Halfords Catalogue 1965

An affectionate look back at what you could have been considering for Christmas 1965...

Since the dawn of automotive time, man has been dreaming of car-related gifts to open under the Christmas tree. That's right folks, Dads in 1965 didn't have to put up with getting confusing socks, baffling smart phones, or millenials handing over inferior whisky. Nope, they got to ask Father Christmas for the things that really mattered in life: ashtrays, a rev counter (fancy), noise insulation and dash panel covers. Yep, Dad might not have been able to afford that 1600E Cortina, but he wasn't going to let that stop him. So grab a cuppa, put your feet up, and remember a happier time for gifting (oh, and a time when Halfords sold more than bikes and stereos)...

The catalogue kicks off proper on this page and tackles a common problem - visibility.

Let's face it, no-one wants their bonnet to fly open while driving - not only does it block your view of the road, but also (and more importantly) it blocks the other road users view of you. And boy, your moustache sure looks handsome today. Don't act like you're not impressed... 

Plus, look at that early forerunner of an board-computer to keep track of fuel consumption. Telulog is ideal for keeping track of mileage and fuel for those Real MPG readings...

Can you buy it today? Mudflaps on Amazon for £18.95*

 

Can you buy it today? Universal roof rack for £140 on Amazon*

A wonderful selection of ashtrays...

Can you buy it today? In-car ash tray from Amazon for £4*

 

Wing mirrors. Not door mirrors. The two are vastly different - door mirrors can be easily adjusted to allow you a clear view of the road behind. Wing mirrors are hard to adjust and so are mearly confection for your sweet ride. You can have colour you like, as long as it's chrome.

Can you buy it today? Rear-view mirror on Amazon for £16.31*

 

If you're buying an uber-basic Morris Mini Minor, there's a good chance you wouldn't be willing for fork out for a few extras. Rev counter? Pah - next you'll be asking for wind-up windows. Luckily, spending a few quid later down the line meant you could pick up some items of luxury - from dash coverings to extra dials.

Can you buy it today? Oil pressure gauge on Amazon for £28*

 

Information is power - and nowhere is that truer than in the world of classic cars. After all, if you haven't got that oil pressure guage fitted, how will you know when you're about to break down? Luckily, help is at hand.

Can you buy it today? Car cover on Amazon for £36* 

 

Spark plugs, brake adjusters - what witchcraft is this? Next you'll be telling me I have to check my oil. While modern motorists have to visit their friendly local franchise dealer to replace a lightbulb (and a bank to get the loan to pay for it) older cars were expected to serviced by Dad on his driveway. This is what weekends were for... before we had colour TVs.

Can you buy it today? Champion spark plugs on Amazon from around £3*

One tech that really hasn't changed all that much.

Can you buy it today? CTEK MXS 5.0 on Amazon for £80*

 

There's no polite way of saying this - lighting on old cars is dreadful. Even at the time it was awful so it's no wonder driver's leapt at the chance to go full rally-spec and stick some spots up front (and out back, to be honest). Splicing wiring has never been so rewarding.

Can you buy it today? Ultra-bright LED car spotlights on Amazon for £14* 

 

Before smart phone apps like Waze, and portable sat-navs, Dad had to rely on something called a map. This hardback book (often a present from his petrol supplier of choice) detailed all the useful things Dad needed to know - roads, place names, and where to break down. But reading it at night wasn't easy - luckily someone invented a torch with some sticky stuff on the back.

Can you buy it today? Self-adhesive reflectors on Amazon for £5*

Can you buy it today? In-car 12V toggle switches on Amazon for £6*

 

Here we have it ladies and gentleman, the orgins of ICE. Yep, the in-car enternatinment beloved of Max Power readers everywhere wasn't exclusivley used by Daz for his Saxo - turns out Dad knew a thing or two about banging tunes as well (not to mention all the money saved on that scratched vinyl for the wind-up grammophone).

Can you buy it today? Ring Magflex inspection lamp on Amazon for £33*

 

We're reading this through the prism of 2017, so item 7 on this page is a surprise. The past is a foriegn country, they do things differently there...

That aside, what's happened to that Mini's passenger door?

 

Can you buy it today? Leopard seat covers on Amazon for £50*

 

Fed up of looking at the chips in your painted metal dash? Don't worry - help is at hand with a slection of fascia panels. Note, that the 'de luxe' version features padding - which not only stops reflection but also offers 'protection' in the event of an addicdent. What kind of protection isn't clear, however we do like looking at the lovely period illustratoins.

 Can you buy it today? Nodding dog on Amazon for £4*

 

Dad might not have had to lug around cumbersome child seats in the 1960s (what better way to transprot five children than in a Ford Cortina estate with the seats down?), but he needed somewhere to put all the mess those peksy kids created. The times they were a-changing, though. Remember that 'baby chair' would have been a cutting-edge safety device in 1965. Looking at it with 2017's eyes, it's a perfect baby-launching machine in a crash. 

 Can you buy it today? An actual, real, safe child seat on Amazon for £270*

 

The best things about old cars is the noise - the roar of the engine, the..... well, that was all you could hear really. Sometimes there was a radio but if you went above 50mph the single speaker might not be up to the job. To combat this, you could buy sound insulation - this was long before for the days when manufacturers took an interest in NVH (noise, vibration & harshness). As an added bonus, the insulation would soak up all the water that leaked in through the poor fitting panel gaps and allow the metal underneath to rust away quicker. Handy.

Can you buy it today? Rubber car mats for £7.50 on Amazon*

 

There's more devices for tacling noise and ratting on this page, too. WINDOW WEDGES STOP RATTLE.

Kangol, better known for their hats, shoes etc are making seatbelts here.

Can you buy it todady? Pink, fluffy steering wheel 'glove' for £18.99 on Amazon*

 

County badges .. when did they stop being a thing?

Can you buy them today? Wheel trims for around £28 on Amazon*

 

As well as county badges, you don't see many grille badges any more. There's a range of three here in 1965 - but others were available from the AA, or the RAC. Indeed, what better way to remind Mr Morris next door that you, Mr Riley, looked down on him. Repeatedly.

Can you buy it today? Iceplane ice scraper on for £8.33 on Amazon* 

Paraffin heaters. These stem from a time in the 1920s when antifreeze wasn't available. Dad always used to tell stories about his father draining the radiator of his Austin 7 every night in the winter. Of course, that was before they had Made in Chelsea or the internet. 

 Can you buy them today? L-plates for £5 on Amazon*

 

Exhausts and silencers are still very similar to what was on sale more than 50 years later. More to the point, they are still the best way to annoy your neighbours - apart from shouting profusely at your Triumph 1500 because it won't start (again).  

But while exahusts and silencers still prove popular with 'the kids', asbestos wrapping is something you definitely, definitely can't but anymore. It's health and safety gone mad, I tell you.

 Can you buy them today? Exhaust trims for £10 on Amazon*

 Can you buy it today? Scooter top box for £32 on Amazon*

Here we come to Halfords attempt to cater for owners of something with two wheels - motorized and pedal powered. Skip to the end...

Can you buy it today? Motorcycle mirrors from £8 on Amazon*

Can you buy it today? Motorcycle drive chains from £15 on Amazon*

 Can you buy it today? Motorcycle cover for £28 on Amazon*

Can you buy it today? Motorcycle windscreen for £29 on Amazon*

'Now with 38% more grip' says the advert for a set of Avons. What the advert doesn't say is that it's still basically 100% less grip than a set of radials in the rain.

Can you buy them today? Michelin tyres from £50 on Amazon*

Can you buy them today? Dunlop scooter tyres from £30 on Amazon*

Can you buy them it today? Tyre repair kit for £25 on Amazon* 

Can you buy them today? Michelin bicycle tyres from £8 on Amazon*

Can you buy it today? Black and Decker power drill for £53 on Amazon*

Tools! Now you're talking. Dad could spend hours leafing through this section of the catalogue. Just imagine how much time you'd save by using the right tool for the job? And remember - less time on the car means more time at the bar.

Can you buy it today? Set of allen keys for £11 on Amazon* 

 Can you buy it today? Spanner set for £12 on Amazon*

Spring compressors, grinding paste, grinding tools... heaven. That engine won't rebuild itself (after 10,000 miles) you know.

Can you buy it today? Adjustable spanner for £12 on Amazon*

Can you buy it today? Socket set for £33 on Amazon* 

 

Are you sure you can call a file that in a family catalogue?

Can you buy it today? Tool box for £10.56 on Amazon*

Can you buy it today? Feeler gauges for £7 on Amazon*

Can you buy it today? Hacksaw blades for £5 on Amazon*

Can you still buy it? First aid kit for £15 on Amazon*

Mum's least favourite part of the catalogue. The look of sheer horror on her face when Dad calmy suggested we a set of ramps to make fettling on the driveway easier. It wasn't the though of an ill-secured motor coming off the ramp and doing us an injury that worried her, no - it was how she'd explain this to our curtain-twitching neighbour over the road.

Can you buy it today? Ramps for £27 on Amazon*

 

 Can you buy it today? Foot pumps for £10 on Amazon*

Can you buy it today? Grease nipples for £7 on Amazon*

 Can you buy it today? Bottle jack for £25 on Amazon*

 Can you buy it today? Oil pourer for £7 on Amazon*

 Can you buy it today? Tricycles from £20 on Amazon*

 Can you buy it today? Trailer for £360 on Amazon*

 Can you buy it today? Folding chairs for £10.50 on Amazon*

 Can you buy it today? Tents on Amazon from £25*

 Can you buy it today? Tents on Amazon from £25*

 Can you buy it today? Camping stoves from £10 on Amazon*

 

Why was the Wasp Kettle Set cancelled? I guess we'll never know.

 Can you buy it today? Camping kettles from £10 on Amazon*

 

Ah, the sat nav section.

 Can you buy it today? In-car compass for £7 on Amazon*

 

More gorgeous illustrations that could have come straight out of Mad Men. This time for NSU Mopeds - a name long since gone.

Can you buy it today? No! But you can read our scooter tests here.

Can you buy it today? No! But you can read our scooter tests here.

Can you buy it today? No! But you can read our scooter tests here

 

While the petrol-powered Raleigh bikes may no longer be available, the rest of the colour cycle section has a very familiar look to it... 

Can you buy it today? Bicycles from £55 on Amazon*

 Can you buy it today? Bicycles from £55 on Amazon*

 Can you buy it today? Bicycles from £55 on Amazon*

 Can you buy it today? Bicycles from £55 on Amazon*

 Can you buy it today? Bicycles from £55 on Amazon*

 Can you buy it today? Bicycles from £55 on Amazon*

 

The chap modelling the helmet for item one is thrilled about it. 

Can you buy it today? Motorcycle helmets from £40 on Amazon*

 Can you buy it today? Motorcycle goggles from £12 on Amazon*

 

Belstaff has been re-invented as trendy fashion brand in the past decade, but back in 1965 it was producing thick waterproofs for bikers.

Can you buy it today? Motorcycle clothing from £20 on Amazon*

 Can you buy it today? Motorcycle boots for £60 on Amazon*

 

"Dave, you're going to be a model in the 1965 Halfords catalogue".

"Brilliant. Crash helmet? Motorbike leathers? Fixing a car?"

"No, we need someone to look utterly miserable, on a pushbike, wearing a waterproof cape".

Can you buy it today? Waterproof overtrousers for £30 on Amazon*

 

Is it time for a donkey jacket fashion revival? No.

 Can you buy it today? Leather gloves for £17 on Amazon*

Can you buy it today? Motorcycle luggage from £13 on Amazon*

 

Surely accidents involving tennis raquets and cycling are being talked up here (bottom right).

 Can you buy it today? Trouser clips for 99p on Amazon*

 Can you buy it today? Bicycle bells from £4 on Amazon*

 Can you buy it today? Handlebars from £10 on Amazon*

 Can you buy it today? Brake pads from £3 on Amazon*

 Can you buy it today? Bicycle pedals for £20 on Amazon*

 Can you buy it today? Bicycle security from £9 on Amazon*

Can you buy it today? Bicycle tools for £8 on Amazon*

 Can you buy it today? Bicycle lighting for £12 on Amazon*

 Can you buy it today? Hand lanterns for £10 on Amazon*

 Can you buy it today? Torches for £8 on Amazon*

 Can you buy it today? Car bulb set for £7.25 on Amazon*

 Can you buy it today? Toggle switches for £3 on Amazon*

Can you buy it today? Morphy Richards irons from £18 on Amazon*

Since 1994 all electricals sold in the UK have to come fitted with a plug. It's a case of DIY in 1965.

Can you buy it today? Three pin plugs from £1 on Amazon* 

 Can you buy it today? Plug multi-adaptors for £7 on Amazon*

 Can you still buy it? Fuses for £4 on Amazon*

 Can you buy it today? Light switches for £3 on Amazon*

 Can you still buy it? Bulbs from £1 on Amazon*

 

Those "modern look" doorbells must now be on millions of UK houses. The default doorbell and a quiet design classic.

 

 

 Can you still buy it? Door bells from less than £10 on Amazon*

 

Remember when Halfords sold gardening kit? Nope, us neither.

 Can you buy it today? Trowells or £5 on Amazon*

 Can you still buy it? Garden hose from £9 on Amazon*

 

Back onto safer ground. Engine oils in proper metal containers.

Can you still buy it? Two-stroke oil from £6.50 on Amazon*

 Can you still buy it? Grease for £5 on Amazon*

 Can you still buy it? Brake fluid from £9 on Amazon*

 Can you still buy it? Paint brushes from £2 on Amazon*

 

Sealants, adhesives, cleaners, polishes and solvents get colour pages. What's notable about these products is not just how many of these names are still with us today (Humbrol, Holts, Bostik and Zip Wax), but how many still have very similar packaging.

Can you still buy it? Spray paints from £5 on Amazon*

 Can you still buy it? Holts radiator flush for £4 on Amazon*

 Can you still buy it? Kurust for £9 on Amazon*

 Can you still buy it? Chamois leathers from £7 on Amazon*

 Can you still buy it? Brasso from £5 on Amazon*

 Can you still buy it? Turtle Wax from £5 on Amazon*

 Can you still buy it? Turtle Wax from £5 on Amazon*

 Can you buy it today? Sponges from £3 on Amazon*

 Can you still buy it? Insulated pliers from £8 on Amazon*

Can you still buy it? Plastic over macs from £4 on Amazon*

 

 

 

 

* Sometimes we show a link with a * next to it. It means that it is an affiliate link and as a result helps HonestJohn.co.uk stay free to use. It's tracked to us and if you go through it, it can sometimes result in a payment or benefit to the site.