---
title: "What Car-Related Things Do You Collect?"
description: "T-shirts, Lego sets, Matchbox cars, vintage hood ornaments, and more are just a few things car-obsessed people collect. What's yours?"
date: "2022-01-01"
modified: "2022-01-01"
authors:
  - name: "Kristin V. Shaw"
    job_title: "Contributor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/kristin-shaw"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/43701/what-car-related-things-do-you-collect"
categories:
  - "Culture"
  - "News"
  - "QOTD"
---

# What Car-Related Things Do You Collect?

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2021/12/Collection-HERO.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

My husband says [it’s difficult to buy presents for me](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/43546/car-enthusiast-gifts>), and he wanted me to have something special. With a vision in mind, he selected a spare part from an [Alfa Romeo](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/42479/alfa-romeo-ceo-wants-as-few-screens-as-possible-in-its-cars>) race car in a friend’s shop and together they welded it to a bumper guard he found on his family’s ranch. He buffed, shaped, and polished it to make a one-of-a-kind sculpture and gave it to me for Christmas last year.

It’s one of my most prized possessions and holds a spot of honor on my shelf next to a portion of my [Matchbox collection](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/40725/mattel-will-pay-to-recycle-your-old-matchbox-cars-these-are-the-ones-you-shouldnt-throw-away>), a vintage Chrysler badge, and an airplane-shaped hood ornament from a long-gone Oldsmobile. At the risk of finding myself in a position to want more stuff for my house that I probably don’t need, I’m curious to know: what car-related things do you collect?

![message-editor%2F1641048904427-2.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1641048904427-2.jpg>)
**Kristin Shaw**

We also have [several Lego creations](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/42700/lego-launches-giant-9090-piece-titanic-set-thats-over-four-feet-long>) in the house, because it seems that once you’ve created a masterpiece, you don’t want to tear it apart again. I’m particularly fond of the yellow Jeep Rubicon set and a chunky Range Rover Will built from scratch, [modeled on his P38 from 2000 that’s in our garage](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/39255/after-more-than-15-years-and-150000-miles-our-2000-range-rover-is-still-in-the-family>). I may or may not have bought more than a few Lego sets for my son because I wanted to play with them too.

A few summers ago, the Hostetler Hudson collection was sold off in Shipshewana, Indiana. Along with my dad and my son, we watched the hammer come down for the 1952 [“Fabulous Hudson Hornet”](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/39046/jay-leno-thinks-the-hudson-hornet-was-the-best-handling-american-car-of-its-time>) for $1.265 million. The sheer amount of automobilia in the building had me drooling, and my inner voice of reason talked me out of buying a giant neon Hudson sign I wanted. My house isn’t that big, but in my mind we can squeeze in just one more thing (or two).

![message-editor%2F1641048927079-3.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1641048927079-3.jpg>)
*Stellantis*

![message-editor%2F1641048934331-4.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1641048934331-4.jpg>)
*Amazon*

Friends know about my obsession, and I've received [bracelets made from dented quarter panels](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/38498/you-can-buy-jewelry-made-from-crashed-ferraris-lamborghinis-and-aston-martins>) from exotics and t-shirts with various cars and memes. I never tire of it. How about you?

*Happy new year!* *Talk about what you collect in the comments below or send a note to kristin.shaw@thedrive.com.*

## Author
Kristin Shaw is the former Weekend Editor for The Drive and a current freelancer in both the automotive and aviation worlds. She’s a big fan of anything car-related and calls on her technology background on the corporate side to explain engineering and high-tech concepts. Now living in her sixth state (New Jersey, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Georgia, and now Texas), she is thrilled that working from home is now mainstream.

### Author social links  
[Facebook](<https://facebook.com/DriveModeShow>)  
[Instagram](<https://instagram.com/KristinVShaw>)  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/KristinVShaw>)