Alpina Steering Wheels by Momo – Rare Variants & Context
Built for a few — remembered by even fewer.
by Mads – Last updated April 2026
There are Momo steering wheels.
And then there are the ones you don’t see twice.
Alpina wheels belong to the second group.
Not because they were radically different –
but because they were never meant to be common.
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Momo x Alpina
Momo didn’t just build steering wheels for its own catalogue.
From early on, it supplied selected manufacturers, tuners, and coachbuilders — Ferrari, Porsche, Lotus, Abarth.
And Alpina.
But unlike large OEM programs, Alpina wasn’t about volume.
It was about small numbers, specific cars, and a very defined audience.
That shows in the wheels.
First known Alpina wheels (mid 1960s)
Flat. Large. Simple.
Typical specs:
- Around 380 mm
- Flat construction
- Wooden or leather rim
- Based on existing Momo designs of the period
One example:
A wooden 380 mm wheel produced around 1966/1967
Backside markings:
- PAT. MOMO ITALY
Design-wise, these wheels sit close to early Momo production –
not a separate line, but an adaptation.
What makes them Alpina is not the structure.
It’s the context.
Shared design language
Momo reused its designs constantly.
That applies here too.
The Alpina wooden wheels follow the same visual logic as other Momo wheels of that era:
- thin spokes
- clean geometry
- no excess
They were not designed from scratch.
They were selected.
Second phase (mid 1970s)
By 1974–1976, things become more familiar.
Typical specs:
- 350 mm
- Semi-dish
- Leather rim
- Silk-screen printed ALPINA branding
Backside markings:
- “MADE IN ITALY”
- “MADE IN ITALY M20340”
Applications:
- Alpina 02 series
- Alpina E21
This is no longer early experimental Momo.
This is structured production —
still limited, but more defined.
What actually makes them rare
Not the design.
Not even the branding.
It’s distribution.
These wheels were:
- not sold broadly
- tied to specific builds
- produced in comparatively small numbers
Which means today:
You don’t search for them like a catalog model.
You find them — if they happen to appear.
Condition reality
Especially with early wooden wheels:
- cracks from temperature changes
- dried or damaged finish
- previous restorations (good or bad)
Good originals are rare.
Properly restored ones are even rarer.
Alpina Context
ALPINA started in the early 1960s with performance upgrades for BMW.
Key phases:
- 1960s → carburetor and engine tuning (BMW 1500/2000)
- 1970s → 02 series, motorsport success
- 1980s → turbocharged road cars (e.g. B7 Turbo)
The brand always sat between:
- manufacturer
- tuner
- independent identity
Exactly where these steering wheels live, too.
Final Thought
Alpina steering wheels by Momo are not special because of how they look.
They’re special because of where they came from.
Small runs. Specific cars. Limited context.
You don’t collect them for variation.
You collect them because they existed at all.
