While innovation in the automotive sector is important, it's not always easy to innovate and achieve beauty simultaneously. Some items allow for variations, but fundamentally, little changes. Wheels, windshields, and taillights are classic examples, but when they try to change the... directionThings can go wrong, as we'll show you today with the ugliest steering wheels in history. 

When we compare cars from years ago with a current car, the steering wheel is an item that has also evolved considerably over time. 

However, attempts at radical innovation are often not well received and result in rejection by a large portion of drivers. 

And that's exactly what we're going to talk about today. 

The experts at Senhor Carros conducted thorough research and selected nothing less than the 10 ugliest steering wheels in the history of motorsport. 

Some of them were even the result of good ideas, but others simply couldn't work. 

In practical terms, none of them were able to break the imposed standards and deliver the innovations that the automakers wanted. 

So, are you ready for a show of ugliness and monstrosity? 

Let's take a look, then, at the ugliest, and why not, most bizarre steering wheels in history!

Before we show you the 10 ugliest steering wheels in history, it's important to say that this list was created taking common sense and functionality into consideration. 

You may not agree with some of the steering wheels we're going to show you today, but you'll certainly admit that some of the options are quite strange. 

Get ready for the bizarre show that's about to begin. 

The first of the ugliest steering wheels in history on our list is an old acquaintance of some Brazilians. 

Initially, he didn't seem any different from the other midfielders of the time. 

But upon closer inspection, it's easy to see that it has a unique feature: its central hub is fixed.

This means only the surrounding rim rotates, not the entire piece.

In developing the component with this feature, the French automaker intended to improve the functioning of the airbag, which is always deployed from a fixed point.

This doesn't happen with a normal part, which may be rotated at the moment of the collision.

Another major advantage of this steering wheel was the ease of use of the buttons, for the same reason: they were fixed. 

Despite the advantages, the automaker eventually abandoned the system starting with the second generation of the... C4 line.

The reason? The part was too complex and had a more expensive manufacturing process. 

When we talk about supercars, things generally change a bit.

In this segment, there is room to stand out from the crowd when compared to conventional vehicles.

However, the steering wheel of the Pagani Zonda R was one of the most eye-catching aspects of the supercar, even when compared to other machines. powerful. 

The part was extremely multifunctional, and even incorporated a tachometer! 

It might even make sense to place that display in a prominent position inside a sports car.

Ultimately, in training, the tachometer is more important than the speedometer. 

In practice, it's difficult to know if this position offered any advantages, but probably not! 

That's because Pagani didn't use that steering wheel in any other models. Understandably so, since it's one of the ugliest steering wheels in history. 

When we look at the interior of the Renault 5 Turbo, we can already tell that it's something peculiar that completely breaks away from the conventional. 

The dashboard is a crazy mix that looks more like a spaceship, and the steering wheel helps to complete this atmosphere. 

In this case, the difference isn't just the ugliness, but the asymmetrical design with two rays – one horizontal and one vertical. 

Since the rim maintained its circular shape, in theory there was no problem when riding. 

However, many buyers found this monstrous creation by Renault strange and criticized it, and the company realized it had produced one of the ugliest steering wheels in history and never made anything similar again. Thank goodness!

Those who pay close attention will notice that this steering wheel is very similar to the first option we showed, the one from the C4. 

The art of creating single-spoke steering wheels has French DNA, but the steering wheel that most marked this characteristic is that of the Aston Martin Lagonda. 

According to the British automaker, the goal with this part was to improve visibility of the instruments, which, incidentally, were already digital.

The whole ensemble created a futuristic yet minimalist look. Considering it was the 1970s, it was a true revolution. 

However, the off-center cube gave the impression that there was no steering column. 

From an aesthetic point of view, the result is still divisive today. For our experts, there is no doubt: it is one of the ugliest steering wheels ever created. 

A steering wheel can only be round, right? Wrong! 

It's not actually a square, but rather an elliptical shape, without edges. An innovation applied by Austin in the Allegro. 

According to the manufacturer, the goal was to provide better ergonomics!

When Austin launched the Allegro in 1973, it used aggressive marketing, claiming it was an innovative car. 

But in reality, the only innovative thing was the direction! 

With its outdated mechanics and controversial design, the model became a failure, but before being discontinued, the manufacturer replaced the square steering wheel with a circular one. That's something, at least.

After the square steering wheel, now we have the oval steering wheel. 

The company responsible for this innovation was the American company Plymouth with the Fury model. 

The design, which attracted a lot of attention, aimed to give the vehicle a futuristic look. 

Interestingly, the solution ended up predicting the future in a way, after all, if we analyze it, there are some vehicles today that have slightly oval steering wheels, with a flattened base and top. 

However, in 1960 this steering wheel was not well-received and became known as one of the ugliest steering wheels in history. 

So much so that the brand ended up returning to the circular format two years later. 

The North American company Edsel is usually remembered as one of the biggest commercial failures in the history of the automotive industry. 

Part of this failure has always been attributed to the design of their products. 

The brand, which was part of the Ford Group, entered the market in 1958 and lasted only until 1960. 

Among the vehicles' extravagant features was a steering wheel with buttons used to operate the gearshift. That's right, the gearshift!

If we stop to think about the butterflies used today to change gears, we can give Edsel some credit. 

However, due to the technology of the time, the button system quickly became a source of problems.

And to make matters worse, the position in the center of the steering wheel was not at all ergonomic. 

Thus, we can say that besides being one of the ugliest steering wheels in history, it was also one of the least functional. 

It's no wonder the brand didn't last long, is it?

After World War II, automotive design began to use military and space-related elements to attract attention and customers. 

In the United States, in particular, some ornaments resembled rockets, warheads, and jets, especially on vehicles considered luxury items. 

Cadillac was one of the automakers that launched this trend and offered a steering wheel with this theme. 

Although it wasn't a particularly beautiful steering wheel, there was a small problem: the ogive-shaped steering wheel, which was its biggest distinguishing feature, turned it into a veritable weapon pointed at the driver. 

This is because it could cause injuries in the event of accidents. It's important to remember that at that time vehicles did not yet have seat belts. 

In 1954, an accident involving the famous singer Sammy Davis Jr. drew attention. 

At the time, Davis Jr. lost an eye after a collision. Then, Cadillac removed the bullet-shaped steering wheel. 

The Dutch manufacturer of super sports cars drew inspiration from aviation to create a steering wheel that would stand out from the rest, but the plan backfired. 

Without an airbag and with the entire central section made of metal, in addition to being one of the ugliest steering wheels in history, it is a rather impractical piece of equipment. 

Besides not guaranteeing safety, the steering wheel also obstructs the view of the dashboard instruments. 

Just because something was developed by Tesla doesn't mean it's good or beautiful. 

Recently launched, the new joystick-style steering wheel developed by Testa for the Model S attempted to be innovative, but proved to be rather impractical. 

The manufacturer says the advantage is a better view of the instrument panel. 

However, the handling experience is quite different from that provided by a conventionally shaped piece. 

The part has already been criticized by vehicle owners: the main complaint is the difficulty in performing parking maneuvers. 

Besides the obvious lack of a proper place to put their hands in this type of situation, since there is no handlebar grip, drivers claim that they end up unintentionally bumping into the controls positioned on the steering wheel in a joystick format. 

Thus, in addition to being one of the ugliest steering wheels in history, the part has proven to be quite impractical. 

But the brand sees no problem with that, as it bets that it will soon be a museum piece. 

That's because, thanks to autonomous driving technologies, the automaker's main goal is for cars to drive themselves. 

We personally don't find it at all appealing to own a car and not be able to drive it, but as for... everything indicates This is what the future will be like. 

As every driver knows, the steering wheel is an important part of driving. Therefore, before it's aesthetically pleasing, it needs to be functional. 

As Leonardo da Vinci once said: simplicity is the ultimate sophistication!

From now on, automakers should adhere to the principle that the simpler a steering wheel is, the more beautiful and sophisticated it will be. 

Now that you know which are the 10 ugliest steering wheels in the history of the automotive industry, how about checking out the 20 ugliest cars ever produced?

To find out what the greatest horrors on wheels are, it's simple: just click below!