Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22780 Location: UK

Steve dropped me a note, and the following photograph, wondering if anyone recognises this wheel at all??

"I have a steering wheel, which I believed to be from a 50's Jowett Javelin. Some contacts have now brought this into doubt. I have enclosed a photo and hope that you might be able to identify it, and perhaps would like to acquire it from me? I have searched everywhere for an alternative, but come up with a whole lot of nothing."

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PAUL BEAUMONT · Joined: 27 Nov 2007 Posts: 1281 Location: Barnsley S. Yorks

I reckon that the contacts are spot on - it is not a Jowett Steering wheel!

47p2 · Joined: 24 Nov 2007 Posts: 2009 Location: Glasgow

I wonder if the centre motif has been turned round

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SV8Predator · Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 11:52 pm Post subject:

Phil - Nottingham · Joined: 01 Jan 2008 Posts: 1252 Location: Nottingham

It does seem extremely logical for the "upside down" picture to be the correct way as that semi-horn rim allowed full vision of instruments for most of the time and was used like that on a number of cars eg Rover P4.

No idea what this one is off - were there any British car makers/models which had small "f"

No badge like it is in my Observers books of the 1960's
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poodge · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 687

I doubt if it is British.The whole style suggests French or Italian.
Possibly a specialist bodybuilder.So?Frua,Farina,Falaschi(although I thought they had a 2-part name with Fragoni or something,so probably would have had 2 F's),Freya.Can't think of any more off the top of my head.
Greeney might have a few more ideas Very Happy

Greeney in France · Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 8:20 am Post subject:

I have been racking my brain I checked to see if Facel Vega had an earlier sign but no. The French did have some very odd small car companies
I too thought Farina was close, the arrow is significant too; I was thinking laterally with "fletcher or flèche" meaning arrow?
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Brian M · Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 9:06 am Post subject:

Can't find a picture to match this wheel, but Volvo used the same shape of shield in their P1800 steering wheels.

They also used (and still do) an arrow as part of their logo.

And finally Jensen built the first P1800's, so is it a J?

Bit tenuous I know but a possibility.
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Jim Walker · Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 1:52 pm Post subject:

I found this on the Net. The nearest on here seems to be Jenson, but......
I did find a better Logo site some time ago, but I cannot track it down again. Peter Scott seems to be the Surf Guru on here. Can you find it Peter? www.purplehell.com/riddletools/carlogos.htm

That suggestion of the centre fitted upside down made me look closer. The black part of the centre does not seem to sit well on the wheel boss. Could it be that it has been removed at some time leaving the horn 'ring' correct, but the badge inverted.

Thinking further, I imagine the top would have been dismantled to remove the wheel.
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Brian M · Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 3:24 pm Post subject:

Jim

On the subject of inverting the logo, I would bet that the horn ring could be taken off and easily fitted upside down.
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47Jag · Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 7:59 pm Post subject:

Brian,

I'm with you on this one. If you look at the shape of the horn ring compared to the wheel they don't match so the ring looks as if it's upside down on the wheel and therfore the wheel is upside down on the car. I also go with the Jensen theory. The P1800 was radical departure from the normal Volvo thinking. Are there any Jensen historians on-forum who could tell us if Jensen built this prototype and sold the package to Volvo. I can remember seeing the bodies which were built in Linwood being transported down the A74 to get final assembled by Jensen.

Art

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22780 Location: UK

I did wonder about Jensen when I was sent the photo, at first I wondered if it could be from a 541 but that seems to have a four spoke wheel. Perhaps it came from the early (1950-1957) Jensen Interceptor, I've not yet found a photo of the dash to prove it one way or another..

R
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SV8Predator · Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 8:16 pm Post subject:

Believe me chaps, it's certainly not a Jensen.

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22780 Location: UK

peter scott · Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 7211 Location: Edinburgh