I hate to say it but Christmas is getting closer and we need to address that age old question, What would dad like for Christmas? To be fair, we dads are often as clueless as our kids. In the run up to Christmas we will drop a few ideas that we come across and you can just forward the story to them.
If you enjoy books then the Royal Automobile Club Motoring Book of the Year Awards 2026 might be worth a look.
The Awards celebrate the very best in motoring and motorsport publishing, from compelling stories and automotive history to landmark works on the cars, people and marques that have shaped the motoring world.
The winners will be announced on the28 October 2026 but for a shopping list we don’t need to know who won.
Motor Cars & Motoring – under £30
Dream Road to Pan America: A Century in Pursuit of the World’s Longest Highway by Shawn William Miller (University of California Press), £25
Mr Wilman’s Motoring Adventure: Top Gear, Grand Tour, Clarkson and Me by Andy Wilman (Michael Joseph), £22
Should You Buy an EV? by Paul Hadley (self-published), £17.99
Motor Cars & Motoring – under £100
BMW 3-Series 50 Years by Tony Lewin (Motorbooks), £38
The Complete Book of Volkswagen GTI: Every Model Since 1976 by Russell Hayes (Motorbooks), £38
The Ferrari Under the Bed: A Memoir and History of 0046M by Darrell Westfaul (Dalton Watson Fine Books), £90.
Motor Cars & Motoring – no price limit
Aston Martin: The Entire Story by Russell Hayes (Evro Publishing), £195
Lancia Stratos Zero: The Eternal Futurist by Gautam Sen (Dalton Watson Fine Books), £110
Ultimate Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona – The Definitive History by Luca Dal Monte, Simon Charlesworth and Keith Bluemel (Porter Press International), £475
Motorsport Subject – under £30
Forza Ferrari: How F1’s Most Famous Team Can Win Again by Nate Saunders (The Quarto Group), £10.99
Senna: The Truth by Franco Nugnes (Pitch Publishing), £25
Whitney Straight: Racing Driver, War Hero, Industrialist – The Authorised Biography by Paul Kenny (The History Press), £25
Motorsport Subject – under £100
Formula 3000: Where Legends Earned Their Stripes by James Newbold (Evro Publishing), £75
Lella Lombardi: The Tigress of Turin – Her Authorised Biography by Jon Saltinstall (Douglas Loveridge Publications), £40
The Ferrari 250 GTO Spotting Guide by Yan-Alexandre Damasiewicz (Blenheim Publishing), £40
Motorsport Subject – no price limit
The Maserati 250F: A Legendary Formula 1 Car by Walter Bäumer and Jean-François Blachette (Dalton Watson Fine Books), £295
The Rise of the Trident: From a Bologna Back Alley to Grand Prix Glory – Maserati Tipo 26 and V16, 1926 to 1934 by Adam Ferrington, Emmanuel Rault and Alessandro Silva (Fondazione Negri), £160
Ultimate Ford GT40 – The Definitive History, Volume 2 by John S Allen, Graham Endeacott and Mark Cole, with Mike Teske (Porter Press International), £325
Best Debut Author (Graham Robson Trophy)
Mr Wilman’s Motoring Adventure: Top Gear, Grand Tour, Clarkson and Me by Andy Wilman (Michael Joseph), £22
Senna: The Truth by Franco Nugnes (Pitch Publishing), £25
The Ferrari 250 GTO Spotting Guide by Yan-Alexandre Damasiewicz (Blenheim Publishing), £40
Best Design
Dragster Genesis: The Formative Years of Fearsome Acceleration by Barry John (Evro Publishing), £50
Porsche 911: The Art of Speed by René Staud and Jürgen Lewandowski (Prestel), £65
The Art of Racing: Helmets by Joe Twyman (Hothouse Media), £495