Stratos Original / Replica Steering Wheel

**ProtoTipo** · 15-03-2015, 07:44

Originally Posted by ChrisC

Are you going to market the horn button Chris? Would be very interested if you are.

Not really Chris, but I might be able to make one for your's too. I'll send you a PM to explain.

**Spartan** · 15-03-2015, 16:45

Originally Posted by Desmoucelle Frederic

Surely an italian handmade reproduction fitted with Momo hub but a pretty good look...

It's not original Stratos (Stradale) but I believe it is original Ferrero, albeit perhaps from a later production run and intended for the 'aftermarket'? I have seen several pictures of these, one on a Fulvia 3 and another retrofitted (presumably) to a genuine Stratos (I wish I could find that picture now).

Apart from the 70mm PCD and the style-ised "FERRERO" logo stamping, the carcass appears to be dimensionally identical and the covering is the same bizarre 'patchwork' of moulded/pressed pieces of leather, glued in place rather than stitched. Have a look at these pictures of the back, early first (75mm PCD) then 'later' (sorry for the poor quality but best I could find):

Click image for larger version.

Name: Screen Shot 2015-03-15 at 16.01.59.png
Views: 274
Size: 475.7 KB
ID: 8072

Click image for larger version.

Name: Close-up back.jpg
Views: 275
Size: 82.6 KB
ID: 8073

It seems pretty unlikely to me that a replica would go to these lengths to copy the unseen side. And a replica - surely - would attempt to copy the Ferrero signature, rather than stamping the Ferrero logo?

It is interesting to conjecture that:

these were the idea of a Ferrero marketing-man who had the idea of cashing in on Stratos' success (not sure if there should be 2 apostrophes there)
Lancia made an original order to Ferrero for more than 500 (and something) items and these are the 'recycled' leftovers!

Whatever, I agree that it's an excellent choice for a replica Stratos and that horn button is the cherry on the cake.

**Stratie.fr** · 15-03-2015, 17:50

Originally Posted by Spartan

It's not original Stratos (Stradale) but I believe it is original Ferrero, albeit perhaps from a later production run and intended for the 'aftermarket'? I have seen several pictures of these, one on a Fulvia 3 and another retrofitted (presumably) to a genuine Stratos (I wish I could find that picture now).

Apart from the 70mm PCD and the style-ised "FERRERO" logo stamping, the carcass appears to be dimensionally identical and the covering is the same bizarre 'patchwork' of moulded/pressed pieces of leather, glued in place rather than stitched. Have a look at these pictures of the back, early first (75mm PCD) then 'later' (sorry for the poor quality but best I could find):

It seems pretty unlikely to me that a replica would go to these lengths to copy the unseen side. And a replica - surely - would attempt to copy the Ferrero signature, rather than stamping the Ferrero logo?

It is interesting to conjecture that:

these were the idea of a Ferrero marketing-man who had the idea of cashing in on Stratos' success (not sure if there should be 2 apostrophes there)
Lancia made an original order to Ferrero for more than 500 (and something) items and these are the 'recycled' leftovers!

Whatever, I agree that it's an excellent choice for a replica Stratos and that horn button is the cherry on the cake.

Thanks for these further interesting informations...and the good news considering the low price of this "aftermarket" steering wheel!

**ProtoTipo** · 16-03-2015, 08:25

Originally Posted by Spartan

Apart from the 70mm PCD and the style-ised "FERRERO" logo stamping, the carcass appears to be dimensionally identical and the covering is the same bizarre 'patchwork' of moulded/pressed pieces of leather, glued in place rather than stitched. Have a look at these pictures of the back, early first (75mm PCD) then 'later' (sorry for the poor quality but best I could find)

That's a good point David.
The 3 Ferrero wheels that I had were all trimmed in this way.
You'd think they would have got the six bolt holes with 2 holes at the top? At least it's 70mm pcd.
You've sold me on them being genuine Ferrero manufactured wheels, but I've got a feeling they could be rarer than the ones fitted to the homologation run cars?

**ProtoTipo** · 16-03-2015, 08:33

Originally Posted by ProtoTipo

You'd think they would have got the six bolt holes with 2 holes at the top?

And then I find photos of other steering wheels with the bolt holes arranged this way???
http://www.autobelle.it/annunci/publ...1382377093.jpg
http://s.sbito.it/images/85/8530787328.jpg

**Allora#2** · 16-03-2015, 17:15

Hi guys, is this a real one?

**ProtoTipo** · 06-06-2015, 12:11

Here's another genuine Stradale steering wheel.
The horn push is a rare Ferrero Lancia one, as normally fitted to the works group 4 cars. Wrong horn push for a Stradale wheel, but quite rare and hard to find:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3315721542...205%26_rdc%3D1