Christmas gift ideas for motoring fans

Christmas 2018 is fast approaching – and it's probably already too late to email a list to Santa.

But it's not too late to step in for Santa and buy a great gift for the motoring enthusiast in your life, no matter what his or her age and preference; aAnd no matter what your budget...

At the high end is a range of beautiful scale models from the UK. Starting from US$685 for amazingly authentic 1:18 Ferrari and Porsche models – including a Porsche 911 RSR from 1973 and a Ferrari 250 GTO from 1962 – the range of models available from Amalgam Collection is truly stunning.

Be warned though, so are the prices. A 1:4 scale Ferrari SF71H Formula 1 car will set you back US$16,410. For that sort of money you do get an accurate reproduction of the 2018 F1 car that might fit on a four-seat kitchen table. Slightly more affordable is a 1:8 scale model Tazio Nuvolari's Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 for US$11,316. Even if you don't have hundreds of dollars to spare on a present, the Amalgam website is worth a visit just for the lust factor.

Setting sights a bit lower, and easing the stress for the Christmas gift budget, Mattel's Hot Wheels brand can offer parents gifts from as low as $2.99. Hot Wheels release 400 new models every year and are suitable for kids aged from three years old. The brand is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and the anniversary collection is still available for sale. Other products from Hot Wheels include a 1:24 scale Monster Truck collection – each model selling for $18.99 – a track builder kit ($74.99) and 'The Ultimate Garage' for $139.99. Hot Wheels toys are available through Coles, Big W, Kmart, Myer and Woolworths.

Licenced from the Italian sports car brand, the Globber Primo Plus Ferrari is a three-wheel scooter for kids aged from three years. Finished in chrome and 'racing car red', the scooter can carry payloads up to 50kg and features three adjustable heights, to suit kids up to nine years old. More information concerning the scooter, which is priced at $130, is available from the distributor's website.

If the car enthusiast in your life is someone of more mature years, this new coffee table book by veteran photographer Ken Stepnell covers classic cars in Australia from as long ago as the very earliest years of the 20th Century right through to the 1980s. Over 1100 vehicles are featured in the 380-page book, which is priced at $45. Further information is available at the publisher's website.

Some people have said this $1299 contraption is just a glorified dodgem car, but after rigourous testing in the underground office carpark, we can report it's much, much more fun. This electric drift car is controlled via steering wheel, throttle and a 'drift lever' that enables seriously sideways action. It can take a driver up to 109kg, has a top speed of around 23km/h, a strong powder coated steel frame, a 500-watt electric motor and can be stored upright to save space. The battery affords around 40 minutes of drive time and best feature is probably the lack of brakes on this hilarious machine. Go hard or go home! Check out the Razor website for where to get one.