Legal Question in Civil Litigation in California

Generally, a gift is a gift, and the receiver gets to keep it. There are a few exceptions, but none that come into play in your situation.

The question for the law is your father's "donative intent." Did he mean the car to be a gift or, perhaps, a loan? The answer is based on the facts.

For you, your father actually signed over the car. That sure looks like a gift. Assuming there is no contract or card or other evidence that it is only a loan, the transaction will likely be seen as a gift. You can strengthen your position by showing that your father no longer insured the car. Instead, you incurred this expense. You may also look at money that you put into the car for repairs, modifications, and maintenance.

So, unless there is evidence that the title transfer was meant to be temporary or revocable, the car is yours.