Formula Steering Wheel

[Tim]

I finally managed to pick up a decent wood rim steering wheel at a moderate price. Its in quite nice condition and is an uncommon style. Having said that, it looks a little later than I would have liked for my Traveller. I'm pretty certain that its a Formula, but does anyone know what model, or when this style would have been available?

The padded centre cover has been modified with a tacky looking cooper badge glued over it, and the raised plastic ring thing doesn't belong with it.





Formula wheels were used by the Australian factory on some of our dressed up models, in the late '70s so I have a couple of Formula bosses with the padded centre caps, but they are very much in the style of the late 1970s. Was there ever a centre that allowed a standard horn push to be fitted?

Tim

[nick rogers]

Radfords used Formula wheels with a mk1 horn push in the centre. And Ted Wong is the man to ID the wheel you have.

[morris cooper]

I'm a long time fan of the Formula Wheels, I have one fitted although it currently has an aluminium rather than the standard plastic upper section. The second and third photos show the standard plastic boss parts. There are a few different shapes of the lower plastic part depending on the age. I've not seen the unusual spoke design in your photo before,
Bill

[UHR850]

I think it is an Springalex or Springall because of the square hole

[almondgreen]

Formula steering wheels have the square hole too.
They are a little smaller than Springalex holes.

The centre cover is a 70ies Formula cover with a cooper badge glued on.

The wheel is nice, I have never seen this one before.
(I have many Formula steering wheels in my collection)

[tedmcedd]

Lovely wheel!

As said, Formula wheels have the square hole too.

The centre looks like the one I have on mine, but as said, with a cooper badge glued in....

[coopertim]

Lovely seats Bill!

Love that Cooper!

Tim

[Tim]

Thanks everyone, its nice to see them with the original horn press in them, I think I prefer the aluminium to the plastic centre.

The centres that I have are similar to Ted's but they're moulded out of some kind of black foam, but made to look like leather. They have plastic leyland badges in the centre. I have two different style, one is flatter than the other - but they both scream 1970's.

I'll look at making one in aluminium, probably a bit like the Les Leston style, to fit an original badge. I may not end up using it in my Traveller, but it would be nice in a later model.

My Moke (a dressed up Californian) has a leather trimmed Formula wheel with drilled spokes, its a nice wheel, but the leather takes a beating in the Moke.

Tim

[tedmcedd]

The centres that I have are similar to Ted's but they're moulded out of some kind of black foam, but made to look like leather.

Tim, Mine is foamy, it stretches over an alloy mounting plate that is screwed to the boss behind through the wheel. The Formula badge in the middle can be taken out too, with it being foamy!

Ed

[Tim]

They sound the same. Two of mine have an alloy plate, one has a plastic one.

Tim