Anti-splinter wooden steering wheels......

[Parisien]

Upon browsing a 1974 2000 brochure, I came across the above highlighted fact................just how many Lancia drivers prior to that era, ended up going to A&E with badly splintered mitts.......?!

The mind boggles.......


P

[DavidLaver]

Is it marketing spin for "plywood" perhaps?

David

[Parisien]

Am sure the sale of driving gloves fell away dramatically.....


P

[stanley sweet]

Not sure if this was possible on older wheels. I had a TVR Vixen fitted with a nice Moto-Lita. The only problem I found was that after a couple of weeks driving around France on holiday I would end up with hard callouses (?) on my hands at the base of my fingers. I wasn't gripping it overtightly either. I love wooden wheels and sometimes think about a Nardi style one in the Fulvia. One thing worries me slightly though, not splinters, but a great chunk piercing my chest in an accident. The idea I believe of holes and slots in the spokes is not to add a boy-racer feel but so that the spokes fold away in an accident. My car had a leather Ferrero (you spoil me Ambassador) when I bought it. This is good as the leather would fold with the spokes, unlike being left with shards of broken wood. In theory none of this should happen as I still wear a harness from my sprinting days so should remain tight against the seat. But who knows what can happen? Column pushed back, seat runners break etc. The only problem I had with the leather one was on the Mondovi trip last year. At the end of each day of hairpins my lap would be covered in tiny bits of leather that had worn off.

[chriswgawne]

I find that a full days driving a car with a large  'thin' woodrim wheel (like an original 365mm dia Nardi in a B20) results in stiff, sore hands. This problem disappears if leather driving gloves are worn whilst driving.
Chris 

[Parisien]

Lucky man............I've yet to experience that Chris.....maybe in 2015!


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[stanley sweet]

I mentioned to someone on the Mondovi trip that I can see the purpose of gloves with a wooden wheel. A sweaty palm slipping on smooth wood as you negotiate a hairpin a few hundred feet up woud be a bit naughty.

[fay66]

I mentioned to someone on the Mondovi trip that I can see the purpose of gloves with a wooden wheel. A sweaty palm slipping on smooth wood as you negotiate a hairpin a few hundred feet up woud be a bit naughty.

Stan,
not so good on a hard plastic one either

Brian
8227

[Dilambdaman]

As an ambulance driver in a past life (1960s) I dealt with an E-Type driver with a chunk of wood rim steering wheel stuck in his forehead on one occasion.

Robin.