Steering wheel pad - differences in early styles

[KSalzer]

Hi,

This is a question for the true devil-in-the-details aficianados.

I've been wanting to replace the ivory steering wheel pad on my '65 230SL and just found an excellent used vintage replacement.

However, it's just a little different from my old one (have a look at the attached jpg; the old one is on the right and the replacement is on the left). The biggest differences seem to be 1) the size of the MB logo ring on the center button and a slightly different background color and 2) the type of vinyl used on the pad: the old one is pebble finish and the new one is more grainy in texture. The contemporary, new replacement pads made by MB are similar, but I believe they're now made without the ultra cool chrome ring (the more chrome on the dash the better, in my opinion!).

My question: if my new pad is indeed vintage, why would MB would produce two almost-but-not-quite-identical steering wheel hubs? That'd drive the bean counters crazy.  And which pad style would be considered earlier and which later?

What could explain these same-but-different pads?

Thanks,

Kris

[J. Huber]

I will leave this to our resident steering wheel Guru (Alfred -- you out there?) but I'd say the earlier-style pad is the one on the left. My 1963 230SL pad looks more like it -- the "outer inner chrome ring" is closer to the vinyl. Yours looks a lot like a 250SL pad (using The Lews as an example).. sorry no pics right now.

[DaveB]

all you ever wanted to know about steering wheels (thanks Alfred!): http://www.sl113.org/wiki/Interior/SteeringWheel

Your pad on the left looks like the currently available 230/250 style. As you've observed, there are several differences between the current replacement and your old original style - the new one has the larger logo ring, lacks the tiny chrome ring surrounding the plastic center button and differs in the configuration of the larger surrounding chrome ring. The colours of the plastic star and especially the vinyl darken over time so that may just be an age effect.

[66andBlue]

I am not sure whether Guru is the correct title (or job description) since these fellows don't drive Pagodas.  
Anyway, Dave already pointed out the major difference between the current replacement and the old one, that is, the small chrome ring with the tabs surrounding the plastic emblem is no longer there.
All the other differences are difficult to date, they may be simply caused by supplier changes and/or changes made on other MB models of the time. The 230SL/250SL were not the only cars with this pad. For awhile I thought that center pieces with the smallest diameter  chrome ring (the "embedded" one, although it is really grooved in) were used on non-Pagoda cars but I am no longer sure. What appears to have happened it that it got larger, therefore, the distance between the outer rim and that embedded ring got smaller.  At the same time the chrome ring with the tabs got narrower (see photo) and now it disappeared completely.
I also agree that the original MB-Tex material was smoother and less wrinkled, the current replacement looks more like leather.

[KSalzer]

Thanks, DaveB, for pointing me to the steering wheel page. And thanks to the others for illuminating me!

Kris

[thelews]

FWIW, here's an early '67 250 SL original pad with 230 SL cosmetics.  Tex interior.