Woodrim Steering Wheel

Woodrim Steering Wheel

Back in my sports car days one of the most desireable accessories was a Nardi woodrim steering wheel. It could make an ordinary car seem special and told the world that its owner was a person of discerning taste. Nardi wheels were not inexpensive, which is why you didn't see them on every MG or Triumph Spitfire, and they were also standard equipment on several high-end automobiles, such as Ferrari. Of course, Nardi wasn't the only company to manufacture such wheels but the design was so elegant, so perfect, that a Nardi wheel remained apart from the others, as a Tiffany lamp or Saarinen Tulip chair would do.

Frankly, I'm not a fan of the thick-rim steering wheels of today, even though they have their origins in race car design. I know some drivers claim to get a better grip but those wheels make me feel like I'm steering with a pair of boxing gloves on my hands. In my humble opinion there's nothing to match a slim woodrim, not only for its appearance but because it seems to provide a closer connection with the road. Unfortunately modern safety regulations requiring an air bag in the hub would seem to prevent swapping a production steering wheel for a hand-made custom job so we're stuck with what we get. The girl you bring to the party is the one you dance with.

That said, owners of sports and vintage cars from model years preceeding the air bag rules should have no problem fitting a woodrim wheel. And in that respect, the handcrafted steering wheels of RichCraftedWheels.com stand apart, even from the Italian Nardi wheels which, by the way, are still in production. Only a limited number are made each year. Average time to make a standard wheel is 70-80 hours with some custom wheels requiring up to 100 hours. The Web site explains that "each piece of wood is hand fitted, hand filed, hand sanded, hand finished. The wood is then sealed in an automotive two-part epoxy that resists acids and UV rays. Because the wood grain has it's own signature and with the multiple wood combinations no two wheels will ever be exactly alike."

Exotic woods like teak, walnut, and even rosewood can be chosen. Company owner Paul Rich adds "I have made steering wheels for almost every kind of automobile you can think of, including boats and a John Deere tractor," so obviously whatever you have sitting in your garage, by your dock, or on your farm, will not intimidate him. As for me, I'm stuck with that big fat rim on my Focus ZX5 but when the day arrives that I finally buy a vintage automobile, you can be sure that very little time will pass before it has a handsome woodrim steering wheel gracing its interior. It just feels right.