Clockwise from top: Automoblox; TiePods; Striker Magnetic LED Lights.
Looking for the perfect gift for the car lover in your family? Here are a few ideas for various ages and interests.
The budding builder
Encourage creative play -- and maybe the next breakthrough in automotive design -- with the hip Automoblox cars. The sleek wood bases come with brightly colored interchangeable parts, including wheels, tops and front ends. Automoblox come in two sizes and 14 styles, and start at $10 for the mini versions at automoblox.com.
The Ford fanatic
Greg Grandin's "Fordlandia" chronicles Henry Ford's ill-fated effort to set up a colony in Brazil to provide rubber for tires on Ford cars. The book is a finalist for the National Book Award for nonfiction. $18 at amazon.com.
The glamour girl (or guy)
Don't tread on me? Well, maybe just a little with a Brian Bergeron Designs ring. The gold, platinum, silver and palladium Tire Rings feature different tread patterns from cars, motorcycles and mountain bikes. Rings start at about $80 and can be ordered at tirerings.com.
The new driver
Empower a new driver with Erika Stalder's "In the Driver's Seat: A Girl's Guide to Her First Car." The book's diagrams and drawings explain how a car works, how to maintain it and how to deal with breakdowns. It also provides tips for buying a new car and finding the right mechanic. $11 at amazon.com.
The TV junkie
Chrysler owners who want their MTV (or CBS, Comedy Central or Nickelodeon, among others) can hook up to FLO TV Auto Entertainment, 20 channels of live TV that passengers can watch through a 7-inch DVD screen. The system, which goes on sale in December, costs $629 plus installation, and the first year of service is free.
The tech lover
Get the latest in both GPS and phone technology with the new Motorola Droid phone from Verizon or the Garmin nuvifone G60 from AT&T. Both put all the features of a GPS system on a phone, including turn-by-turn directions, voice activation and windshield mounts (optional on the Droid). The Droid is $200 plus service; the nuvifone is $300 plus service.
The virtual racer
Microsoft's "Forza Motorsport 3" has enough visual punch and racing variety to keep players engaged and challenged long after most sim games lose their appeal. The game, released for Xbox 360 on Oct. 27, can be played by one or two players, or with up to eight players online. $60 at major retailers.
The gadget guru
Stuff your car-toy-lover's stocking with two cool new convenience gadgets. Striker Magnetic LED Lights are golf-ball-size lights covered in magnets that you can stick in any of your car's metal nooks and crannies. TiePods are powerful suction cups with steel rings that accept rope or bungee cords -- perfect for securing large loads in a hurry with no scratches or dents. The Striker is $7 at strikerhandtools.com; a TiePod set is $20 at tiepods.com.
NWautos staff, the Associated Press, New York Times News Service and Wheelbase Communications contributed to this story.
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