Momo steering wheel

[Fairlineguy]

My S2 has a two spoke leather momo steering wheel which I would like to retain.

Can anyone recommend where in the uk I can get it recovered? Also where they original fittment as I seen on line a referance to them being fitted to JPS cars?

 

[v8vantage]

All "JPS" Esprit had the 3 spoke momo, not the 2.

[Fairlineguy]

6 hours ago, v8vantage said:

All "JPS" Esprit had the 3 spoke momo, not the 2.

Mine is like this one

https://www.benl.ebay.be/itm/Momo-two-spoke-350mm-JPS-steering-wheel-Genuine-Rare-Lotus-Esprit-Turbo-S-etc-/152256601670

[v8vantage]

The one on EBay was never fitted by Lotus, it's a Momo with a JPS logo on it. The Lotus Esprit never had any JPS logoes on it, it was done in the colours of the 1978 race team that were sponsored by JPS. Lotus called the car the World Championship Commemorative Edition Esprit S2. 

[gvy]

On 16-4-2018 at 08:26, v8vantage said:

The one on EBay was never fitted by Lotus, it's a Momo with a JPS logo on it. The Lotus Esprit never had any JPS logoes on it, it was done in the colours of the 1978 race team that were sponsored by JPS. Lotus called the car the World Championship Commemorative Edition Esprit S2. 

Oh yes, that is a genuine lotus esprit momo steering wheel. The JPS decal is not original, but the steering wheel is. 

Those were fitted on the giugiaro Turbo esprits. I have one fitted on my 1980 S2.2. The thing is , there is also a centre pad on that steering wheel, that makes it look a bit different then the one on ebay. I took some random pictures from the internet.

. 

Edited April 17, 2018 by gvy

[nello]

Funny you should mention this - when we took the 2-spoke Momo wheel off Essex No.017 - there was a JPS logo on the metal centre-ring under the 'boss' cover? The logo was definately factory - we don't think by that point the wheel had ever been removed!

Edited April 25, 2018 by nello

[Robi]

The JPS logo on these momo's is definitely original indeed... ;-)

[v8vantage]

Would be interesting to know who put the JPS logo on the wheel. JPS sponsored the race team but Lotus never had a license to brand their road cars with the logo, hence no Lotus JPS cars were built other than the team/promotional ones.

 

[drdoom]

Not hard to guess how this might came about, perhaps the deal with Momo was done far enough in advance of JPS pulling their sponsorship that a number of wheels were already produced. That batch might have then been set aside for future use and a replacement 3-spoke wheel without reference to JPS was then fitted to the World Champ series. 

[Guest]

 My understanding is the two spoke Momo was introduced on the S3/Turbo cars. I have that wheel on my S1. Took me ages to find it. Got the wheel with crash pad off  fleebay in the U.K. and the boss from SJs. Boss cost more than the wheel. I purchased them years ago and back then they were like rocking horse poo.

[v8vantage]

1 hour ago, drdoom said:

Not hard to guess how this might came about, perhaps the deal with Momo was done far enough in advance of JPS pulling their sponsorship that a number of wheels were already produced. That batch might have then been set aside for future use and a replacement 3-spoke wheel without reference to JPS was then fitted to the World Champ series. 

JPS sponsorship was only for race cars, nothing to do with the production side of the business. Hence no road cars would have JPS branding on them other than for promotional purposes as I showed in above photos. Unless Lotus was going to fit the Momo wheels with the JPS logo to race cars, they wouldn't be able to produce them for the public. I am sure Mike Kimberley can clear it up. The Momo wheels fitted to the World Champ Esprit S2 had Mario Andretti's signature on them, he received a royalty for each one.

[nello]

As mentioned previously Essex 17 definately had one of these wheels fitted which was factory. The JPS logo was under the boss cover exactly as per Robi's images - you can see the logo's are all in the identical spot so it was some kind of factory (Momo) addition. IIRC we left the Boss cover off for a while as we liked the look with holes..............

Edited December 16, 2018 by nello

[v8vantage]

9 hours ago, nello said:

As mentioned previously Essex 17 definitely had one of these wheels fitted which was factory. The JPS logo was under the boss cover exactly as per Robi's images - you can see the logo's are all in the identical spot so it was some kind of factory (Momo) addition. IIRC we left the Boss cover off for a while as we liked the look with holes..............

Thanks Nello, certainly adds to the mystery as Essex were the F1 sponsor at the time. Sounds as if they were using up whatever they had in the cupboard, as Lotus used to do, and covering up the logo with the boss. I wonder how many other Essex had this. Essex were the only F1 sponsor's logoes that appeared on the production cars.

This one on EBay has a date stamp of 1-78 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-Momo-JPS-2-Spoke-Leather-Steering-Wheel-Lotus-Esprit-/192717790203?hash=item2cdee01bfb%3Ag%3AxrgAAOSwza9b3dyQ&nma=true&si=9%2BlCVWc%2Ff0KNGQq%2BGPs435g4Zl4%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 The original Commemorative Esprit was shown with a 2 spoke Momo in October and had a JPS logo on it! Get's more interesting all the time.

 

[nello]

[Nelly]

I also have this wheel on my S2.  Didn't have the centre badge when I got the car so picked that up from Lotusbits.  Its got a horn push which is odd with the horn being on one of the stalks.

I was going to get an original, but didn't as A) they are very rare and expensive, and B) they are not very stiff - in fact I know one member has worked on a stronger version to get round this.

[GTK]

@Fairlineguy I put another TLF'er onto Joseph at Stitch Perfect for a retrim on his S2, the results were stunning, and since then I've seen Joe do the retrim on the JPS car that featured in episode 3 of my series. He's a very experienced guy, worked his trade for many years with Morgan. I haven't seen him do a wheel but at his skill level I'd be surprised if he doesn't do them. Check out his work here, oh and let him know I sent you; https://www.instagram.com/stitch_perfect/

PS I also have the S3 wheel on my S2, it was a popular swap out because it's smaller than the original S1/S2 wheel and so gives more leg/knee room.

[Fairlineguy]

10 hours ago, GTK said:

@Fairlineguy I put another TLF'er onto Joseph at Stitch Perfect for a retrim on his S2, the results were stunning, and since then I've seen Joe do the retrim on the JPS car that featured in episode 3 of my series. He's a very experienced guy, worked his trade for many years with Morgan. I haven't seen him do a wheel but at his skill level I'd be surprised if he doesn't do them. Check out his work here, oh and let him know I sent you; https://www.instagram.com/stitch_perfect/

PS I also have the S3 wheel on my S2, it was a popular swap out because it's smaller than the original S1/S2 wheel and so gives more leg/knee room.

Check out the stitch perfect Instagram link above and flick through his pictures you’ll see pictures of the S2 seats he did for me in leather and also the seats from the JPS.

He has my complete interior for this S1 to redo in green and red tartan.can wait to get the, back

[GTK]

Ha well there you are, I've a head like a sieve at the moment. I'd forgotten it was you I was referring to. The cream leather is stunning. So doesn't Joe do steering wheels?

[nello]

I bought a replacement centre from Matty's for my Turbo HC as I wanted the Yellow/Green (non-Wickens) badge. That too had a horn-push mechanism for some reason.............

[Robi]

So what about the Mario Andretti signature editions?  Were they original to a certain model?

[v8vantage]

They were unique to the 1978/79 World Championship Commemorative "JPS" Esprit S2. They celebrated Lotus and Mario winning the F1 driver and constructor championships in 1978. When fitted they had the Lotus horn button not the Andretti one, but his signature on the middle spoke above MOMO.

Roo

www.jpsesprit.com

[Tony K]

The Andretti signed steering wheels were fitted as factory equipment to the World Champion S2s, however those wheels were also sold to the general public:

[Robi]

Thanks guys.  that was the info i was looking for.  I already knew they were sold as aftermarket wheels as well.  I have collected a few over the years without really knowing they were once factory equipment to the S2.  But being a collector, it is interesting to know this kind of info.  Thanks!

[Tony K]

For what it's worth, I have been told on a few occasions over the years that a few (late?) Federal S2s were sold with them, but have always presumed that if so, they were dealer added (just like fog lights and sunroofs . . .).  

[nello]

I thought all the factory JPS S2's had an ACBC  centre?

Edited March 4, 2019 by nello