Steering wheel

[Stritzelberger]

Hi,

my Lancia Beta HPE 2000 from april 1981 is equipped with this leather steering wheel. It looks nice, I like it and I guess it ist the original steering wheel. After 40 years it has some flaws. Somebody offered a Lancia steering wheel for litte money, i saw the picture and I bought it. I compared the two steering wheels: the wheel in the car ist made ofleather and the spare part is plastic. Plastic everywhere, not a piece of leather.
This makes me curious: Did Lancia use different wheels, maybe the leather wheel for the 2000 version and the plastic one for die 1.6 version? Or ist the plastic wheel a part of the sedan version?

I would be happy to know more about the steering wheels in the Lancia Beta Hpe. Thanks in advance.

Thomas

[SanRemo78]

UK Volumex cars had leather trimmed wheels I think? Same style as other Beta's. Maybe a previous owner upgraded?

[frankxhv773t]

I'm pretty sure my VX HPE didn't have a leather steering wheel. I'm thinking it would have been an optional extra.

One of the Salvage Hunters Classic Cars episodes used an ex Rolls Royce trimmer who specialises in recovering leather steering wheels.

[WestonE]

The Various VX Coupe's I have broken all came with leather steering wheels. I do not have one for sale right now.

Try a repair kit from the Leather Repair Company. They work well.

Eric 

[Sandro]

Hi Thomas,

As far as I know the Volumex's came with an identical wheel to the standard models other than the rim part being covered in Leather.

I discovered this when I sought out a VX wheel to replace my plastic one for my standard 2000 I.E. because I didn't like the feel of the plastic wheel.
I toyed with the idea of other types of wheels but in the end decided that I'd keep the look of the car as original as possible and though opinions vary
greatly I actually like the design of the wheel.

( I've kept the plastic original one so I can switch it back but can't imagine why I'd do this.)

I found it in Germany and as far as I know he had two, I can find and share his details if you like.
But to me, judging from the photos, your wheel appears to have been 'custom-clad' because they have covered the 'centre-piece' of the wheel as well as the outer part.

if this is the case, you could simply have the outer part replaced or repaired as Eric mentioned.

A.

 

     

[SanRemo78]

Pretty sure the VX leather steering wheel also had a slightly different horn push to earlier cars, not sure about the injection cars though.
Guy

[Stritzelberger]

Thanks for your answers, quite interesting to learn every day new things about the car. It is quite possible that one of the previous owners changed the steering wheel. No real problem, the leather trimmed wheel looks  nice and looks like an original wheel. And for any reason: I have the plastic wheel on stock.

I take the opportunity to ask: With all my previous italian car it was always possible to sound the horn. My Lancia needs ignition when I want to sound the horn. Is this the normal wiring of the car or is something wrong?

Thomas

[frankxhv773t]

It sounds wrong. Electrics are dismantled on my Beta so I can't check that but both the Y10 and Dedra sound their horn with the ignition off.

[smithymc]

Seems the same as my 77 coupe-  Air horns, so compressor and relay I assume- no ignition, no horn.

Mark