The Formula 1 Real Wheel that doesn’t exist
Mads van Appeldoorn
January 22, 2022
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Wait a minute – a steering wheel that doesn’t exist?
Does that sound like an interesting story? Well, for a collector and Momo geek it does, chances are pretty big that it is just one of a kind, a prototype, something the company tried and tested and then for some reason forgot about. So what popped up here could be 1 out of 1. Let’s find out.
Formula 1 Enterprises Real Wheel
The most common and at the same time much sought after Formula 1 Enterprises Real Wheel is the early one beginning in 1967 in 15″ or 380mm diameter. For some reason most people prefer black but anyway. The wheel was available in several sizes, the mentioned 380mm (pictured below in black and silver) and in 14″ or 355mm as well as the smaller competition steering wheel, called the Formula 1 Tipo Prototipo in 10″ or 255mm and 11″ or 280mm, that was it. No other sizes.
Formula 1 Enterprises Real Wheel 380mm, black
Formula 1 Enterprises Real Wheel 380mm, silver
No other sizes. Numberous brochures and sales ads tell us so. But then I have to ask myself how in this world could it be possible to have a different size in my hands? It might even look a bit different, but I have seen slightly different versions out there with thumb pads. And, every Formula 1 Real Wheel I’ve seen so far had the circled 1 on the lower edge of the center spoke, right under the lower hole. But that doesn’t have to mean anything. In the earlier years, the Momo logo appeared in different spots, most likely accidentally.
Formula 1 circled logo, black steering wheel
Formula 1 circled logo, silver steering wheel
315mm Formula 1 Real Wheel
That’s a size that never officially existed, a 315mm Formula 1 Real Wheel or 315mm Formula 1 Tipo Prototipo if you want to see this in the line of competition steering wheels. And so there is no official explanation on why this one here exists, but it does.
315mm Formula 1 Enterprises Real Wheel
Formula 1 logo on the center spoke
There are a number of variations out there that differ from the official versions from brochures and ads. Talked to Mark Morrissey about it and he sort of confirmed what I thought in the first place. The Moretti / Momo company was a busy place in the Mid to End 60s, developing steering wheels for numerous purposes, for the official Formula 1 racing, other prototype racing cars like for example Ferrari and Porsche – as well as steering wheels for the retail industry.
So there was a huge variety of steering wheels in the making. The pre 1964 Montecarlo design looks a lot like the 380mm Formula 1 Enterprises Real Wheel so it is most likely that all the styles, designs and sizes that the Momo company was manufacturing at the time had the possibility of getting a Formula 1 Enterprises logo. As a test, as a gift to someone, for whatever reason.
Back of the 315mm Formula 1 Enterprises Real Wheel
No marking on the back
The one here doesn’t even have a marking on the back which somehow underpins the possibility of it being just a test or a even a prototype competition steering wheel for a race car. So the chances are pretty big that the number of 315mm Formula 1 Enterprises wheels is pretty low, maybe this is even the only one that exists.
