Vintage Steering Wheel? What model?

Looks to be a replica of the Nardi, down to the engraving pattern on the front of the spokes - here's a 250GT Lusso with an original Nardi version:
http://pictures.topspeed.com/IMG/crop/201205/1964-ferrari-250-gt--3_800x0w.jpg

Nardi started selling that wheel again, and calls it the Anni 60 model - Nardi Steering Wheel - Anni 60 - 380 mm Wood / Glossy

 

Except marking Walsall instead of Momo, it is very similar to the Dino 206GT (38cm) and early Daytona (40cm) Momo steering wheel, it should be from 1968/69.

 

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My '68 GTC has a Momo wheel, which as far as I can see is identical to the Nardi.

I seem to remember that Italy was plagued with industrial disputes at about that time and I wonder if Ferrari sourced components of the same or very similar design from different manufacturers in order to keep going.

 

Out of curiosity, I did a bit of web searching and came across this post from an MG forum, dating from 2004:

Good grief, this takes me back. Walsall is a small-ish town in the English
Midlands and I worked there for a while in the early sixties. While
wandering round with a local one day we came across this grotty little
workshop in a row of Victorian buildings with a sign on the front 'The
Walsall Wheel Company'. I made a bit of a joke about Walsall only needing
one wheel or something and was told proudly that they manufactured quality
steering wheels for the likes of Ferrari. Walsall *is* (or more likely
'was' these days) famous for leather goods including horse and bicycle
saddles. Probably long gone by now except in the archives of the local
library.

There are several references to them making wheels for Les Leston (a long defunct business selling performance parts for MG, Austin Healey, Lotus and the like) and one reference points to a current E-Bay seller in the US, selling new Nardi wheels.

I wonder if there was some sub contracting done in those more 'difficult' times!

 

I just happen to have the steering wheel currently off my '67 330 GTC to repair the dreaded broken indicator stalk. This prompted me to take a close look at it. It turns out to be a MOMO as well, I had always just assumed it was a Nardi.

It's very similar to the one Geno showed, except the finger groves on the back side are not as defined.
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Marc Wallach sent me a Walsall wheel one time when I sent him a black line 16 inch Nardi for repair. I called him and told him it said Walsall on the back. Marc said there was a period when Ferrari had a dispute with Nardi and sourced wheels instead from the English Walsall company.

 

1967 330 GT series II produced Dec '67. Has Momo Wheel picts look identical.
Cheers Warren

 

Last week, at the Auto Moto d'Epoca fair in Bologna, I spoke to an employee at the Nardi stand.
According to what I was told, Nardi produced steering wheels (42 centimeters in diameter) for Ferrari until 1965.
Subsequently the steering wheels for Ferrari would have been produced by other brands (which he did not tell me) and, since then, they would have been of 40 centimeters in diameter.
The above is what I was told but perhaps the diameter issue is a little more complex than how it was described to me. I seem to have read that the buyer of a Ferrari in those years could, within certain limits, choose the diameter of the steering wheel (for example 40 or 42 centimeters).

 

40 cm for sports cars
42 cm for larger cars(ie 2+2 etc.)
walsal was briefly used when momo was not available.
most common wheels were nardi and momo.

 

i understand that gtc
cars with power steering are smaller in diameter - true or not?

 

330/365gtc/gts has 400 mm momo wheels