Steering wheels are usually round, have two, three or four spokes and nowadays there are extra control buttons in almost every car. Tesla recently caused a stir by putting a completely different kind of steering wheel in the facelifted Model S and X, but Tesla is by no means the only manufacturer to deviate from the norm in that regard.
Tesla’s new three-spoke steering wheel evokes associations with that of KITT, the car from the television series Knight Rider: the top of the steering wheel has disappeared and the bottom of the steering wheel is flat, giving the shape more of a rectangle. Whether that drives fine in practice and whether it is not just a joke of the brand, remains to be seen. In any case, it is a bold move by Tesla. The design appears to simply meet the legal requirements that are imposed on a steering wheel here in Europe.
Incidentally, such deviating steering wheels are not uncommon in concept cars, but in production cars brands often revert to the more traditional form. Yet there are also plenty of examples of production models that have or had a different steering wheel in some way.
The solid core of Citroën
The steering wheel of the Citroën C4 and C5 did not seem so special at first glance at its introduction, but appearances can be deceiving: the core of the steering wheel is fixed and the wheel itself turns around it. The idea behind this was that the buttons on the steering wheel always remain in the same position, regardless of the position of the steering wheel. Actually quite logical, but it took some getting used to. Today, Citroën no longer has the steering wheel in the range. By the way, Citroën is no stranger to eccentric steering wheels: the DS already had a special steering wheel with only one spoke, which later returned in many other Citroëns in more modern forms.
Messerschmitt Kabinenroller
Messerschmitt is best known for manufacturing German military aircraft, but the company launched the ‘Kabinenroller’ at the end of the 1950s. This striking three-wheeler with glass hood had an equally striking steering wheel, as far as it can still be seen as a ‘wheel’. It rather resembles a motorcycle handlebars. Initially the KR175 came on the market, later the KR200 followed. It had a steering wheel that looked much more like an inverted control stick on an airplane, a reference to Messerschmitt’s past as an aircraft manufacturer. Fun fact: Elvis Presley once had one.
A mess of buttons (Pontiac)
Pontiac 6000 STE (photo: VWVortex)
In the late 1980s, Pontiac filled the steering wheel with a pile of buttons. Literally, because the entire core of the steering wheel was filled with buttons in the Bonneville from 1986 to 1991. Not only the Bonneville, also the 6000 STE was fitted with such a steering wheel. Unlike the solid core of Citroën, the buttons in the Pontiac simply rotated with the steering wheel, making it quite conceivable that you occasionally lose orientation when operating certain vehicle functions. With aggressive horns, you also run the risk that you, for example, hit the volume knob of the stereo, so that the pleasant tunes on the radio are suddenly no longer so pleasant. Practicality is different, which is why this type of steering wheel soon disappeared from Pontiac cars.
Pistol (Subaru XT)
Compared to the Pontiac button mash, the steering wheel of the Subaru XT is very clear. The buttons are on the left and right in a fixed arrangement behind the steering wheel, on the steering wheel itself there are only two buttons for the cruise control. The layout of the handlebars is all the more striking and the shape of it resembles a pistol. There is a larger spoke at the bottom and a small spoke on the right, while the core of the handlebar is rectangular. It is certainly original and the steering wheel fits well with the more futuristic nature of the XT. Today, Subaru’s steering wheels aren’t nearly as special anymore.
Square (Austin Allegro)
The Austin Allegro is not known as the best car. Already at its introduction in 1973, several problems arose, including rust and the fact that the rear window could fall out spontaneously. It is not very distinctive, except for one element: the steering wheel. That is not round, but square with rounded corners; a fairly special shape. This was called the ‘Quartic’ steering wheel. The criticism was strong: the shape of the steering wheel is said to make it difficult to maneuver the Allegro through tight corners. The extroverted steering wheel did not last long: in 1975 the Allegro 2 got a conventional round steering wheel.