steering wheels

[mac5777]

This photo shows what steering wheel came on my 66 Elan S3 Coupe. Does anyone know who made this wheel and/or a source? There has been several different makes that claim were used on Elans, like Les Leston, Moto-lit, Formula, Luisi and maybe Nardi. I sold my original wheel for a thicker 14 inch Nardi and restored this one for a friend. Now I want my original one back.

Thanks, Sarto

[Elanintheforest]

I think that there was only one original supplier for the wheel Sarto, and that was Springall....and the photo shows the correct original wheel.

As far as I know they were built with that size and dish for Elans only. Springall also sold 'aftermarket' wheels for other cars, but not the same as the Elan one.

Mark

[trw99]

Sarto

I'm fairly certain that the original wheels were made by Springall. Do a Google search on them and you can find some interesting articles on them.

This was posted on the Chapman Museum site, half way down this page - http://www.colinchapmanmuseum.org.uk/Ge ... tions.html - which would explain the close Lotus connection to Springall:

"Allow me to introduce myself - my late father Peter Springall was the founder of PD Springall Ltd who manufactured Steering wheels both as an OEM and aftermarket supplier under both the Springall and Springalex brands during the late 50?s, 60?s and 70?s.

The Company was founded in a small workshop behind the Railway Hotel across the alleyway from the Lotus works After receiving an order to supply steering wheels for the elite and series 2 lotus 7 P D Springall Ltd continued to supply steering wheels both to Lotus cars and Lotus racing Most notably for Jim Clark?s 1965 F1 33, F2 32 and 38 Indy car. My father received one of the initialled knock off wheel nut ash trays which were engraved to commemorate the Historic F1 championship and Indy 500 winning year.

I am in the process of gathering information for a possible history of P D springall ltd and am wondering if you have any historical information on the relationship between Lotus and my Fathers company. Particularly I would be interested in speaking to any Lotus personnel who remember my Father?s business and especially where exactly his workshop was on the site. I believe that he occupied the workshop from founding the Company in 1957 until moving to a larger factory in Hitchin shortly after 1960 and the Lotus move to Cheshunt."

Tim

[mac5777]

Thanks, Mark and Tim for all of the good information on Springall. Here is a photo showing the unique Elan dish offset. I just need to find another one for myself.

Thanks again, Sarto
http://knockoffspinnertool.com/

[adigra]

Ah, the wonderful Springall wheel... Are the wood rim ones as expensive as the leather?

Adi

[mac5777]

Adi, I have no idea what an original leather wheel would be worth.
I sold my original wood wheel on ebay about 5 years ago and could not believe when it sold for $550.00. I had no idea of its value. The one I restored for a friend pictured above sold recently on ebay for $960.00.
There was a post about a wheel manufacturer in the UK that makes a duplicate wood look alike for about $350.00. I have not been able to find it again.
Sarto

[Elanintheforest]

The woodrims tend to be a little less than the S/E S3 wheel Adi, except for the very early 'studded' woodrim, which have sold for crazy money in the past.

But good repros are now being made of most of the Elan Springalls......

http://alphasteeringwheels.co.uk/wheelexamples.html

And here's a couple of adverts for the wheels. The first shows Springall as being the supplier of the early Lotus Cortina wheel (same as the Elan with different dish) and the second shows the Springall advert for the Colin Chapman signed wheel.

Mark

[mac5777]

Hi Mark, that is what I was looking for,,thanks
I want the look of the original and it does not need to be an original old wheel. Dave Standley's Spingall steering wheels look original and great and at a good price. If I wanted to spend $960.00 US, I rather have a set of michelin ZAS tires.

Sarto

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

The woodrims tend to be a little less than the S/E S3 wheel Adi, except for the very early 'studded' woodrim, which have sold for crazy money in the past.

But good repros are now being made of most of the Elan Springalls......

http://alphasteeringwheels.co.uk/wheelexamples.html

And here's a couple of adverts for the wheels. The first shows Springall as being the supplier of the early Lotus Cortina wheel (same as the Elan with different dish) and the second shows the Springall advert for the Colin Chapman signed wheel.

Mark

So that advertisement puts the argument about the covering of the original wheels to bed.
Original is welded PVC i.e. plastic!

Or?
John

P.S. It never ceases to amaze me where you historians on here unearth all of this old information.
Truly incredible

[Elanintheforest]

I think that there is an 'OR?' John!

My understanding is that the standard late S3 and the S4 had the plastic covered signed 14 inch wheel, whilst the S/E late S3 and the S4 had the leather covered signed 14 inch wheel. The early Plus 2 had the plastic covered 15 inch signed wheel.

But I don't know what the Sprint had....I'm sure Tim does though!

Mark

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

I think that there is an 'OR?' John!

My understanding is that the standard late S3 and the S4 had the plastic covered signed 14 inch wheel, whilst the S/E late S3 and the S4 had the leather covered signed 14 inch wheel. The early Plus 2 had the plastic covered 15 inch signed wheel.

But I don't know what the Sprint had....I'm sure Tim does though!

Mark

Oooops yes probably an"OR"!!!
But I'll leave it at that not wishing to re-open an old debate, especially on another subject I know nothing about

Cheers
John

[trw99]

Sprints were PVC covered and signed, though I do know of one that left the factory with what I assume to be an old S4 stock leather covering and one that did not have the Chapman signature. The black swans that prove the chaos theory of how Lotus worked in those days!

Tim

[abstamaria]

Those are lovely reproduction wheels. Thank you for pointing Alphasteering out, Mark.

Andy

[adigra]

I had my leather one restored a year ago (it is a bit thicker rimmed now). It came with the car and I wasn't aware of its value until reading about it on this forum. It is a wonderful wheel though and I love it

[Gordon Sauer]

My 67 S3 dhc came with a wood steering wheel like the photo ones and it is a single piece of wood wrapped around--I believe it's beechwood used at the time for it's strength and commonly found in England at the time made into workbench surfaces for that reason. My 72 +2S 130 is leather covered, black anodized spokes, not signed--don't know of any PVC stuff nor seen it. Gordon Sauer