For almost thirty years, award-winning author John Matras has written about cars. He’s been in all the major car magazines, on the web and written five books, and he’s even been translated into Estonian. His website is carbuzzard.com.

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Gift guide: Buying for the All-American automobile enthusiast, Ford, GM and Chrysler

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December 2, 9:49 AM

by John Matras, Auto Review Examiner

Shopping for an enthusiast of American cars should be easy. Find something with the right brand and an inkling of the giftee's interests, and voila, another checkmark on the shopping list. We're here to make it easier for you, So without further ado...

Want to shop anything Ford? Go to FordCollection.com. And by “anything Ford, we’re talking Mercury, Lincoln, Mustang, Shelby GT500, Ford pickups…and more.

Stuck on the Ford “blue oval” logo? Go to the Blue Oval. There are 32 different caps and hats, all with the blue oval or Ford script, from pink to camo green price from $10 to $24. What Ford fan wouldn’t like a 20-inch Ford wall clock with a spun aluminum casing and half-inch diameter neon tube? Your price: $329. A light blue romper, ages 6, 9, 12, 18 and 24 months, has “warranty void if not cleaned and maintained” printed on the backside.

Your crazy ‘bout a Mercury guy will love a diamond weave Mercury polo shirt: $47. A Mercury travel umbrella is only $22. The hardcore Mercury enthusiast, however, will really go for a four-by-six foot carpet with the Mercury logo for a mere $2,150. There's not a lot of Mercury-branded items, however, and the old Mercury head logo is nowhere to be seen. But go to Mercury at the Ford Collection for more info.

A satin twill jacket in a classy black with the Lincoln logo will look great on the Lincoln enthusiast: $59. A Lincoln key chain is only $6, or order a Lincoln polo shirt in steel blue for $49. You’ll find Lincoln items--again like Mercury lacking in volume--here. That's disappointing, considering Lincoln's heritage.

For Ford pickup truck drivin’, there’s nothin’ like a ball cap. Ford has fifteen to choose from, including one in pink camo that says “Chicks love mud.” A navy blue polo shirt with “Built Ford Tough” lists for $22. There’s a “Built Ford Tough” barstool for $99, and a “Built Ford Tough” blanket, acrylic/cotton/polyester blend and measuring 60" x 50" is a great wraparound for next fall’s high school football games. Show the true colors for $35. Look in Ford Trucks/Built Ford Tough.

Ford Shelby 500 GT items can be found here. A sport duffel, about 24 inches by 12, lists for $45. There are dozens of T-shirts, but for more dress-up affairs, a long sleeve button down oxford shirt by Cutter and Buck is $67. But for stylin’ pick the men's Nappa leather jacket with satin lining and the Ford Shelby 500 GT emblem embossed on the back: $199. Go to the Ford Shelby 500 GT section of FordCollection.com.

What must Ford have been thinking? Only 15 different hats? Surely there are more different kinds of Mustangers across the country. Not a problem, however. For Mustang Sally there’s a sixteen-inch Mustang necklace ($19) and matching earrings ($15), and of course a “Mustang Alley”—get it, Sally, Alley—for $10. A soft shell Mustang jacket sells for $95. Of course, for someone who’s really serious about that Mustang, it’s time for a ring. It’s $99. Do your official Mustang shopping at FordCollection.com's Mustang section.

If you’re buying for Carroll Shelby/Cobra enthusiasts—and you will know if you have one of those—CarrollShelbyMerchanise.com is the place to get official merchandise. The hardcore Cobra guy will dig the letterman-style jacket (black on black) with a choice of logo: $249.95. A Shelby GT coffee mug sells for $11.95, but for the living room of the true devotee, nothing says car guy like a Shelby Cobra Couch. It looks like someone parked a Cobra 427 halfway through the wall and then put a sofa in the trunk. Park of of these under the tree for $1,995.95.

The ChevyMall.com makes shopping for a Chevrolet enthusiasts easy…except it’s hard to choose just one item. And El Camino Musclecar satin jacket lists for $58 and will look great at the drive-in, unless of course your Chevy fan would prefer Chevelle, Monte Carlo, Camaro, Nova or “Yesterdays.” ChevyMall.com has more ball caps than baseball field dugout, most for $18 or less. Models range from $18 for a 1:16 Monster Avalance to a 1:12 scale Corvette C56 Commemorative Sept 11 die-cast replica of the car raced one month after 9/11 at the 2001 ALMS Petit Le Mans and painted to honor New York firefighters and police. It’s impressive and $599.95. Kids stuff, ladies stuff… It’s brand loyalty by the bushel.

Pontiac builds excitement and you can give some to your Pontiac fan. Visit the PontiacMall.com for authentic Pontiac ball caps for $18 and under, a Pontiac super plush blanket for $40 or Pontiac GTO piston key ring for $14. The true collector, however, will swoon for the vintage Pontiac dealer sign for $4,000. We’d swoon, too. The bad news? Six to eight weeks for delivery. Darn.

Buick may have laid off Tiger Woods but your loved one can still play with his balls. Tiger’s picture is on the box and Buick’s logo is on the NIKE One +Platinum golf balls. They’re $59 for a dozen, including the box. A Nike Sphere polo shirt in white or navy with Buick embroidered on the sleeve is a $59.95 gift, however, a “Buick Championship” unstructured cap is a mere $9.95. It's all at BuickMerchandise.com.

The CadillacCollection.com offers a wide variety of items, including jackets such as NIKE Sphere Dry cover-up, designed to wick away body moisture while retaining body heat: $105. A classy black lambskin jacket lists for $250. In a day where the ballpoint reigns, a Waterman Exception night/day fountain platinum pen, laser engraved, makes an impression: $649. Or there’s a wreath and crest lapel pin for $6, a great gift for those on a budget.

It's enough to make one want to drive a truck, or at least dress like a truck owner. Even the hats are cool at the GMC Collection. A ball cap with a "diamond plate" bill? Nifty at $19.95. Another favorite is the 3-gallon Bubba Keg, a keg-shapped (naturally enough) insulated beverage dispenser: $66.99. Every mother's trucker will go for the kid's buckaroo jacket, at $84.99 each. And for that pickup girl, a "Real Girls Drive Trucks" women's cut T-shirt in brown with pink letters, is $18.99.

Tough guys and the women who love them will appreciate a gift from HummerStuff, the official Hummer merchandise home. And what says Hummer better than a $109 canvas jacket with a plaid blanket lining? Perhaps Hummer Fragrance for Men, “a fresh, exhilarating scent that blends essences of sandalwood and leather with exotic spices such as cardamom and amber.” It’s $24 for 1.3 ounces. No word whether it attracts or repels grizzly bears. It says something about the Hummer owner that HummerStuff stocks 46 different Hummer models, from $6.95 to highly-detailed collectible 1:18 scale Hummers.

Let your giftee know you went all out for that present, all the way to Saturn. Well, actually Saturn Gear. Start the eco-friendly way with an organic cotton hybrid T-shirt. It’s not what you think, because all cotton is organic and the “hybrid” part is the GM hybrid logo printed on the front. You’ll spend $19.99. The Saturn sports car enthusiast will love the Adidas ClimaProof full-zip jacket with the Saturn Sky logo on the left breast. It’s $94.99. Add a Sky Hat—a ball cap with “SKY” on the front and the Saturn logo on the bill—for $14.99.

The Chrysler Gift Gallery is rather sparsely populated with gifts, or any other items: one hat, five men’s shirts, no women’s apparel in the women’s apparel category though there are two women’s shirts in the SRT category…but no men’s clothing. Overall there’s an appearance of a poorly-tended garden. That said, the Chrysler ball cap looks nice at $18 and the Heritage Collection features sculptures by the Chrysler Design staff. The abstract sculptures are brushed chrome over resin and are $50 each. Our favorite: Brian Nielander’s ME Four Twelve.

Dodge Goods has odd omissions and some slim pickings but there’s more there there than the Chrysler Gift Gallery. One item that will be enjoyed by Challenger enthusiasts is a Dodge Challenger SRT engine replica. The model 6.1-liter Hemi measures 4¾-inches front to rear and side to side and costs $35. Something else you won’t find anywhere else is a western-style shirt with an embroidered Dodge logo in back below the collar.

Jeep Gear is well stocked with a lot of Jeep-y items. We like a trunk made from 3/8” western knotty cedar veneer, nickel-plated hardware, and leather handles. Measuring 30" x 16" x 17", it’s American-made and is priced at $150. A digital hand-held weather station is $149 and there’s a Jeep pet stroller for $120. But what kind of Jeep owner would own a pet that would need a stroller? Jeep owners who named their dog Fifi had better be prepared for one angry dog that is not going to ride in a stroller.

Next up: Shopping for gifts at the Asian carmakers’ sites. For gifts for fans of European cars click here, and gifts for Anglophile automotive enthusiasts, click here.

More gifts of the littlest car lover