The best car advent calendars for 2024

Non-chocolate car advent calendars: gift guide

Ever wanted a Formula 1 title-winner to call your own? Or perhaps just an old classic to sit in the centre of your living room? With a car advent calendar, you can spend this December assembling the parts to build a model of your favourite grand prix racer or sports car.

With a piece of the car or its plinth included behind each of the 24 doors, you’ll add to it every day and see your metal scale model gradually take shape, often with a sound module included. From Red Bull’s RB19 and Hyundai’s i30N TCR touring car to a classic Porsche 911 or James Bond’s gadget-filled DB5, there’s something for everyone which will be ready for display on Christmas Eve.

While it might not be the most cost-effective way of obtaining a scale model, it does provide an interactive project throughout December. But for those not wanting to break out their screwdriver, there are plenty of other advent calendar options geared toward car lovers. Keep scrolling to see our picks below as well as links to buy!

The products below have been chosen by Motor Sport editors. To help us continue to provide impartial advice, we may receive a commission if you click on a link and make a purchase.

F1 and racing car advent calendars

Red Bull Racing RB19 advent calendar

£40

Over 24 days, appreciate the success of the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team at its best, with a 1:43 scale model of its record-breaking RB19.

As driven to 21 grand prix victories in a single season by Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, the completed model is 20cm long and 15cm high and is accompanied by a 52-page book, which looks back on the illustrious rise of the world championship’s rock and roll outfit.

The model can also be mounted to a presentation base and two AA batteries are needed to activate the engine sound module: just press a button to hear the throaty roar of the hybrid V6!

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Hyundai Touring Car Advent Calendar 

£45

Build the car that conquered racing’s most formidable challenge this Christmas, with this Nürburgring 24 Hour-spec Hyundai i30 N TCR that finished on the podium in 2021.

All the parts and tools required for this 1:43 scale model are waiting behind the 24 doors of this advent calendar, including an accompanying booklet and plinth featuring an image of the ‘Green Hell’. Also among the parts is a sound module which provides a passable recording of the Hyundai at full chat.

The six-piece metal model is finished in the colours of the Hyundai works team.

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Classic car advent calendars

Mercedes 300 SL advent calendar

£54.20

It’s 1/43rd the size of a real Mercedes 300 SL, but just 1/20,217th the price of genuine examples, which sell for £1.2m at auction.

The 16cm-long model and display stand with sound module is screwed together using the parts behind the 24 doors.

Licensed by Mercedes-Benz, the eight-piece model is accompanied by a book containing instructions and a history of the gullwinged 300 SL.

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Porsche 911 Carrera RS advent calendar

£76

A Porsche that’ll grab your attention: the 911 Carrera RS launched in 1973 with unique looks and an engine to match.

The ducktail spoiler, tuned engine and wider rear wheels made it ready for the race track, and this blood orange model is just as unmissable.

This advent calendar comes in big at 1:24 scale, measuring around 20cm long. It’s licensed by Porsche and including a 52-page book on the history of the brand’s racing success.

Along with the parts for the Carrera RS calendar, an instructional booklet is included as well as a sound module in the base, there are also LED lights that illuminate the car.

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Porsche 911 advent calendar

£62

If the 1:24-scale 911 Carrera RS above — and its price tag — are a little much, then consider this 1:43 model of a 1965 911 with the pure, original lines that still form the basis of the modern car.

Behind the 24 doors of the calendar are the six pieces that make up the metal model, as well as the pieces for the plinth, backboard, and sound module that’s activated by the touch of a button.

An accompanying book traces the history of the Porsche 911 from 1963 to the present day.

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James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 advent calendar 

£40

It’s the most famous Aston Martin ever: James Bond’s gadget-filled DB5 from Goldfinger celebrates its 60th birthday in 2024.

To mark the occasion, you can build one of your very own. This 007 DB5 box takes a different approach from other model car calendars: the 24 doors contain 122 plastic parts, which snap together to make a 1:24 scale DB5, roughly 20cm in length. The final car includes revolving numberplates, wheel-mounted tyre shredders and forward-facing machine guns.

A sticker sheet and building instructions are also included, as are paints for anyone keen to add more detail.

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Toy car advent calendars

Matchbox advent calendar

£20

Whether you’re looking to fire the imagination of a new generation or reliving your own childhood, the Matchbox advent calendar ticks either box.

Don’t expect a car every day, however: ten of the 24 doors contain 1:64-scale cars, while the rest have accessories, such as traffic cones, a Christmas tree, or a reindeer. Some can be underwhelming — such as a gold strap to attach the tree to a car.

While some days might bring mild disappointment, the end result is a respectable haul of models, which can be assembled on the flip-down wintry scene.

This won’t be news to avid fans, as the calendar has been on sale for a number of years. A second version is available, as is one from rival Hot Wheels, below.

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Hot Wheels advent calendar

£19

Countless car fanatics can trace their passion back to a Hot Wheels set, and the advent calendar is chance to build a Christmas-themed collection with eight cars and additional accessories. The calendar above is new for 2024, but last year’s version is also available.

As with the Matchbox calendar above, opening some doors will be more thrilling than others, with some of the accessories consisting of a plastic snowman or a Christmas tree. Others, however, are likely to prove more popular, such as clip-on skis or a car sleigh.

A flip-down road scene offers a temporary home for the collection, but enthusiasts will want to get them onto their orange track layouts.

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