This is the Momo California Steering Wheel, it’s a classically designed wheel intended for use in vintage cars, it has a 360mm diameter and you can choose from either a mahogany wood or black leather rim.
Momo was originally founded back in 1964 by Italian racing driver Gianpiero Moretti almost by accident. He was unhappy with the steering wheel he was racing with, so he approached an Italian craftsman with his own design for a wheel.
This is the black leather version of the California steering wheel, it has contrasting white stitching and a “California” script on the right arm.
This Moretti-design wheel had a thicker rim and offered better grip, other drivers soon noticed it and asked him to make them one. One of these drivers was legendary Formula 1 driver John Surtees who fitted a Moretti steering wheel to his Ferrari F1 car in 1964, then went on to win the World Championship with it.
Moretti established a company to build his steering wheels in the Italian city of Monza, he called it “MOMO” as a portmanteau of “MOretti” and “MOnza.” Today, Momo is inarguably the most famous steering wheel company in the world.
The wheel has a 34.5mm dish and it’s pre-drilled with six holes for fitting, and Momo sells a series of hub adapters to fit most suitable cars.
The Momo California has a brushed aluminum alloy frame with two rim options as mentioned further up, either the classic polished mahogany wood or black leather with white stitching.
Both wheels have the same diameter, 360mm or 14.17 inches, making it the widest steering wheel in the current Momo catalogue. This additional width is intended for classic cars that may not have power steering, and so the driver needs more leverage to turn the wheel particularly at lower speeds.
Earlier air-cooled Porsches typically require wheels wider than 350mm to ensure that they don’t cover the view of the gauges. The Momo California retails for $365 USD and it can be ordered directly from Momo or from your locals auto parts supplier.
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