Nardis were obvously the wheel to have in the late 50's In order: 1957 410 Super America Series II 1961 Aston Martin DB4GT 1957 Mercedes Benz 300SL Gullwing Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
DB4GT I venture to say is a later production, w non original hub. I could be wrong 300SL is a period option, in a period configuration, hub and horn button included. No issues with Series II 410, tear drop, flat Nardi. Thank goodness, I have all this spare time on my hands, retired (retart.......d some may(will) say)
Tom, I agree with you regarding the Ferrari's wheel looking right and the DB-4; in the picture, the wheel looks like one of the ones Nardi is making today - slightly smaller diameter. I'm not sure about the SL; it looks great but for some reason not 100% to me - modern reproduction maybe? 410SA, The cars look great (inside and out), I'm just picking nits... Regards, Art S.
"A," thanks for sharing the pics of your collection in this and the other thread! Shouldn't it look more like these? (DB4 GT, DB4 GTZ and DB5, respectively.) Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
The SL Nardi Wheel was delivered with the car AFAIK. Size wise the DB4GT wheel is a little smaller than the other two, possibly due to the fact that it was raced in the early and mid 60's and a smaller wheel may have been better in that environment. The DB4GT wheel has a diameter of approx 15.5 inches and the 410 and SL wheels are approx 16.5 inches. The DB4GT wheel has a hub and horn section that looks just like the 410 but the Ferrari horn button feels flatter. The SL and DB4 both have the Nardi script signature on the right spoke.
I didn't think Nardi signed their wheels so prominntly back then. All of the Nardi wheels I've seen on Ferraris are not signed. Can anyone clkarify this for me? Regards, Art S.
Hate to disagree with Tom.... But, for what it's worth, I've been a 300sl owner for many years and don't think that Nardis were official 300sl options. I understand that they were aftermarket products. Interestingly, the Gullwing has flip-up (fat man) steering wheels and there were some Nardi versions made in the period. They are rare and sought after. A number of Nardi style wheels were also made after Nardi discontinued them. I understand that the signature on these is slightly modified..... Nardis look great on 300sl's - much like the 300slr wheels....
If you bought a 300SL would the dealer install a Nardi? Dealer installed option? Porsche too! What are the PCA ruling on Nardis. Curious, not confrontational. Is there a Mercedes judge out there that can clarify. The 300SL wheel appears to be a period wheel, not a repop or cheesy 70's style wheel with 6 bolt pattern, behind the horn button.
Hi Guys The steering wheel on the SA looks exactly (Hub, Rim, Horn Button) like the one on my 330GT, except for the slotted spokes. Does that mean that I might have a Nardi steering wheel? Or that the Nardi and Ferrari Wheels were that much alike? Cheers Warren
Warren, you have a Nardi steering wheel, which was original equipment on your 330 GT, as it was on most (if not all - I don't have time to think of any possible exceptions right now) Ferraris of that period.
Wayne, I heard that some of the later 330 wheels, while quite similar in apearance are ctually made by Momo. Regards, Art S.
The Nardi wheel shown on the DB4 looks identical to the Nardi wheel I have hanging on my wall as a display item. Same diameter, same spokes, same dish, same cutouts, same inlay. It was purchased new in the early 90's IIRC. You can see that the rim is considerably fatter than the rim on the older Nardi wheels. I find it hard to believe that wheel was on that car in the 60's. Edit: Mine is stamped on the back "Made In Italy" and serial number 18978. It's obviously a generic "fit all" wheel.
Interesting, but I didn't think that Momo had begun making streering wheels for road cars until the early 1970s. I just did a quick search and found this, which mentions that road car wheel production began in 1970. Can't attest to the accuracy, of course: http://www.autocarparts.com/p_MOMO/
Wayne, I've had several people tell me that my wheel is a Momo while others swear it's a Nardi. Mine has the thumb groove in the wood and should be original to my car (12-65 NY delivery). Regards, Art S.
The wheels on the DB4GT and the 300SL are identical in look, finger indentations, colored ring inlays and the signature "E Nardi" in script on the right spoke. They both have a stamped "Made in Italy" mark on the rear of the right spoke. The only difference between the two is the size, with the DB4GT wheel being approx 1 inch smaller in diameter. The wheel in the 410SA is identical to the 300SL in everything except for the signed Nardi script. These are simply my observations in looking at the wheels. I have no specific knowledge of whether they were options, add-ons or OEM equipment. I just know they look really cool all lined up in a row.
My wheel (330 GT 10069 - Date of Manuf. 12/06/67) has MOMO formed into the back of the lower spoke near the rim. I have no reason to think it is not original. And if I remember yours Art, it looks the same. Cheers Warren
Warren, I've heard from several sources that mine is a Momo, I never bothered looking for the mark - thanks for confirming. Once I get my car back from Francois' (someday soon I hope - I'm sure Yale will jump in at some point making fun of how long my car has been there... ), I'll take a look for myself. Regards, Art S.
Hi Art: Nah - Yale wouldn't pick on anyone - and just for info - does his car have a MOMO wheel? And also, take a look at my wheel shown in the picture in Kerry's database and see if you can confirm that mine looks like yours. My memory of yours may not be right. The fitting of MOMO wheels prior to the 1970 date suggested in the MOMO link found by Wayne might be no more significant than the fact that since they were making wheels all along on a custom basis, why not put them on a limited production auto? MOMO would not need the same production capacity needed if offered to the public. I wonder if any found their way onto the GTB's, GTC's, and GTS's of the same time period. Cheers Warren
Warren, That's the same wheel as mine. I'll see if i can get more info when I get to my office tomorrow. Regards, Art S.
