminating an engine bay in the dark.
LEGO Technic McLaren Senna GTR
Best value LEGO car kit
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Most LEGO Technic kits are quite pricey but this isn't. In terms of value for money it's on par with the Mazda MX-5 or baked beans. It's a kit with 830 pieces and features many excellent details such as dihedral doors, moving pistons, and functioning steering.
Rage Buggy Blast
Best off-road driving experience
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Loose surface action is one of the biggest grin makers and the Rage Hurricane is no grass kart. It's a proper super buggy that does 0-60mph in under four seconds and reaches over 120mph. On gravel. That's something you don't want to miss.
Forza Horizon 5
Best arcade racing game
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Forza Horizon 5 is the best version of the series and that is quite something. More than that, it's one of the best and most exciting racing games to come out in 2021. There is a mountain of stuff to get stuck into, both in closed circuit and open-world racing. Forza Horizon 5 is also a technical showcase. It's designed for Xbox Series X and can run in 4K Ultra HD at 60fps. But you can run perfectly well on an Xbox One too.
Read our guides to the best racing games and rally games.
Gran Turismo 7
Pre-order for release on March 4, 2022
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Sony's latest version of its flagship racing franchise is available on PS5 and PS4, much to the delight of many. Granted, a video game isn't the most social of Valentine's gifts, but this is a special game after all.
12-Lap Radical SR5 Race Car Experience
Editoru2019s pick driving experience
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If you want to know what the Radical SR5 is like, you can read our review of the SR10 and then find out for yourself (or the recipient can find out for themselves). This wholesome driving experience consists of eight speedy laps, having first completed four sighting laps. Location is in Hertfordshire.
Nextbase 422GW Dash Cam
Best value dash cam
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Nextbase is a dash cam industry leader. No doubt the Nextbase office is full of mugs saying just that. Its 422GW model strikes a great balance between its high end range and more basic models. To kick things off the build quality is second to none, everything is well put together and the touchscreen is responsive and easy to use.
The recording quality can be set at 1440P at 30fps or 1080P at 60fps, which is helped further by some clever software. There are even some smart features such as Alexa Voice Control.
Triple Supercar Driving Experience at Goodwood
The Goodwood experience
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Here the driver can select three road weapons and take each for two laps of the Goodwood circuit. The drives are with an instructor who will help to driver to enjoy the three supercars to their fullest.
NOCO Boost X GBX45
Best portable jump starter
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This is a power bank for a car and devices. It's made by a company called NOCO, which is one of the top dogs in the world of car battery care. This little power pack is hugely powerful, capable of jump starting anything other than large commercial vehicles. The important thing is that it also looks after a battery in doing so, thanks to its UltraSafe 2.0 technology.
LEGO Technic Lamborghini Siu00e1n FKP 37
Best LEGO car set
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At 3,696 pieces the Technic Lamborghini makes fans of LEGO and cars very excited indeed. There are moving pistons in the V12 engine, which is connected to the 8-speed gearbox. The scissor doors open, as do the bonnet and boot; there are proper disc brakes, suspension, and adjustable spoiler. You can even get a lighting kit for it.
CAR Magazine Subscription
Best motoring magazine
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We can't talk about car gifts without mentioning CAR Magazine, can we? Grab a subscription to print, digital, or both.