When it comes to the design of a car, there are several major areas that designers typically focus their time on. The exterior is, of course, the major one, translating the company's intentions and vision to anyone who sees the vehicle. Interiors are the other biggest part of a car's design, as this is where the proud owner will be spending their time. If an interior is bland, ugly, or uncomfortable, the overall experience of a car will follow that route.
Within the interior though, the steering wheel's design tends to be overlooked in terms of importance. But this is where you become one with your machine, translating hand movements into directional control. Of course, plenty of cars will just play it safe, offering a boring, but comfortable to use the wheel. And that's fine by most manufacturers and consumers, as very few people will think twice about these boring steering wheels.
But for those manufacturers who take risks in their designs, the steering wheels they dream up make the car all the more memorable. Even if it's an ugly design in an otherwise unremarkable machine, a crazy steering wheel can set apart a car from the crowd.
So read on, to see 15 of the most ridiculous steering wheels car manufacturers ever dared to design:
15 Subaru XT
Just by looking at the crisp, wedge-shaped, exterior of the Subaru XT you can immediately tell that this is a prime example of the 1980's weirdness at its peak. Fortunately for fans of the '80s aesthetic, things are just as weird on the inside. The awesome retro gauges are one thing, but even at first glance, the steering wheel stands out as one of the most ridiculous parts of the entire car. It's a strange design but cool at the same time.
14 Ford Fairmont XE Ghia
One of Ford's Australian market muscle cars, the Fairmont Ghia filled the role as the more luxurious, V8 powered version of the popular Ford Falcon. While it's a sweet little muscle car, the most memorable part of the XE generation Fairmont Ghia is that wild steering wheel. Perhaps they were trying to one-up Subaru with the 2 oddly placed spokes, or maybe they just wanted to design something unique. Either way, it's rather ridiculous.
13 Citroen DS
Spectacular inside and out, the Citroen DS is a true piece of French art. When first released to the world in 1955, it was one of the most beautiful and technologically advanced cars in the world. The interior reflects this perfectly with its stunning design, and to round things off in a memorable way the steering wheel is unlike anything any car buyer had seen before, it almost appears to defy logic and gravity - in the most beautiful way possible.
12 Citroen Karin
While the Citroen DS made its mark as a fully-fledged production car, the Citroen Karin never left the concept phase. Regardless, it's a crazy design inside and out, showcasing what Citroen believed would be the car technology of the future. One look at the steering wheel is all that's needed to understand this, as its, unlike any car, ever made, concept or production.
11 Spyker C8
The Dutch aren't well known for making cars unless that is, you're a fan of Dutch supercar manufacturer Spyker. Inspired by their aviation heritage, Spyker's cars are classy, refined, and modern, yet thoroughly vintage feeling at the same time. The beautifully finished aluminum dashboard and gauges exemplify this well, but the propeller-shaped steering wheel is the cherry on top.
10 Maserati Boomerang
There are extreme departures from the typical interior design styles, and then there's the Maserati Boomerang's steering wheel. Unlike anything anyone had ever seen or seen since this 1 of 1 concept car has one of the strangest dashboard and steering wheel layouts of all time. If you like it though, you're a bit too late, as this crazy concept could have been yours for a cool $3.7 Million.
9 Aston Martin Lagonda
A car massively ahead of its time, the Aston Martin Lagonda is the car of the future... From the 1980s. While the Lagonda is remembered under a rather polarizing light, one thing is for certain, inside and out its unlike any car to exist before, or after it. The massive dashboard display and sharp angles are cool enough, but the centerpiece is that crazy steering wheel, with its dramatic single spoke and smooth leather trim.
8 Lancia Beta Trevi
Most car enthusiasts who have heard of Lancia have heard of the extremely unfortunate case of the Beta and its all-consuming rust. The Beta Trevi happens to be a member of that terrible family, but it has one (somewhat) redeeming feature over its mediocre brothers, the interior design is absolutely ridiculous. Just look at the Swiss Cheese inspired dashboard, and of course, the simple yet strange steering wheel. Love it or hate it, at least it's different.
7 ItalDesign Aztec
Often times, when you see a crazy futuristic concept car, there's little chance the road-going version will be even close to as crazy as the concept. For the ItalDesign Aztec though, the opposite is true. Although the production run was capped at 50 cars, each of them retained the insanity of the original. Among the crazy features are that weird asymmetrical steering wheel, and the passenger side rally computer.
6 Oldsmobile Incas
While this absurd concept car was branded as an Oldsmobile, it was designed by ItalDesign as well. The Aztec's interior is crazy as is, but the Incas takes things to a whole other level of wild. You can hardly call it controls a steering wheel, as it looks more like the controls for some sci-fi aircraft than any car ever to hit the roads.
5 Mazda MX-03
The Oldsmobile Incas isn't the only crazy concept car with an aircraft-style steering wheel and dashboard. This brilliantly '80s Mazda (not to be confused with the production car MX-3) has an interior that would look not only at home 30,000 feet in the air, but also looks like a blast to command on-road as well.
4 Nissan Cue-X
The great thing about concept cars is that manufacturers that would otherwise be bound by price margins, production capabilities, and car-making guidelines can express themselves however they desire. Nissan's Cue-X is an expression of their 1980s visions of the future, with digital displays everywhere (a staple of today's cars), and an absurd yet awesome steering wheel with a control center right in the middle of the wheel.
3 Pagani Zonda R
While at first glance the steering wheel as a whole may not look all that wild compared to the other entries here, a closer look at the center of the wheel reveals some truly awesome bits of design. To begin with, that center section is made entirely out of Carbon fiber, with a simultaneously classy, aggressive, and jaw-dropping design. The coolest part though is by far the analog tachometer placed directly in the middle of the wheel.
2 Lotus Evija
Lotus' newest entry into the hypercar world, the Evija is electrifying both because of its powertrain, and its overall design. Step inside the sensational machine and you're greeted with an interior and steering wheel that's just as awesome as the exterior of the car. Squared steering wheels are nothing new, but this one takes it to the extreme, with a rectangular design that's both futuristic, and classic race car style.
1 Ford "Wrist Twist" System
Designed for Ford and Mercury by a former missile engineer, the Wrist Twist system was an experiment into the future of car control. Unfortunately, testing proved that future to not be very bright, as any power steering issues rendered the car nearly uncontrollable, and even with everything working properly, the system was so sensitive that any movement jerked the car around in a rather unpleasant manner. At least they tried to do something different, even if it failed.