10 of Our Favorite Steering Wheels
Once they got past the tiller and settled on the steering wheel, car designers came up with a lot of variations on the theme. Spindly, big, and delicate. Thick and meaty. Squircle (the sort-of affectionate name for whatever shape the C8 Corvette’s wheel is). Yokes, though those aren’t technically wheels.
Out of that wealth of variety, we all have our favorites. I was immediately smitten when I slid behind the wheel in this story’s opening photo. It was the helm of a beautiful Austin-Healey 3000, and felt perfectly matched to that car’s personality—a bit weathered, but every bit a certain era’s definition of sporting. Here are a few of our team’s preferred steering wheels—let us know yours in the comments.
A classic look, and functional
I’ve always had a soft spot for speedsters, and only after having the opportunity to put a lot of miles on one did I learn what a luxury it was to have a steering wheel that moves out of the way for driver entry and exit. While at the Tour d’Elegance in 2018 the steering wheel of the 1923 Steyr Type VI Targa Florio Rennwagen caught my eye. It has a latch that allows the wheel to pivot out of the way, and the aged wood just looks great. There is nothing like driving a speedster, and this steering wheel really rounds out the experience.—Kyle Smith
TVR, ever the oddball
TVR built some of the wackiest cars of the 1990s and early 2000s, so it’s no surprise they designed some of the wackiest interiors, too. When it comes to steering, the coolest has to be the setup in the 1996-2006 Cerbera. The wheel itself is a leather-clad two-spoke affair with buttons for the windshield wipers, lights, and horn flanking the big bolted-in TVR badge in the middle. Packed just underneath the wheel in a big, weird pod on the column are a clock, the starter button, the fuel gauge, and an adjustable air vent. None of this makes any sense, but it looks awesome.—Andrew Newton
Lagonda
Definitely the Aston Martin Lagonda Series I and II (1974-85). I assume this isn’t the first single-spoke steering wheel, but I fully expect it to be the only one of its kind upholstered in Rolls Royce-worthy leather, and connected to a surprisingly firm and buttoned-down steering and suspension system. The Lagonda just wasn’t the same car after its redesigned steering wheel in 1986, because like many designs, the first iteration was the best!—Sajeev Mehta
Momo… and F-150?
I’m going to play this one two ways. For overall aesthetic, I absolutely adore the simplicity of the Momo Prototipo. Really, just Momos in general—with a little dish to it or perfectly flat. I love the history behind the wheel, and I love the way it looks on just about anything.
Ah, but looks are not everything, and the steering wheel is perhaps the most-used piece of our car. And since I log a lot of miles banging up and down the west side of Michigan to and from family, I’ve become deeply appreciative of a wheel with a big opening directly at the 6 o’clock position that I can just drape my hand through. While there are a lot of cars with this design nowadays, the wheel in a 2024 Ford F-150 that I drove out in Seattle a few months back really nailed the cruiser control to me, and for that reason, I’ve also included that wheel.
Wildly different ends of the spectrum, but that’s what makes cars so neat—you can find joy anywhere.—Nathan Petroelje
One busy, one clean
I prefer the visual simplicity of a metal three-spoke, whether anodized in black or bare metal. That Austin Healey wheel you see at the top of the page fits the bill perfectly—I love the contrast between its old-world wood and the glistening metal spokes. Nate’s Momo answer is the right one, though—if there were one wheel that looked great in almost any setting, that’d be it. However, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention these two: one for the novelty, the other for mass-production execution.
Young Eddy would pick ’80s and ’90s Pontiac button wheels. Buttons meant high-tech and accessing things on the fly while you were busy carving up the road in your Pontiac Excitement machine. They correctly predicted the future, even if their execution was way off. Adult Eddy likes the simplicity of the NB Miata Nardi wheel: Three spokes, a well-designed airbag (there were still plenty of clunky-looking ones in ’99), no buttons, and just the right thickness.—Eddy Eckart
No spokes!
Much as I love the single-spoke Citroen wheels that I grew up with on my dad’s cars, it has to be the completely insane invisible hub of the Maserati Boomerang. Within the huge center space were six gauges and some fairly critical switchgear. For decades it was simply the most futuristic steering wheel the world had ever seen. Bugatti seems to agree having produced something very similar for the Tourbillon.—Nik Berg
Subaru’s asymmetry
I was 10 years old when the Subaru XT hit the streets. I’ve only ever known one person who owned one, and I still remember riding my bike past their house one day and seeing this weird little pointy car in the driveway. So naturally I had to snoop around. The whole thing was funky, of course, but I was astounded when I put my face up to the driver’s side window and saw the wildest cockpit I’d ever seen in a car, anchored by that weird, wonderful cattywampus steering wheel with its hub occupying the lower right quarter of the circle. Humans crave symmetry, but sometimes it’s so refreshing to see things go off the rails in creative ways, and the XT’s steering wheel is a prime example of that.—Stefan Lombard
I like the looks of the old Banjo style steering wheels like on a 37 Ford or late 50’s MGA. Unfortunately they did not hold up very well after years of use. Second choice is the simple three spoke like on pre-76 Corvettes with horn button in the center and no other controls built in. Timeless look and hold up for decades.
Agreed, my favorite too!
‘Best new steering wheel is rectangular ’24 Lincoln Nautilus!
I too love the banjo wheels.
The Momo Monte Carlo wheel should be in the room. It is used in everything from Ferrari to Nash Ramber hot rods.
Finally the teakwood wheels of Chevy and the Pontiac wood sport wheel of the 60’s.
Nardi wheels (wood rimmed and aluminum three spoke centers) are a classic and timeless look that fits almost any vintage car IMHO. I even picked one up years ago at an event that had a sealed bid auction- and won- then had to have my buddy who ran a machine shop make me an adapter to get it to fit! Looks fabulous!
This is a fun column! It’s not difficult to agree with that opening Healy wheel – it’s beautiful and functional. I’m partial to the look of the ’59-’60 Impala wheels. They are futuristic without being over-the-top. They are of an appropriate diameter to steer those big cars, which generally weren’t power-assisted. There’s the “hang-your-hand-at-6:00” position that Nathan likes, and to me they are sporty-looking without being in an actual sport car. The thumb-ring for the horn is positioned well (unless you are at 10-and-2 like your Driving Instructor taught you).
By-the-way, as I scrolled down through the article, I KNEW that Sajeev’s name would appear next the instant I saw the Lagonda wheel photo. That choice is SO him! 😁
A Modernist craves Modernism in everything…even tillers!
Today it is called a joy stick! But little joy is found.
That reminds me, I need to test drive the new Nissan Versa with a 5-speed manual. We might still be able to have fun with both inputs for cheap!
I saw someone has made something I felt was possible. An electric with a manual tranny.
If geared right it could over drive and extend range.
What little I have read on the subject suggests that ICE manual transmissions are have ratios too close to each other for the crazy power bands of electric motors. Teslas have redlines ranging from 18,000 to 23,000 rpm, and we all know how much power they make at tip-in.
The Porsche Taycan 2 speed trans is reportedly 16:1 first and 8:1 second, suggesting you need a ratio spread that wide to have a real effect on performance.
No these are EV cars programed to make power in a range like a ICE. You can adjust the power to simulate Ice.
I also saw a diff that was made to run over drive for an Electric car. It was like a bike and chain. It would derail to a larger gear so it would extend range. The SAE publications do stories on many things being worked on for years ahead. Some of it we never see but they did research it.
That makes sense, but that seems out of step after driving the Taycan. That’s the future of multi-speed gearboxes in EVs.
For me, nothing beats the 1970 Chrysler E body “Rimblow” wheel. I worked hard to outfit my B body with one. Really elegant.
Got one in my ’71 B-body! One of the many options it came with.
I remember listening to the cars at the New York City race the second season. We could hear shifts – some teams were single-speed, some two, a few four or five speeds. Funny that the series evolved to single speed transmissions. Will petrol-heads ever make the transition? 🙂 Excerpt of an article in Machine Design by Stephen J Mraz:
“For the first season, all the teams used a five-speed gearbox made by Hewland Engineering to cut cost. It used paddle shifters mounted on the steering wheels.
Mahindra Racing
At the start of Formula E’s first racing season, all cars used a five-speed gearbox made by Hewland Engineering that was shifted by the driver using paddle shifters on the steering wheel.
At the start of Formula E’s first racing season, all cars used a five-speed gearbox made by Hewland Engineering that was shifted by the driver using paddle shifters on the steering wheel.
In the second season, however, most teams built their own gearboxes, and by the fourth season all had opted for single-geared designs.
“The single-gear approach was possible, thanks to advances in the motor’s power density and increases in efficiency that came from engineers reducing transmission losses at high speeds,” says Butler.”
Construction machinery has joysticks now. The newer Caterpillar wheel loaders have two joysticks, one for drive and steering and one for the bucket just like modern skid steer loaders.
I believe the Citroen DS/IS had a one spoke wheel much earlier than the Aston.
Yeah, Love that Citroen 1-spoker!
That Miata Nardi wheel is modern perfection.
Yup, Ken L nailed it. Pre 74 Corvettes. Simple and functional.
1988 Pontiac Fiero GT Excellent, elegant 3 spoke, leather wrapped!
I agree, modern perfection. No gadgets, no excess, just a fine wheel. For older cars I loved the wheel on my Triumph TR-3.
I always have to stop and look at the rectangular one that perfectly matches all the other weird details on a ’62 Imperial, every time one is for sale online.
I remember this one. My folks had a ‘61 Imperial. My favorite is the 3 spoke Grant in my ‘69 Datsun 510. Functional and reasonably priced.
EXACTLY!
Pretty much anything pre-airbag except that Citroen… that thing looks like a complete menace
The Citroen wheel was meant to be a safety feature, in an accident the driver would not be impaled by the wheel center but rather “slide” over the hub.
The Maserati Boomerang thingy is the one that scares me. Never seen one before, but it looks more like it should be on some sort of industrial equipment than a wedgy concept car. My fingers hurt just imagining it spinning to come straight after a hard turn. I’d be afraid to turn on the headlights, even!
Ever take a look at the itty bitty super-deep dish steering wheel on a Funny car? Not quite spoke-less but close.
Sajeev – You really desperately need to let go of any one particular style or school of design. Those distinctions were fine when you were just taking an Art History 2 class to get your degree. A lot has taken place after as much as a lot had taken place before. You know this, we’ve been here before. I love the Lagonda too!..but maybe just take some time to regain perspective. I_ ‘never’_ told you this but Eddy was talking about the need for an intervention. Lets hope it never goes that far.
Never! I am validated in my modernism via all the new EVs coming out with even more insane steering wheels and interior designs. You will see me die on this hill, and it will be worth it!
Yeah, dying on a hill that looks like a Cybertruck…not how I’d wanna go, but you do you, Mr. Mehta!
Ugh, putting it that way makes me think I should jump off this hill.
😁
That’s one way to die, I guess.
As Van Halen once sung… “Might as well Jump!”
The Cyburrr Truck has the optional “eject upward device” the Mollusk is so proud of.
Why go out with a jump, when you can go out with a big BANG?
Well, he also digs Brutalism (see recent Vellum Venom piece), so there’s that…
There aren’t going to be steering wheels, at least not by conventional definition. Just a nod to the past when people needed such outdated things.
(ps ) The black and white steering wheel on the Lagonda is attractive but not practical. Dirty in a day. A parchment or with a burled walnut gunmetal stain that matches the console instead. The Aston badge there looks like an afterthought, loose that. It’s a start
Love the Momos. Regret not pulling mine from my E21 when I sold it. The MTech wheel in my E24 is nice, but I have a Momo waiting to replace it.
A few other notable examples. The tinted clear Lucite wheels of the early ‘60s full-size Pontiacs, the 1964 Pontiac accessory 4-spoke wood-grained wheel, and the Pontiac Formula wheel from 1969 through the early 1980s.
I bought a Ferrari Momo for my Pontiac. It was cheaper than the factory leather wheel from Pontiac.
I nominate the teak wheel available on the mid-1960’s C2 Corvette.
Yep
I had teak/telescopic in my ‘65 Corvette. It was a beautiful car and reportedly the teak wheel was made for the Corvette by a clock maker that never did anything automotive before that. They were known for not delaminating. I loved it.
The Mopar Tuff Wheel and the SRT Challenger wheel
My 78 Lil Red Express and my 70 Challenger both have their original Tuff Wheels. Both have, at one point or another, served as daily drivers, and both are in great shape. Wouldn’t trade them for anything else. Love the look, the feel and the GRIP.