A solution in search of a problem? Perhaps, but square and rectangular steering wheels still have a long and fascinating history in the car biz.
Fairly early in the development of the automobile, pioneer inventors seized upon the steering wheel as an ideal method of controlling a vehicle. (They were borrowing from the marine world, we presume.) But it wasn’t long until creative variations on the theme began to appear—square, rectangular, ovoid shapes. None of them ever caught on, but these unusual forms continue to appear occasionally to this day. Here are just a few examples.
The Chrysler Corporation certainly didn’t invent the squared-off steering wheel. We know that Gabriel Voisin for one employed the feature on his C6 Laboratorie way back in 1922, and if we look a little harder, surely we can find earlier examples. But Mopar did do its best to attempt to popularize square wheels in the early ’60s, including them on select 1960 though 1964 models.
Take this 1960 Plymouth Fury (above) for example. Chrysler introduced a number of quirky cockpit features in this period. Check out the push-button automatic transmission shift control at left, the swiveling bucket seats, the rearview mirror mounted atop the dash, and the Highway Hi-Fi record player underneath. (Read the Chrysler Highway Hi-Fi story here.)
British Leyland adopted the term “quartic” to describe the rectangular wheel used on early models of the 1972-1982 Austin Allegro, above. In British car lore, the oddly shaped wheel was cooked up late in the Allegro’s development when it was discovered that a round wheel blocked the driver’s view of the instrument panel. However, the company’s stillborn Rover P8 prototype used the same design a few years earlier. The Allegro reverted to a conventional steering wheel in 1974.
Squared steering wheels continue to turn up now and then in sports cars and exotics like this 2015 Aston Martin Vanquish Volante. Perhaps the design provides a more sporting grip, or a clearer view of the instrument dials, or a bit more knee room. Or maybe the designers are just reaching for something different.
With their tight cockpits, reclining driver positions, and ultra-fast steering ratios, Formula 1 and Indy cars virtually demand a tiny, rectangular steering wheel. Above, two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso demonstrates the unit on his 2016 McLaren-Honda MP4-31. Formula 1 steering wheels are incredibly complex, housing all the vehicle’s instrument readouts and chassis and engine management controls.
In September of 2017 at the Frankfurt Auto Show, Honda unveiled the wildly popular Urban Electric Vehicle Concept, which sports an elegant squared steering wheel (below). It wouldn’t surprise us a bit if the square wheel finds its way to the production model when it appears in Europe in 2019. But we can’t help but speculate: Given the rapid pace of autonomous vehicle development, it could be that the future of steering wheel design is none at all.
Having owned and driven some Chrysler products, I had presumed the flat bottom steering wheel was just a consideration for the driver’s knees, though I do not know for certain what the designers had in mind.
To use an antiquated term, I may be a “square”, but the wheel shown as that of a Honda concept vehicle, looks like a device to hold on to, a hand grip, as it were. It is not obvious how – or if – it would actually rotate, given the appearance of being attached to the panel. It would be interesting to see it function…or to know if it does.
Thanks as always for the entertaining and informative glimpses into obscure corners of automotive closets, dusting off things we either never knew – or had forgotten – about.
Merry Christmas!
Given the advent of electric steering, I’m sure the Honda wheel does in fact turn but does not require a traditional steering column. “Steer by wire” has already shown up on production vehicles today.
Just imagine twenty years from now when you’ve got a bad ground and the steering is intermittent. The dealers better stock ECUs and chips a lot longer than the required ten years.
Wireless accessories, drive-by-wire throttle and steering, plastics everywhere. Nobody will be collecting and restoring these things.
These are 3 year throwaway cars. You dont fix them, just go buy another new one.
I believe the formula-one (and other Motorsport applications) example may have been the ONLY positive fashion and functional result. Knee room and the advent of just designing “something different” I believe were secummed to the “return ability” and positive castor effects in normal passenger cars resulted in at least a few fractured hands/fingers,.. maybe even some (unintended) collisions and lawsuits??!!