Cars We Remember / Collector Car Corner; Favorite auto gifts remembered, past and present

Playmobile Dashboard: My mom and dad knew my “car crazy” personality was real from an incredibly young age. In 1955 one of my favorite gifts arrived under the tree in the form of a car dashboard complete with steering wheel, working turn signals, loud horn, and sound of an engine running. What a great toy!

REMCO Bulldog Tank: In 1958, my mom tracked down the popular REMCO Bulldog tanks and got one each for my brother and me. It may not have been a car, but it was a powerful toy that to this day is a popular vintage buy with collectors. I still have mine, and it works.

Monogram Model Kits: By 1959, the Monogram model kits became regular items under the tree and for birthdays. I think I built just about every Monogram kit, from the “Black Widow” hot rod to early slingshot dragsters. Numerous Jo-Han, Revell and AMT kits would follow.

Gas Stations: If you loved cars, you loved the beautiful metal gas station replicas offered by many toy companies. Each one was a welcome sight under the tree and mine was a Marx brand noted for some of the nicest in the 1950s.

Visible V8 Engine: Perhaps the best gift I received that would help me along in my “real life” endeavors was released in 1961 and called the “Visible V8 Engine.” It was and still is a small block Chevy plastic replica kit that “turned on” with the flip of a battery switch. This kit taught me the basics of what all the inner workings did and how an engine worked. Yes, I still have mine and they are still available.

American Flyer AC Gilbert A Slot Cars: My dad made sure I received the very first AC Gilbert/American Flyer “AutoRama” slot car set back in 1960 for Christmas. I still have many pieces of the original, and mine was the “Figure-8” set that came with what looked like two 1932 Ford hot rods. Thanks Dad.

Model Motoring/AFX: The slot car craze grew in leaps and bounds, and by 1963, I was receiving the HO Scale Model Motoring/AFX kits and accessories as recurring gifts. To this day, I still have two sets and maybe one day I’ll set them up and see if everything still works.

Franklin Mint DieCast: When I grew into adulthood, few Christmas/Birthday mornings would pass that I didn’t receive a Franklin Mint diecast car or truck. Included were gems like The Checker Cab, Fabulous Hudson Hornet, Petty Racing ’67 GTX and some 25 other street style beauties that to this day are beautiful to display. They are still available on eBay, some at reduced prices, others at much more than the issue price.

I saved this one for last, as it currently makes a great gift for any car lover. My daughter bestowed me with a special car light lamp from John Price of Hanover, Pa. These lights illuminate in assorted colors and are an outstanding personalized item to gift. All you must do is supply the photo you want in the lamp, and John will take care of the rest. These lamps start at well under $100 including graphics work so contact John at info@diversegraphx.com and he’ll take care of the rest.