These days, Ferrari probably sells more branded baseball caps than cars (possibly due to a very exclusive buying system). Its scarlet sun hats can be spotted across the globe on the heads of casual car fans. It’s a classic look, but other products might lack the finesse of a Ferrari fedora.
That’s what we want to uncover today, the merchandise and accessories made by auto makers that you wouldn’t be seen dead in.
It could be a Mercedes-branded Hawaiian shirt or a Gulf-tagged refrigerator, or maybe you prefer more humble machinery and would instead opt for a VW-branded backpack in the shape of a Beetle?
And while I’m a sucker for an F1 cap, some of the other products race teams slap their logos onto seems just straight up weird.
At a recent running of the Russian Grand Prix, punters could purchase a t-shirt that featured president Vladimir Putin as a racing driver. And who could forget the classy black and gold look of a Rich Energy Haas F1 Team mug?
As well as products from the biggest car companies and sports teams, there’s all the upstart clothing makers that produce logo-riddled t-shirts, hoodies and hats for anyone with a passing interest in cars.
If you work hard and save your pennies, you too could own a “My other car is a Porsche” t-shirt, or a hoodie emblazoned with the mantra “Some Do Drugs, Others Pop Bottles, We Solve Our Problems With Wide Open Throttles”.
I’m sure that makes you a great person to chat to at parties.
From socks to sweaters and posters to pants, car makers have slapped their logos and mantras on everything over the years. But what’s the worst automotive merchandise you’ve spotted in the wild, or unfortunately owned? Let us know the worst offenders in the comments section below.