Wood, "wood", caveat emptor and all that

[JHertzman@domain.elided]

In AD7-558 Dana Loomis writes:

"Wood steering wheels were standard on the 105/115 2000-series Alfas,
including the Berlina, GT Veloce, and Spider.  According to Pignacca's
"Alfa Romeo Giulia GT," the Junior model of the coupe got the same wood
wheel with its last update in 1974, as did the Giulia Nuova Super,
according to Catarsi's "Alfa Romeo Giulia."  Pignacca lists a "volante a
corona di legna" as an option on the series III junior coupes, and shows a
picture of this wheel, which appears to have a somewhat thicker rim
cross-section and longer horn buttons, compared to the wood wheel on the
2000-series cars.  The same wood wheel is also shown in a 1750 coupe from
the same era, so I would assume it was an option for those as well (black
plastic was standard).  

"I have seen the wheels used in the 2000-series cars, the late juniors, and
the Nuova Super.  They are all the same style and are indeed made of wood.
During this time, Alfa was still using wood when they said wood and plastic
when they said plastic.  I can't testify to what they did later with the
Spider after 1974, GTV-6, or the rest."

Concurrently Andrew Watry writes:

"All the US 1750 Berlinas I have seen that were still stock have black
plastic steering wheels.  The 1972 US 2000 Berlina I parted out had a
plastic "wood-grain" wheel, while I can't remember what was on Marcus
Alley's car (which I sold him), but I think it had the plastic too.  Others
have told me all US 2000 Berlinas came with the imitation wood (but really
plastic) wheel.  Lots of folks have swapped those for real wood GTV and
Spider wheels by now though."

SO- I dug out the early brochures again. AND the parts books. The 1750 GT
Veloce first series brochure (rounded bumper, buttress seats) shows a wood-
looking wheel, and refers to the "wooden steering wheel" and "natural wood
dash". The second series 1750 GT Veloce brochure, with the later seats and the
more angular-section bumper, very clearly shows a black plastic steering
wheel. The 1750 GT Veloce/Spider Veloce parts book shows "to" and "from" parts
numbers for the coupe seats and the bumpers and pedals, but shows a single
number (105.44.23.051.00) for the steering wheel, with no alternates or
to/from dates. Fusi shows (p.666) the interior of the second series (Versione
1970) 1750 GT Veloce with the thicker-rimmed wood-look steering wheel (the
reverse of the brochure sequence) and also mentions in the text the new
steering wheel concurrently with the pedals, etc. (The 105.44 prefix on the
part number is the type number for the LHD 1750 GT Veloce; these first five
digits are normally the type number of the car for which a part was first
used.).

Naturally, I went on to the "U.S.A. Version" supplemental parts book for the
1750 coupe and Spider, and there again there was a single part number for the
steering wheel- 105.62.23.051.00, with no "to" and "from" transitions. The
105.62 prefix is not, however, the type number for the USA 1750 GT Veloce, but
for the USA 1750 Spider. (The USA coupe is 105.51)

In the case of the 2000 Berlina, the lavish brochure covering the GT Veloce,
Spider, and Berlina says, on the "2000 series specifications" page, under
Standard Equipment, "-Wood Steering wheel (Spider Veloce & GT Veloce only)"
but in a good photo of the Berlina interior shows a thin-rim wood-look
steering wheel, clearly thinner than the one in the coupe and Spider interior
shots. So- back to the parts books, this time the "world" and USA Supplement
books for the 2000 Berlina. Again, each has a single number, with no "to" and
"from" transitions. Part number 105.64.23.051.00 for the "world" version and
105.12.23.051.00 for the USA version. 105.12 is NOT the type number for the
USA Berlina, which is a 115.00; it is instead the type number for the world
version of the 2000 Berlina. So what the Hell is the 105.64 prefix of the
wheel used on the world 2000 Berlina? It is the type number of the Montreal- 

The parts book for the Giulia Nuova Super supports Dana's list to a degree and
perhaps undercuts it to a degree. It lists 105.64.23.051.00, the "world" 2000
Berlina (and Montreal) wheel as the standard wheel and also lists as
"optional" the 105.12.23.051.00 USA Berlina wheel. 

I am about to throw in the towel on documentation on this issue, whether Fusi,
Catarsi, Pignacca, or the factory brochures, and revert to a pure materials-
and-techniques approach. The steering wheel rims are circular, and wood does
not grow in circles, but in linear forms with a clear beginning and ending. To
make a circle from a line which has a beginning and an ending one must have a
joint. Some wheels have been made (primarily by the English, I believe) with
circles of plywood riveted to the metal frame. Not these. Others, generally
earlier, have been made with several solid wood segments, usually eight or
more, also riveted to the metal frame with several obvious joints. Again, not
these. The techniques of making complete circles (or other lavish curved
forms) from wood were developed by Michael Thonet of Boppard am Rhein in the
late 1830s and early 1840s. His later, fully industrialized technique involved
bending a solid rod of wood which had been steamed, and joining the two ends
in a glued-and-doweled scarf joint, either a long diagonal cut or a long
male/female V cut, either of which is clearly visible with careful examination
from the discontinuities in the grain pattern. His earlier, more expensive
craft technique involved wrapping and gluing a long veneer in a shallow
spiral. When the resulting circle, of rectangular cross-section, is shaped
into a rounded cross section, one sees a fairly normal woodgrain pattern on
the inner and outer surfaces of the circle but sees an exceedingly linear
pattern on the front and rear faces of the circle. Ergo, if you see a scarf
joint at some point around the steering-wheel rim you may have a real tree-
wood steering wheel. Equally, if you see on the face of the steering wheel a
very uniform linear pattern of the edges of many veneers, you may very well
have a real tree-wood steering wheel. If, however, you see on the face of the
steering wheel a continuous pattern of wood-grain without beginning, end, or
joint, you have something else.

"out"

John H.
Raleigh, N.C.

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