The best advent calendars that a car fan will adore

• Parkers suggests the best advent calendars on the market for the car lover in your life.
• Have fun counting down to Christmas
• Great gift idea

Written by Ryan Gilmore Updated: 6 December 2023

The whiff of cinnamon is becoming stronger, Chris Rea is packing his emergency breakdown kit and the looming march of advent calendar shopping is growing. Christmas is on the horizon and it’s probably time to start thinking about Christmas gifts.

Buying gifts for any self-confessed car enthusiast can be a minefield, the spectrum of car-themed gifts can make it rather hard to find something really meaningful that’s guaranteed to be appreciated. There is one area you can nail easily, the car-themed calendar.

One of these awesome car-themed advent calendars will go down a storm, providing the recipient with something that’ll last longer than chocolate and is sure to be appreciated.

The best advent calendars for car fans at a glance:

Editor’s choice: Porsche 911 Advent Calendar – Buy now from Amazon UK
Best for playtime: KreativeKraft Advent Calendar – Buy now from Amazon UK
Best tool set: Wera Advent Calendar – Buy now from Amazon UK

The best advent calendar for car fans

Porsche 911 Advent Calendar

On sale

Rrp: $59.95

Price: $38.43

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When there are just 24 days till Christmas you are 24 steps away from completing your very own model Porsche 911. it has its own plinth to stand on once completed, and comes with a built-in sound module with original engine sound. makes the model vehicle come to life at the touch of a button. So while it's missing the real engine, it's not missing the sound!

Pros

Easy assembly
Built-in sound module

Cons

Not suitable for younger children

VW Bulli T1Franzis Advent Calendar

Best for retro fans

Price: $117.99

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Even if you have little interest in cars, nearly everyone knows the iconic shape of the VW 'bus. This model Volkswagen Bulli T1 from Franzis is built over the 24 days of Christmas and is a wonderfully thoughtful gift for anyone bitten by the Campervan bug.

The 1:24 model features a fully modelled interior and comes with an authentic looking grass patch to park it on. The model also features some accessories to make the camping pitch your own. A small book filled with information about the classic VW. Add in the fact they'll wake up Christmas morning with a new campervan and it's a nice gift idea.

Pros

No gluing required
Comes with accompanying book of facts

Cons

Smaller than expected

KreativeKraft Advent Calendar

Best for playtime

Price: $17.99

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What would a small car-obsessed child want more than a new toy car every day for 24 straight days? I'll speak from personal experience and say there's nothing. This advent calendar will give a child (or adult) 24 unbranded diecast cars to play with over the 24 days of Christmas. The calendar also doubles as a little racetrack which will keep them entertained for hours.

Pros

Great variety of cars
Play road on the side of the box

Cons

Some models are repeated

Franzis Advent Calendar Ford Mustang GT

On sale

Price: $79.00

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Know someone who likes their fast cars and want to get them a really thoughtful gift? This model Ford Mustang is seriously cool and pretty much any car enthusiast will appreciate it. It's a 1:24 scale model that you build over 24 days, comes with a display plinth that features a speaker of the engine noise, and comes with a booklet teeming with information.

And if you don't think they'll appreciate the Mustang, Franzis also offer advent calendar models for the Mercedes G-Wagen, Land Rover Defender and more.

Pros

Easy to assemble
No gluing or painting

Cons

Only suitable for over 14's

Wera Tools Advent Calendar

Best tool set

Rrp: $76.37

Price: $71.28

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If you, or the person you are buying for, is more of a car tinker, then maybe a nifty tool set advent calendar could be the way forward. It contains a mix of screwdriving tools and accessories to form a high quakity hex key and screwdriver kit.

Pros

Good selection
Excellent quality

Cons

Some tools may be the same as previous years

Ryan Gilmore is the Deputy Autos and Tools Editor for Parkers and CAR, specialising in car cleaning and hand tools. With an MA in Automotive Journalism, when he’s not testing buckets he can be found looking at old Porsches.

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