Beer coolers from 1960, and muscle cars... great combo

How long to do hav eto search to find an awesome cooler that color matches your muscle car?

Outriders, est 1932... wow, that is the earliest car club I've ever heard of, and two cool club plaques

cool Riv!

Good place for gauges

Damnit. Want one.

proper looking hot rod. Right on.

Veloster, made by Hyundai... the drivers side looks good, the back looks good... so half the car looks fine... why didn't they do a good front design? Why not just a 2 door? Are any parents going to buy this anyway? Why a backseat door?

 See what I mean... nothing wrong here, drivers side and back look fine.

 And then you see that someone caved into the concept that Hyundai couldn't sell a 2 seater, 2 door. What? Why not? Just a commuter, with great gas mileage, great interior (a gallery sometime in the near future) for single people, college kids, high schoolers, and people who want a nice car to get to work with while getting better han 35 miles per gallon. Too much to ask? No one is competing in that small necessity market.

 See the small black areas on the bottom sides? Useless. They have lights if you waste the money. Above them and below the headlights? Aerodynamic parachutes. Stupid. Should have been smooth

Drivers side shows that a 2 door would have been a good idea, a good looking idea.

I bought it because of the 35 mpg (I have gotten 35mpg, you might get better if you drive softer) the great seats, best factory stereo sound in a 19thou price range car, 17 inch rims (most cars around 19 thou have steel rims with plastic covers (SUCK!)) with Nexen 215-45's, center console with huge storage, cupholders where the driver can reach them comfortably, and most importantly... a 6 speed standard. No automatic.  

'32 American Austin Seven was in the "for sale" area at the Del Mar Goodguys... nice project, no rust, convertible

A Life On Cars guide to petrolhead Christmas presents

AS THE final bits of tinsel went up in The Champion office it dawned on me that it's December and Christmas is upon us. Mince pies, mulled wine, sleigh bells and Band Aid are back firmly on the festive menu.

The only problem is that I'm a petrolhead and - if you're reading this column, so are you - which means running the risk of getting a petrolhead present from a non-petrolhead partner, mum or mate down the pub. Which this year will almost certainly be , the latest in a long line of Jeremy Clarkson DVDs. It is the default Christmas gift if you know someone who likes their cars.

I haven't seen Powered Up yet but I've seen all of the fifteen or so DVDs and videos which preceded it, which have each ended up on my shelf after someone bought it me as a Christmas present. I can therefore safely bet this month's salary that Powered Up will contain the following; a race between some shiny new supercars, an appearance by The Stig, an unloved old car getting destroyed in a new and novel way and an analogy which winds up at least one celebrity. It is Police Academy 7 following Police Academy 6.

You could, of course, get the petrolhead in your life something for Christmas which isn't Clarkson's DVD; how about, for instance, a Land Rover branded lambswool wrap? Or a set of BMW-branded Bluetooth earphones? Or the oldest festive favourite of all, a Ferrari-branded baseball cap? There is no more surefire way of letting people passing you in the street know that you can't afford the car you're advertising at your own expense. Car-branded gifts are not cool. Don't do it.

If you really are stuck for Christmas ideas for the car nut in your family or group of friends then I'll happily suggest any of the following; a track day package, a day's off-roading tuition, a year's subscription to a decent car mag, a glossily-produced coffee table book on your car bore's marque of choice, an artwork from the Steve McQueen or Michael Caine movie of your choice or - if you're really desperate - one of those car care kits available from any department store worth their salt.

I await my DVD-shaped Christmas present from Santa later this month...