HERE'S what's new and hot in the automotive aftermarket:
MAPS FOR YOUR EARS
The fertile minds of designers Svetlana Blum Briscella and John Briscella of Brooklyn, N.Y.'s Aminimal Studio have come up with one of the more novel jewelry themes around.
Their collection of earrings and pendants consists of miniature road maps, or portions of road maps, that feature selected cities in the United States as well as other worldwide locales.
Along with specific areas of their New York City hometown, the variety includes parts of Los Angeles, Calif., (Beverly Hills), Las Vegas, Nev., San Francisco, Calif., Boston. Mass., Chicago, Ill., Minneapolis. Minn., and Miami, Fla., to name just a few.
All of their jewelry pieces are cast in stainless steel and are quite reasonably priced at $40 a set. You can examine the collection for yourself and place your order at www. aminimalstudio.com.
LICENCE TO STEAL
Your licence plate and registration tags are worth a small fortune to a thief and could be used in a variety of illegal ways, from avoiding tollbooth and parking fees to committing much more serious felonies. With thefts of this nature reportedly on the rise, it's worth it to protect yourself from having your vehicular identity stolen with a Platesafe kit from Camisasca Automotive.
The product consists of a heavy-gauge stainless steel licence-plate frame plus a clear cover made from impact-resistant polycarbonate. You also receive a set of two tamperproof security caps that you attach using the existing frame screws. PlateSafe comes with a four-year warranty. Each set sells for US$50 and can be ordered through camincstore.com.
HELP FOR THE STRANDED
When you're out highway driving this winter, or heading well away from civilization, you should consider packing some emergency provisions. The Essential Survival Kit from The Wise Company allows you to transport all of life's basic necessities for one person to live on for two weeks, or two people for one week, all stored in a single five-kilogram backpack. The food consists 44 servings of various freeze-dried meals that, when properly stored, have a 25-year shelf life. In addition to the food you get a portable stove with fuel pellets, water filtration bottle, cutlery set, waterproof matches, first-aid kit, flashlight/toolkit, two Mylar sleeping bags, work gloves and other handy items. The kit retails for US$179 and can be ordered from the manufacturer at wisefoodstorage.com.
THE 'VETTE TURNS 60
Hard to imagine, but what is considered North America's first sports car turns 60 in 2013. Author Randy Leffingwell has considerable experience writing about the Corvette and produced a weighty coffee-table tome on the subject's 50th anniversary. His latest book expands on the topic and includes photos (many never before published), descriptions and considerable commentary on all six generations of Corvettes, from 1953 to the present day. Leffingwell also reviews the people who have influenced the car's development, including designers, engineers, marketers and racing drivers. For hardcore enthusiasts and casual observers alike, Corvette Sixty Years is a must-have read. Your local bookstore will likely carry it, or order a copy online for US$31.50 from amazon.com.
View our ever-evolving auto gift guide at wheelbase.ws/media (click the "Cool auto gift ideas" category at the right).
