Skip to main content

It seems like two different steering wheels were initially installed on the Pushbutton cars. There is a two spoke wheel and three spoke wheel. Pictures of both follow. Does anyone know about this, or if there is a sequence of steering wheels issued to the 75 Pushbutton cars?

Here is the two spoke on car #1350

Attachments

Images (1)
  • 1350Dash1m2010Melton
Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

If a push button Pantera was originally sold in Europe it should have the expensive two spoke wheel to be original.

Someone within Ford didn't like the two spoke wheel, the story goes they thought it was unsafe. Roll eyes. The last push button cars manufactured under De Tomaso were shipped to the US and were retro-fitted with the 3 spoke Capri wheels as they were prepped for sale in North America (chassis 1286 through 1382). The 3 spoke wheel was original to all others.

Of course there may be exceptions … there's always exceptions.
The story I have heard somewhat matches what George shared.

My understanding was that United States DOT found the two spoke wheels were unsafe as they lacked the ability to collapse in an accident.

I heard they were removed by the hundreds at an LA shop that Ford contracted with and tossed on a shelf in a pile. I was told Gary Hall bought a small number of them and the rest are thought to have just been disposed of.

Whatever the real story is those two spoke wheels are now very rare and priced accordingly.

Larry
quote:
retro-fitted with the 3 spoke Capri wheels as they were prepped for sale in North America


Actually, although the three-spoke steering wheel looks a lot like the Capri steering wheel, it's different and designed and drawn by detomaso sometime in 1970.

So the wheel had been planned for some time prior to the introduction of the Pantera to the market.

I know that for a fact, as I have the blueprints of the original steering wheel drawing from the Detomaso Design studio (among the rest of the drawings of the car).

My car #1267 is a euro car, and it has the 2-spoke Ferrero steering wheel.

Also note, that there are different versions of that wheel, the detomaso version having "ferrero" insignia on the left spoke.

The one on ebay is the lancia version and has a different insignia.

Add Reply

Post
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×