The Christmas shopping list: the best pre-war gifts for friends and family

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It's December now, and Christmas will be upon us before we know it. You'll be looking forward to spending time with your loved ones, and seeing their faces light up when they unwrap the presents you've left under the tree. The question is, what do you get for the parent, grandparent, sibling, child or grandchild who's as keen on pre-war motoring as you are? Allow us to make some suggestions...


De Dion Bouton: The Veteran Years 1899-1904 by Michael Edwards
We published a review of this magnificent three-volume opus a few months ago. De Dion Bouton: The Veteran Years 1899-1904 is, we would venture to say, the most significant work of motoring history to have been published this year. We would almost say that it's the most significant for several years, except that author Michael Edwards has produced a number of books about De Dion lately which have been similarly impressive in their scope and originality. As we said at the time, The Veteran Years must be indispensable to any owner of a veteran De Dion, and even non-owners who have an interest in the marque will find it an invaluable treasure trove of historical and technical information. Just as an extra incentive, as if it were needed, Edwards has also announced that orders placed before December 20th will be despatched with a complementary copy of De Dion Bouton: The Essential Library, published in 2020 and "containing a complete summary history of the company and a bibliography of the most useful reference works."

The three-volume set is priced at £175 and can be purchased here.


The Hidden Bugatti Diatto Alliance by Claude Teisen-Simony
Another landmark work of motoring literature to have been published lately is Claude Teisen-Simony's The Hidden Bugatti Diatto Alliance which tells the story, largely unknown until now, of Pietro Diatto's rôle in bringing about one of the greatest motoring legacies of all time. Engaged in the manufacture of aero engines during the Kaiser War, Ettore Bugatti prospered so much in that field that he had no immediate wish to return to car production. It was through his friendship with Diatto, Teisen-Simony relates, that he ultimately changed his mind, with such happy results. Teisen-Simony also explains how the Bugatti straight-eight aero engine would play major part in the later racing success of Maserati, Duesenberg, Ballot, Sunbeam and Miller.

The Hidden Bugatti Diatto Alliance is priced at 69 euros (approx. £58) and can be purchased here.


Subscription to The Automobile
If you're the sort of person for whom one book will never be enough—whose interest encompasses all areas of motoring history, and who is always thirsting for more knowledge—then the best thing you can do is take out a subscription to The Automobile. Since 1982, The Automobile has been the world's leading magazine for the serious and discriminating enthusiast with a predilection for the most innovative and adventurous days of motoring. Every issue contains a wealth of original material from some of the most respected writers and historians, including David Burgess-Wise, Karl Ludvigsen and Mick Walsh. There are not many magazines in which one might expect to see an unrestored veteran followed by a futuristic 1930s streamliner, or in which the life of a forgotten engineer is prized as highly as that of an heroic racing driver, but The Automobile covers it all to an uncompromisingly high standard.

The best-value subscription is 24 months for £120, but other options are available. See theautomobile.co.uk for more information.


Lapel pins by AMF Modelcars
The 1950s and '60s were a very stylish era, and one in which veteran and vintage cars were the height of fashion. There was nothing easier than finding a tie, cufflinks or a silk scarf with a veteran car motif with which to ensure your immaculate appearance for the rally field or your monthly club night. These days, such handsome accessories have regrettably disappeared from shops and mail-order advertisements in magazines, but do not despair—Antonio Martínez-Fresneda of AMF Modelcars in Madrid has the very thing with which to add a flourish to any jacket. An expert modeller in 3D printing, Martínez-Fresneda also produces some very smart lapel pins in the form of vintage steering wheels. The adaptability of 3D printing allows him to offer a bespoke service. It doesn't matter if you own a De Dion or a Delage; if you can send him a photograph of a steering wheel and corresponding dimensions, he can turn it into a smart sartorial accessory.

More information about Martínez-Fresneda's work is available here.


Tickets for Salon Rétromobile 2025
Without doubt, Salon Rétromobile is the best indoor motor exhibition of the present time, not to mention one of the largest. Spread across three cavernous halls on the periphery of Paris, the show always contains hundreds of pre-war cars, many of which are unique, unrestored or exceptionally historic. After 2024's show honoured the centenary of the Montlhéry circuit with a number of significant pre-war racing cars, we are pleased to see that the 2025 show will commemorate the life of Adolphe Kégresse, the man behind the tracked Citroëns which made the first successful trans-African motor-car crossing in the 1920s. Not many people know that his driven tracks were actually conceived while he was employed as chief mechanician to Czar Nicholas II., who wished to continue using his cars through Russia's fierce winters.

Tickets for Salon Rétromobile start at 20 euros (approx. £17). Find out more at www.retromobile.com.


Need we mention that there is always plenty of automobilia available on PreWarCar.com, too? Whether you know somebody who collects, books, mascots, artwork or anything else, we probably have it for sale. Happy shopping...

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