Steering wheels & columns on 1971-1972 Chevrolet full-size cars

[Guest Shaffer]

Hopefully some GM person (hopefully someone who worked for GM back in the early 70s) can help me figure out this question. It may sound crazy. Anyway, I recently owned a 1971 Chevrolet Caprice 4dr. It was very luxurious (for a Chevrolet). It had no power windows or locks, but it was optional. The interior was very "plush", even as "luxurious" if not more than some of the base Electras of the same era. The carpet was not as plush, but the door panels had a more elegant look I think than the base Electra for 1971. My question is: Why did the 71-72 full-size Chevrolets have a "cheap" looking steering wheel and column. Even the top of the line Caprice. It steering wheel and column had the same look as the other GM cars, but by saying "cheap" I mean they were all black. They was not color-keyed. They still was cushioned in the center and had woodgrain in the center (Caprice). What makes this more bizarre, is that the 65-70 Caprice had color-keyed steering wheels and columns, and if not mistaken, even the plainer Impalas even Chevrolets as far back as the early 50s that I know of, have color-keyed wheels and columns. Most people that may have not owned a 71-72 full-size Chevrolet may not have known this, but its true. In 1973, the Caprice had a color-keyed wheel and column, and it was cushioned, like the Electras. Whats more bizarre than the 65-70 Caprices having the color-keyed wheel, is that the more luxurious mid-size Malibu 71-72 wagons had the color-keyed wheel, but not the top of the line full-size Chevrolet wagons. Even the earlier Malibu wagons had the color-keyed wheel. Ford and Plymouth had the color-keyed wheel and column on their cars in 71-72. And I know that all of the rest of the GM line (Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick, and Cadillac) used color-keyed steering wheels (unless the car had black interior and of course the wheel was black) Even the base Pontiac Catalina in 71-72 (the next step up from Chevrolet) had a color-keyed wheel. Maybe someone knows what GM was thinking back in 71-72 on the full-size Chevrolet steering wheels. Maybe they thought it was a sportier look? Not a big deal, but I like the color-keyed wheels and since the 71-72 Chevrolets are among my favorite cars, I would like to know. Any info helpful and appreciated. Thanks. <P>Tony<BR>----------------<BR>72 Buick Electra (color-keyed cushioned wheel and color-keyed column) LOL<BR>89 Pontiac Safari wagon<BR>91 Honda Accord<P>(Also as I am watching the 1972 movie "Duel" for the 1,000,000th time, I notice that even the 1972 Plymouth Valiant the Dennis Weaver is driving has a color-keyed steering wheel) <BR> <P>[ 09-07-2001: Message edited by: Shaffer ]<P>[ 09-07-2001: Message edited by: Shaffer ]<P>[ 09-09-2001: Message edited by: Shaffer ]<p>[ 09-09-2001: Message edited by: Shaffer ]

[66400]

My guess would be it's simple to provide one color on the production line rather than multiple colors. Henry.

[Guest Shaffer]

It still seems odd though, that all of the big American cars in 71-72, that the Chevrolet was the only one like this.

[Guest Shaffer]

Did Chevrolet just cutting a corner on this? These cars are still well-built, despite that and they seem to be built as well as Fords of the same era and better built than Plymouth. Certainly heavier according to the books.<p>[ 12-29-2001: Message edited by: Shaffer ]

[Guest]

This is a simple one...you can have any color so long as its black....a very wise old and now dead man said that once upon a time....Henry Ford if I am not mistaken. <BR> Is more cost effective....one color,10 bazillion wheels, more money in bank to spent on other things. <BR> As to "Duel"...LOL, I love that movie...poor Dennis Weaver!!! I NEVER get tired of seeing that KW send that Mojo for one heck of a ride!!! <BR> As you stated, the earlier and later Chevs. had color keyed wheels, later ones did I gather because they probably got a lotta slack for going to an all black wheel for those 2 years...Chev truck has that for lotta yrs.

[Guest Shaffer]

Thats what I could not figure out, is why the 70 Chevrolet and the 73 Chevrolet had the color-keyed steering wheels and columns, with the 73 being "custom-cushioned" on the Caprice model. Even the Luxury midsize Malibu Estate wagons had the color-keyed wheel for 1971-1972, but I think the plainer Chevelle sedans and coupes also had the black wheel/column. I suppose one could change one from a 73-76 Chevrolet, if they wanted a color-keyed wheel, but the column would still be black, unless they changed that too. I had not even realized that the 71-72 Chevrolets was like this until I bought a 71 Caprice last fall. I thought it was odd for the luxury full-sie Chevrolet to have a black column/wheel. Looks like the 71-72 Chevrolet was the only 71-72 GM full-size car to have this, as even the plainest 71 Pontiac Catalina has a color-keyed wheel. At least by 73, Chevrolet changed this. It gave it a much better appearance.

[Guest Shaffer]

As a reply, I just got my 1973 Ford station wagon sales brochure and it looks as if the 73 Ford Torino wagons (midsize) was also like the 71-72 Chevrolets in the fact that they had black wheels and columns. However, by 73, Chevrolets was color keyed. Another interesting note- I think the older Torinos was the same was as well, at least the 72s was, with black wheels and columns, where the mid-size Chevrolet Malibus was color keyed for 71-72 (top of the line Estate wagons).<P>Tony<BR>72 Electra<BR>89 Safari<BR>91 Accord<p>[ 12-29-2001: Message edited by: Shaffer ]

[Guest Shaffer]

The original post is a little old, but this evening, I found another car of the early 70s, that had a black only steering wheel and column. Tonight, on E-Bay, I seen a 1974 Chrysler Imperial LeBaron (Chryslers top of the line competetor to the Cadillac and Lincoln), with a all-black steering wheel and column.<P>Here is the car:<BR> <A HREF="http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1823702650" TARGET=_blank>http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1823702650</A> <P>If you scroll down and look at the photos, you can see it has a brown interior, but a black wheel and column. With this being a top of the line luxury car, it is obviously not a cost cutting action. The Imperial, like the Chevrolet, also had a color-keyed wheel and column before. I am not sure exactly what year Imperials had the wheel and column, but this 1969 Imperial:<BR> <A HREF="http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1821966600" TARGET=_blank>http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1821966600</A> <P>has a color keyed wheel and column, as did Chevrolet until 1971 and until 1973. Also, Honda Accords had a black wheel and column from 1986 to 1993, but the 1985 and older Accords had color-keyed wheels and columns. Honda Accords are/was not cheap cars ($15-19,000 for a 91 LX 4dr), so I am thinking it was maybe supposed to be a sporty style, rather than a cost cutting measure. Since the older models of ALL of these cars had a color-keyed wheel and column in some years before and all of these cars went back to colored-keyed wheel and columns. Chevrolet in 1973, Torino in about 1974-1975, Honda in 1994 and not sure about the Imperial LeBaron.

[NTX5467]

One reason you will see those year to year variations, according to the DeLorean book of the early 1980s, is the costs involved. If the accountants said to get so much production cost out of the vehicle that particular year (before they would approve it for production), at that point in time they had few choices other than easy to change things like interior fabrics, tires, carpet, and items related to production line complexity. The black steering wheels also decrease the "down the road" costs to stock each of the various colors in the warehousing chain after the vehicles are built. <P>I checked my 1975 Chrysler parts book and it lists 7 different colors for their steering wheels (in each of their different cars), yet only one steering column jacket (which means it and the other exposed items would be "paint to match" in the correct color). Chrysler usually did not vary their trim items that much each year, but just like GM or Ford, if the car needed a steering column assembly to keep the line running and a black one was all that was available and it looked acceptable, that's what the vehicle got. <P>Similar if the build order specified a tilt wheel and all they had was a non-tilt column. In that case, the dealer had the option of taking a rebate on the vehicle in the amount of the cost of the option or being supplied a complete column assembly by the assembly plant and warranty picking up the tab for the swap out and return of the wrong column to the factory.<P>I suspect the GM situation had more to do with cost factors than anything else, but the Chrysler in question probably got the black one as that's what the production line worker could put his hands on in the absense of the Chestnut colored column/wheel assembly as that particular car came down the line.<P>Enjoy!<BR>NTX5467

[Guest]

I bet all the union strikes had something to do with a shortage of colored columns.

[72Buickguy]

I recall black steering columns and wheels in Olds Toronados around the 71-73 years. This is what is shown in the sales brochures. It might have been to better blend in with the black plastic that the dash cluster was made of too.<P>As for Chevies, GM cheapened them every year after 1968. In 1968, the interior of an Impala had carpeting on the lower door panels. This was removed for 1969. The Caprices had it until 1970. The number of factory options was reduced after 1968 too. <P>One other consideration might be that the 'new for 1971' Chevies ended up costing GM more than originally planned to build. The fix is to remove the cost from somewhere in the car. It's probably a little less expensive to only order and stock black columns and wheels. By 1973, GM may have raised the price of Chevies enough to cover the extra cost. I'm sure they know exactly how much a car costs them to produce.

[Guest]

It's true, all 74 Imperials had a black steering wheel. In 75 they went back to having matching colors.

[Centurion]

Am I not correct in thinking that the last Imperial (until the two reincarnations in the early '80's and early '90's) were built in '74, and that the same car then became the Chrysler New Yorker through '78?

[NTX5467]

Correct, the 1973 and earlier Imperials were on a stretched version of the Chrysler C-body platform, having about a 127" or so wheelbase instead of the normal 124" wheelbase as the other Chryslers did. Prior to the 1967 version (when the Imperials became a longer wheelbase version of the Chrysler C-body platform), they had their own unique body/frame construction car on a 129" wheelbase. About the only thing that carried over was the engine and transmission with the other Chryslers, from what I could tell.<P>The new for 1974 C-body platform had the Imperial and Chrysler on the same wheelbase for the first time. The Imperial, naturally, had fancier and different interior trim and the waterfall grille while the other Chryslers had more traditional grilles and such. When the Imperial was discontinued on that platform, the same car became the 1976 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham.<P>One significant difference in the 1974 style Imperials and the regular Chryslers was the availability of 4 wheel disc brakes with optional "4 wheel anti-lock". The rear disc brakes were standard equipment, but the anti-lock was optional. It was an advanced system (for the time) with two levels of brake pressure in the apply/release cycle instead of being just for the rear wheels and either "on" or "off" as Ford and GM did with their anti-lock systems. It was a low sales item and died with the last of those Imperials. Being a 4 wheel anti-lock system, it allowed the driver to steer and stop just as with the current systems instead of just being concerned with the rear wheels locking up.<P>Enjoy!<BR>NTX5467

[Guest]

Here's a thought -- The complete instrument panel area in front of the driver is black (and mostly black plastic) on the 1971 and '72 full-size Chevys. I believe that's why the steering wheel and column are also black -- so they match. In 1973, that area became color-keyed and so did the wheel. I agree with you that the '71s were great cars. My dad bought one new (a late '71 Impala with the reduced number of trunk louvers) and loved it. After '71, it was downhill all the way in the styling department.<BR>Tony Hossain

[Centurion]

Tony H,<P>It's fun to hear that someone else noticed that GM reduced the number of decklid louvres on its full-size cars during the course of the '71 model year. My '71 Centurion was an early-built car (Body No. 125 from the Southgate plant), and has 54 decklid louvres. LeSabres and Centurions built shortly after mine had only 36 louvres (if memory serves me correctly). I agree, too, that styling changes made during the life of the '71 body design (through the '76 models) were not changes for the better.

[Centurion]

Rocketraider,<P>Thanks for clarifying why I have been unable to find "Musclecar Review" -- one of my favorite magazines -- on the newsstands recently. This is indeed a sad loss!

[rocketraider]

Might this be the same Tony Hossain who used to write for Car Review magazine? and did a bang-up article on 60s Oldsmobile Starfires?<P>All through its Muscle Car Review incarnation it was a great and informative magazine. Unbiased, everyone got equal coverage. And then Petersen bought it. I thought, hot damn, now we have access to all the massive Petersen files. Early this year, MCR was quietly killed off and my subscription was changed to Hot Rod. I quit HR some ten years ago. I mean, how many 1st generation Camaro and small block Chevy build-up articles can be written before things get redundant?<P>

[Guest]

Rocketraider,<BR>Yes, same guy. Glad you enjoyed the Starfire article!<BR>Tony

[Guest Shaffer]

There has been some interesting topics here. 1) I never noticed the different number of louvers on the 71 GM cars. I do not remember how many my old 1971 Chevrolet Caprice sedan had. 2) Someone also mentioned that the 71-73 Oldsmobile Toronados had the black columns and wheels. I had a 71 Oldsmobile Toronado years ago. It was burgundy, with black interior and vinyl top. I think most of them had a black interior as well. I have a sales brochure and I think all had a black interior, but I may be wrong. Another car with a black wheel and column regaurdless of interior color was the 1972 - at to least 1973 - maybe later Ford Torino and Gran Torinos. <P>Also, someone mentioned that Chevrolets steadly got less luxurious in the very late 60s. With the carpeted door panels even on the 67 Impala. I have a 1967 Chevrolet factory sales brochure and a 1967 Chevrolet Caprice Custom sedan advertisement. Some of you may have seen it, as there is several on E-Bay - actually, here is a link to one of them: <BR> <A HREF="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1099664490" TARGET=_blank>http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1099664490</A> <P>This car even has the optional fender skirt option. Ironically, the ad states: "The Caprice looks as luxurious as a you know what"? The car looks as luxurious as a Cadillac. The interior looks as nice as a 1967 Cadillac and maybe even nicer than a base 1967 Cadillac Calais. <P>Here is another one of the 1967 Caprice Custom coupe:<BR> <A HREF="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1099694391" TARGET=_blank>http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1099694391</A> <P>And here is one for another 67 Caprice 4dr, but this one does not have the fender skirt option like the first car does:<BR> <A HREF="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1099694180" TARGET=_blank>http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1099694180</A> <P>Obviously my old 71 Caprice was not as luxurious as my old 72 Electra, but it was still a luxurious car. It had tilt wheel, fender skirts, A/C, factory am/fm 8-track, vinyl top, wide rocker panel mouldings, chrome trim around taillights, upgraded cloth interior, (with a unique pattern similar to the other upscale GM cars for 1971-1972 with cloth interior), color-keyed seat belts, arm rests (front and rear I believe) heavily woodgrained dash panel accents, loop pile carpeting, a lot of courtesy/interior lights, woodgrain and chrome accents on the doors, as well as carpeting on the lower door panels. Someone (72Rivguy)? a few posts back said that the last year for carpeted door panels on Caprice was 1970, but my 1971 Caprice had it, as well as 72 and newer Caprices I have seen (4-door models). Still, I think that the late 60s Caprices was a little more luxurious than the 71-72s. Also, optional on these cars (71-newer Chevrolets) was: power windows, power locks, automatic climate control, deluxe hubcaps, power seats, light warning package which included; low fuel, door ajar, trunk ajar) and more options. Also, according to the sales brochure, they was a option on all of the full-size Chevrolet models, although I am sure that almost none of the 1971 Chevrolet Biscaynes and Bel-Airs did not have these options, if so, very few. It did show a rather plain 1971 Chevrolet Bel-Air sedan with fender skirts. Most of the Biscaynes and Bel-Airs of the early 70s was taxi cars. There is a 1971 Biscayne sedan about a mile from here ruining in the field. I had gotton some parts off of it when I had my old Caprice. I was suprised to see it, as the Biscayne of the early 70s was rare. Still, I found it odd that even the most luxurious Chevrolet for 71-72 had the black wheel and column in the full-size cars. Also, Ford had a little "cheapness" of its own in 1971 and 1972, on its full-size cars (Custom, Custom 500, Galaxie 500, LTD and LTD Brougham) which is also ironic. If no one has ever noticed, the top part of the dash on the driver side is hard plastic on the 1971 and 1972 full-size Fords. It is only padded on the passengers side. This also seems like a cost cutting measure. The 1970s, which was basically the same car had a fully-padded dash. Again, as with Chevrolet for 1973, Ford switched back to a fully padded dash pad with its redesign. Also, Pontiac for 1971-1973 had a partially metal dash from the windshield to about half way back, which is something none of the other GM cars had. I do not know if this reduced cost or not. It does not look cheap, as the Pontiacs was luxurious cars, especially the Grand Ville, but this dash design looked different. Actually it made the car a little more sporty, which is actually what the Pontiac line was - a sport/luxury car. I guess all cars had some type of cost cutting tactic in the early 70s, or they simply may have had some other reason for these odd designs.<P>Thats a lot of typing!! <P> <p>[ 05-03-2002: Message edited by: Shaffer ]

[Guest Shaffer]

This 73 Chrysler New Yorker has a color-keyed wheel and column. Strange that the 74 Imperials went to black. Actually, with the way that the early to mid 70s cars was equipped, it is not so odd. <BR> <A HREF="http://www.countryclassiccars.com/cars/73rny2.jpg" TARGET=_blank>http://www.countryclassiccars.com/cars/73rny2.jpg</A>

[Guest Shaffer]

I know this topic is a little old, but recently I found another early 70s full-size GM car, also equipped only with black steering wheels and columns. I have noticed that all of the 1971-1972 Oldsmobile Toronados also have black steering wheels and columns. This is Oldsmobiles top of the line personal-luxury car and you would think that they would have color-keyed wheels and columns. I used to have a 71 Toronado years ago and it had a black wheel and column, but it had black interior, which is understandable why it had black wheel and column. Never was important, but would interesting to why GM used only black wheels and columns in their 71-72 full-size Chevrolets (Biscayne, Bel-Air, Impala, & even the top of the line luxury Caprice), and the 71-72 Oldsmobile Toronados, that had different colored interiors. Both switched to color-keyed columns in 1973 and also had the color-keyed wheels/columns in 1970.