MOMO TAVERI RACING STEERING WHEEL
Mads van Appeldoorn
June 13, 2022
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Another signature steering wheel made by Momo
Much is known about the Momo signature series, the very beautiful steering wheels with the signatures of famous Formula 1 racing drivers, which were produced by Momo in more or less large numbers in the 70s and 80s. Again and again I come across steering wheels that I have never seen before. Like this one, which is technically also a signature wheel, even if it doesn’t belong to the famous Momo series.
I have to admit, I had never heard of Edi Taveri. But still, the name Taveri rang a bell in my ears; though, that was Luigi Taveri, the motorcycle racer. But as is often the case, there are connections, a family relationship. Edi Taveri is the nephew.
But first to the steering wheel. As with all Momo signature steering wheels, this one also has a silkscreen print. Taveri Racing and the signature of Edi Taveri. Aside from that, the wheel is based on the Momo Jackie Ickx wheel, just a different signature and it came with that rare Momo horn pad. The horn button in the photos is not included, this is the Momo Moretti helm horn button. There was no dedicated horn button, it was supplied with the Momo single arrow horn button.
Momo Taveri Racing steering wheel
Taveri Racing – Edi Taveri signature
If you only look at the back, you won’t see any difference to a Momo Jackie Ickx steering wheel like me. It is the exact same base used for other special models. The Volvo sports steering wheel is just one of them. This Momo Taveri Racing steering wheel was manufactured in November 1978, as are all Momo Taveri steering wheels.
back of the Momo Taveri Racing steering wheel
Made in Italy 11-78
Details about the Momo Taveri Racing steering wheel
Interesting fact: Edi Taveri is still alive, we emailed and he and was very willing to answer a few questions about the steering wheel over the phone. Again a few pieces of the puzzle in the history of Momo and the many small projects alongside the large series of steering wheels that were produced by Momo and sold all over the world. Edi Taveri was born in 1948 and is the nephew of famous motorcycle racing driver Luigi Taveri. The Taveri family had had a Mazda dealership in Horgen, Switzerland, since 1968 and nothing was more obvious than gaining the first driving experience in Mazda cars. The legendary Mazda 757 racing car became Edi Taveri’s second home, he still owns one of these racing cars today and regularly takes part in historic car races.
Edi Taveri had met Gianpiero Moretti a few years earlier, at the end of the 1960s at car races in Italy when Edi was a talented but quite unexperienced race car driver. But they liked each other and became friends. About a decade later, Edi Taveri asked Gianpiero Moretti if he could make a special steering wheel for him. However, the effort should remain within limits, no “new” design, no new development which would consume enormous sums of money. But still something special and Edi Taveri wanted his signature on the steering wheel. Gianpiero forwarded the request to his design team and they took the very successful Jackie Ickx wheel base from the signature series, printed “Taveri Racing” and Edi Taveri’s signature on the center spoke and fitted the wheel with a rather unique horn pad. And the steering wheel was ready for Edi Taveri. No large production, more of a small series, Edi Taveri wanted the steering wheels for his racing cars, a few for friends, good acquaintances and customers of his parents’ Mazda dealership, which he had taken over.
The entire process, from the initial idea through production to delivery, took a year. Then Edi Taveri got the steering wheels, in a neutral box with no label and with a standard Momo horn button at the time. Only one fifty pieces were made, the majority has been distributed to business partners and friends within a few weeks. Edi Taveri only kept a handful of steering wheels for himself. One, brand new and unused, is still in his possession today.
The one I have here was part of a collection I bought a few years ago from another swiss racing driver. It was in one of the boxes in my warehouse and it saw daylight for the first time in about 15 years a couple of month ago.
Again I would like to thank Edi Taveri for his time and effort to answer all the questions I had during our little chat.
