As a person who digs cars, the number-one thing I would like to collect is cars. Who among us doesn’t dream of owning a fleet of machines curated to suit their particular tastes and exercising them on the regular?
However, as a person who does not make anything remotely close to car-collecting money, I must instead content myself with collecting car stuff. Along with the expected scale models, toys, and books all about cars and car people, I also enjoy all manner of weird/silly/kitsch items related to automobiles and motorsports. The goofier the better, and I’m definitely more into things that were never meant to be precious (or even good, sometimes) than I am deluxe items meant to be coveted by design.
Here are a few examples of the ephemera that I can get down with, and I look forward to reading about what you’re into in the comments!
This squishy Beetle hits all the notes for me: it’s a Bug; it was never intended to last; it’s a cartoony interpretation of the subject; and the fact that it’s an Enterprise car-rental freebie creates a nice tension between playfulness and fun (the squishy Beetle part) and drudgery and pain-in-the-assness (the having-to-rent-a-car part). 10/10, would squeeze.
Here’s another button-pusher. It’s NASCAR, it’s promotional, it’s a Hot Wheel (a knockoff, most likely), and its Country Time Lemonade. For some reason, the commercial for Country Time has really stayed with me. I’m sure 1979 meant more to kid-me than Alien and Country Time Lemonade, but it couldn’t have been much more.
I like novelty pens of all types, but car pens are the best. I’m almost certainly going to buy this “Wendy’s Rocket Writers orange sports car pen” after I pub this story, because just look at it. Absolutely delightful.
I can also get down with a fancy pen, and this wooden Volvo writer with matching wooden case just feels appropriately Volvo to me. I’m sure it’s just the result of a guy or gal in a far-from-the-top extension of the Volvo marketing department ticking off a bunch of boxes on a Promotional Pen Supply (or something) order form, but it’s giving the right energy.
Watches, don’t get me started on watches. I collect Casios and have a handful of “nice” “timepieces” (to me, this means anything approaching or over $100), and I also like silliness like this Ford steering wheel design (which you can also find with many other car brands). There are a lot of pricey try-hard, tough-guy, car-themed watches out there, which I just find gross. Give me a fun one.
And I need this jacket. It’s exactly the kind of ridiculous I need for happy hour at Applebees.
Your turn: What Are Your Favorite Car-Themed Giveaways And Merch Items?
Oh, wait, that reminds me! We have a bunch of fun car stuff that we’re giving away to Members (click the graphic for a peek). If you’re not a Member yet, join today so you’ll have a shot at scoring some loot yourself!
Definitely die cast vehicles, specifically 1/64 scale Matchbox and Hot Wheels.
If we’re limited to merch we already possess, then I have three answers:
I also bought a t-shirt from Janus when I visited their shop, and I’m debating buying this Suzuki Katana pizza cutter.
I have over 150 1/43rd scale models, most from a British company called Brooklin.
I also have Hot Wheels (and two tire cases), plus a bunch of Matchbox size toys.
And that’s before my big library of books in every room but the kitchen and bathrooms.
They make me happy!
Model car builder here. I build in 1/24 and 1/12 scale, mostly, and I tend toward Euro stuff. I’m currently working on Italeri’s brand-new Lancia Stratos in 1/12. It’s a BEAST.
When I was a kid my grandparents got me a Hess tanker truck every year. As an adult with small children I collected enough Scion stuff to fill a mausoleum to a dead brand. I have a keychain , a cell phone sock and some music CDs and we had a knit beanie but lost track of it. I also had tons of Subaru stuff at one time, despite never owning a Subaru.
My “Mazda Rev It Up” hat. I competed in 2003, and I did terribly, mostly because I’m just not very good at autocross (too timid), but to make matters worse, I had quit smoking a couple days prior, so I was all jumpy and irritable. Not good when you’re trying to be smooth and fast in a car. But I got a cool hat out of it. It’s in terrible shape these days, but it’s still my go-to yardwork hat.
Oh, and Tom “Mongoose” McEwen’s signature on a photo of his car. I keep meaning to get it framed and hung up.
I also have a gold-plated ERTL Caterpillar Challenger 45 tractor model that sat on my dad’s desk for years. All the members of the development team got one.
Books, Signatures of Historic Racers, and way too many Diecast models are my jam.
I am into jackets, hats, shirts. I have two GMC racing jackets my uncle gave me once he retired from running shows. May he rest in peace.
I like key chains and pocket screwdrivers, not sure where else to even get the cool little magnetic pocket screwdrivers other than as swag. Key chains I like the chain to match the vehicle, actually have a Ford alt fuel keychain that matches the decal on my tailgate, the bike I have a vinyl keychain that’s in the shape of a motorcycle.
I have a Suzuki keychain for mine – the vinyl is key, shows you get it.
Cadillac’s IMSA swag shirts. They are impeccably designed, always comfortable as hell, and they actually come in sizes (looking at you “XL or the highway” Corvette tent). 2023’s was “the shape of wins to come” and has a bunch of course outlines on it. I feel like James Bond when I wear that shirt. Also it makes it look like I still have biceps and pecs.
Petroliana. I dig all the various gas and oil related stuff.
My Focus key resides on a Castrol keychain b/c of its long term sponsorship of Ford’s rally efforts, my Porsche has a little Gulf Oil pin stuck in the interior b/c of course, and I have a wall full of old signs.
In that vein, I’m really anxious to see how STP navigates the EV revolution. STP electron-flow straightener maybe?
When I bought my first Mini a box of promotional stuff showed up in the mail after a month or two. It included a Mini branded pen and Moleskin set, key fob, USB drive, and sunglasses. I kept the pen and moleskin in the car and still use the USB drive from time to time.
When I replaced it with another Mini they gave me a stuffed bulldog wearing a Mini t-shirt. The kids have fun with it.
I used to collect dealer brochures. Got rid of them last time I moved. I wanted to give them to someone, but didn’t know anyone who’d want them, so they ended up with large stacks of car magazines on the sidewalk with a CL ad/notification hoping someone would drive by and pick them up before trash day, but I don’t think that happened. I have an RT10 Viper promo model in a box somewhere. Probably not worth much as I imagine they made a lot of them and almost everyone kept them in the box for the future like the “collectible” Death of Superman comic or sheets of Elvis stamps that came out a few years later.
For most brands, a pen like that would just be a lazy cash grab used to spread the brand, but that pen just feels so deeply Volvo it’s nearly perfect. 10/10 no notes.
Imagine with every Toyota you get a box of Toyota labeled Bic pens.
You’d be seeing the Toyota name for years of writing grocery lists.
That’s how you build a household brand.
When the BMW-owned Mini first came out in the early ’00s, I stumbled upon an ad in the newspaper (remember those?) promoting an event the local Mini dealer was putting on to showcase the car.
So, Saturday morning at oh-dark-thirty, i am standing in line at the Mini dealer, enjoying free coffee and donuts, and waiting for my turn behind the wheel of one of two brand new Minis – One green, one red, both with automatic transmission.
When i chance came, i got behind the wheel of the green car, greeted the half-asleep salesman in the passenger seat, and drove the little course the dealer had laid out in the Sam’s Club parking lot next door.
About three minutes later, both the drive and the salesman’s pitch were done, i got a handshake, a business card and an invitation to come back for a real test drive.
Monday afternoon, the Mini salesguy calls and tells me i had the third fastest time around the course. This won me a bag o’ Mini-branded merch including a duffle bag, ball cap, a few pens and a radio-controlled Mini.
The bag was destroyed by either Southwest or Airtran, the toy i gave to my nephew and i think i still have the cap, somewhere.
Working auto industry trade shows where part of my job is making sure giveaway items from my employer (an automotive suspension company) are stocked and ready to be grabbed has kinda killed my desire to collect car related giveaways unless it’s something exceptionally cool.
I see people going gaga for stickers or rubber ducks or pins and gotta wonder where they put all that stuff. One year at SEMA we had cooler bags and I remember people walking up and grabbing armfuls at a time, which forced us to step in and manually hand out only one at a time. Like, who needs multiple branded cooler bags? Years later we still get asked if we have any, which we thankfully no longer do.
I work directly in the trade show industry, so I have access to all the giveaways. Took me a couple years to train myself not to grab everything I could. I now have enough pens to last the rest of my natural life, so I quit taking those, along with the shopping bags. All I take anymore are T-shirts and water bottles. I tend to lose the latter a lot, so I have a carton full of replacements 🙂
Ha! I have had the same knock-off Hydro flask for probably ten years now, with a rather handsome IMSA (the year they did tan instead of red for some reason) and Motul sticker, & various coffee and tattoo shops. I don’t put stickers on laptops or cars, so it’s my little free-expression item