1968-1973 STEERING WHEEL ID

[Gearbox]

Looking for some insight on the various steering wheels that came OEM on our cars between 1968 to 1973.  I was specifically looking for a 1973 tii wheel, and through my research I stumbled upon a few variations.  So before this info disappears for all time, I figure I would ask what the differences were, what wheel was correct for what car, and if there were options or trim levels that dictated what wheel the car would have came with from the factory.  

 

The first was the most prevalent, a rubber covered 3 spoke with the horn buttons embedded in the spokes and seemed to not only be on the 02's but the E9's, Bavaria, and 1600's.  I have seen this wheel on cars as early as 1967.

 

The second is a variation of the 3 spoke, but the spokes are metal, no horn buttons outside of the central button, and have a slit in the middle of the spokes with chrome bezels at the spoke ends.  I have also seen this on various years from 67 to 73.

 

The third is a bit of an oddball but is obviously a BMW wheel.  It looks identical to the metal spoke wheel with the chrome bezels save the open slits on the spokes.  Looks like the same horn push and possibly leather wrapped given the seam at 6 O'clock and the stitching.  I found very few pictures of this wheel, but the caption on the photo was a 71 with a Lux package?  

 

So, Gentlemen, what are the application or model differences for these 3 wheels, what are the correct years, and if there were there any special designation which would have placed these wheels on which cars.  Thanks.    

 

[I'm SpaghetTii]

From what I know, and based on what is on my car, none of the wheels you posted are the correct ones. This is what is (I’m pretty sure) correct for a 73tii

It seems to me that searching “bmw 2002 1973 steering wheel” just shows the oddball or aftermarket wheels, not that much of the stock ones. So I can see why there would be some confusion.

I’d wait for someone else’s response as I’m fairly new to the community and may have this wrong but there ya go.

 

 

The closest to stock of the 3 you posted would be the first but idk if it is the same diameter and it’s spoke pattern is different, it’s more of a T shape while stock for a 73 is kinda like a Y. And it also has the same 3 horn buttons. Also, there is no rubber on the wheel. It’s hard plastic or something like that.

 

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[Gearbox]

11 minutes ago, I'm SpaghetTii said:

From what I know, and based on what is on my car, none of the wheels you posted are the correct ones. This is what is (I’m pretty sure) correct for a 73tii

It seems to me that searching “bmw 2002 1973 steering wheel” just shows the oddball or aftermarket wheels, not that much of the stock ones. So I can see why there would be some confusion.

I’d wait for someone else’s response as I’m fairly new to the community and may have this wrong but there ya go.

 

 

The closest to stock of the 3 you posted would be the first but idk if it is the same diameter and it’s spoke pattern is different, it’s more of a T shape while stock for a 73 is kinda like a Y. And it also has the same 3 horn buttons. Also, there is no rubber on the wheel. It’s hard plastic or something like that.

 

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It's just the angle of the photo, but the first picture is your wheel.  And when I say rubber, I grouped it in that plastic category rather than leather or metal.  But yes, the first picture is what most 73tii pictures I've seen, but I do see a lot of the second picture as well.  Just looking for where the variations come from as they, as I believe, are all Factory BMW wheels.    

[Simeon]

My March 73, non-tii is fitted with a padded 4 spoke.

 

As a RHD ‘euro’ car, I would have expected that BMW would have succumbed to safety concerns even earlier in the US

[I'm SpaghetTii]

It's just the angle of the photo, but the first picture is your wheel.  And when I say rubber, I grouped it in that plastic category rather than leather or metal.  But yes, the first picture is what most 73tii pictures I've seen, but I do see a lot of the second picture as well.  Just looking for where the variations come from as they, as I believe, are all Factory BMW wheels.    

Aah ok, yep just wait for someone with more knowhow then me I suppose


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[SteveJ]

First steering wheel is considered stock.

The second and third steering wheels are what we call "fire-strike"wheels.

 

Legend has it that the original supplier for the plastic steering wheels had a fire or a strike causing BMW to source steering wheels elsewhere. Circa 1970, so these pop up on cars after that. Not concours correct, but a tasteful variation.

One is on my car.

[Gearbox]

11 minutes ago, SteveJ said:

First steering wheel is considered stock.

The second and third steering wheels are what we call "fire-strike"wheels.

 

Legend has it that the original supplier for the plastic steering wheels had a fire or a strike causing BMW to source steering wheels elsewhere. Circa 1970, so these pop up on cars after that. Not concours correct, but a tasteful variation.

One is on my car.

Steve;

            Thank you so much for clearing that up.  You knowledge continues to astound me, you should really write a book before all these stories gets lost in time.  I've seen so many of the second wheel in these cars and all of them had the identical horn pushes, so the empirical answer was that they were all factory BMW wheels.  It's funny how the Porsche guys could recite the markings for every nut and bolt all throughout the years and just trying to find out what was original on our cars is like pulling teeth lol.  So, just to get this crystal clear, none of the other wheels were originally sold on any 02 and was sold as an aftermarket wheel, yes?  Thank you again, Allan

[Ensign]

Even though BMW apparently had steering wheel supply problems, their intention was to use the 3-spoke wheel w/spoke horn buttons for the 2002 and 3-spoke wheel w/center horn pad for the 2002tii. This is described in the owner’s manual:

[Conserv]

Allan,

 

Simply amplifying the prior posters, the original “fire/strike/whatever” wheel (exposed metal spokes with oval perforations) existed as a factory or dealer option “sport wheel”, outside the U.S. market, before the infamous fire/strike/whatever.  When that supply disruption occurred, however, the perforated-spoke version was not permissible as new equipment on U.S. cars — U.S. Department of Transportation rules generally outlawed such wheels as factory equipment ca. 1968.  In order to comply with U.S. DOT rules, a version with oval indentations replaced the oval perforations for the U.S. market.  I have examples of the indented spoke sport wheel dated as late as 1973.  Thus, both the Euro (perforations) and U.S. (indentations) versions were probably produced until at least 1973.

 

By now, both styles have worked their way into the U.S. market, but the indented versions are far more common here in the States.

 

More reading:

  

 

As stated previously, your car certainly came with a plastic-rim wheel having horn buttons on each spoke.  There are two different sizes of this wheel. Sometime around 1972, the size was slightly reduced.  I don’t believe we’ve yet captured a changeover date or VIN.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

Edited April 12, 2018 by Conserv

[Gearbox]

18 minutes ago, Conserv said:

Allan,

 

Simply amplifying the prior posters, the original “fire/strike/whatever” wheel (exposed metal spokes with oval perforations) existed as a factory or dealer option “sport wheel”, outside the U.S. market, before the infamous fire/strike/whatever.  When that supply disruption occurred, however, the perforated-spoke version was not permissible as new equipment on U.S. cars — U.S. Department of Transportation rules generally outlawed such wheels as factory equipment ca. 1968.  In order to comply with U.S. DOT rules, a version with oval indentations replaced the oval perforations for the U.S. market.  I have examples of the indented spoke sport wheel dated as late as 1973.  Thus, both the Euro (pergorations) and U.S. (indentations) versions were probably produced until at least 1973.

 

By now, both styles have worked their way into the U.S. market, but the indented versions are far more common here in the States.

 

More reading:

  

 

 

 

Wonderful information being uncovered here, thank you.  But now I'm going to circle back to one of my original questions.  Since the indented wheel was in fact a wheel for the US market made by, or for, BMW, what cars did they come on as original equipment?  And I'm a bit surprised as it being the more common as from spending a few hours googling steering wheels, I see the plastic cover wheel first and foremost, then the open steel spokes, and of the hundreds of photos I viewed, I had only found 2 of the indented ones.  So, these indented wheels were on delivered US cars?

[Conserv]

2 hours ago, Gearbox said:

 

...Since the indented wheel was in fact a wheel for the US market made by, or for, BMW, what cars did they come on as original equipment? ...

 

Allan,

 

For some period of time in the 1970 model year -- the period alleged to coincide with the fire/strike/whatever -- the indented wheels with pleather rims came on U.S. cars. Period. It was not the whole 1970 model year. I had an early 1970, for instance, which came with the standard plastic wheel. So it might have been the end of the 1970 year, and possibly into the early 1971 year. By no means did all 1970 or 1971 models come with the indented wheels with pleather rims. It was a subset of those cars. But we haven't -- to my knowledge -- surveyed all 1970 and 1971 '02 owners to determine the dates or VIN range.  And we don't even know whether 100% of '02's produced during the fire/strike/whatever came with the sport wheels.  There might have also been plastic wheels during that period, but simply not sufficient wheels for all '02's produced.

 

BMW wasn't doing this because they wanted to provide the sport wheel as "original equipment".  They simply didn't have sufficient standard plastic wheels.

 

An indented wheel with pleather rim sold today on eBay for $111.38.  Maybe this thread will tease out some examples of cars originally equipped with these wheels.  As I mentioned, the wheels are dated by year, so a 1971-dated wheel on a 1970 model car would clearly not be original.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

 

 

Edited April 12, 2018 by Conserv

[Mike Self]

FYI, the three spoke, horn-pushes-in-the-spokes plain black plastic steering wheel on my '73 was a bit smaller in diameter than the otherwise identical steering wheel on my '69.  I can measure 'em if you'd like as both have been replaced with aftermarket wood-rim wheels and they're hanging in my basement.  

 

The otherwise identical wheels with silver-colored horn pushes were used on the senor sixes (25/2800/Bavaria/early coupes) as an "upmarket" version (more chrome).

 

mike

[John_in_VA]

My original '02, a '70, 1673695, came with the indented wheel with pleather rim.  I never checked the car's date of birth through BMW AG, as it's been out of my life since 1992.

[Kuntacharlie]

My 71 02 ser no 1677121 came with the indented wheel with pleather trim.

['76mintgrün'02]

Which you bought NEW!