Rim Blow

Rim Blow was a type of steering wheel featured on several American automobiles in the period 1969-1973.

The Rim blow wheel replaced the traditional horn button-style switch with a rubber pad that ran around the entire inner surface of the steering wheel rim. By applying pressure to the soft rubber inner rim of the wheel, drivers could activate the car horn without moving their hands from the wheel rims. Technical issues, such as hardening (difficult to activate) and shrinking (causing the horn to sound without activation) of the rubber, and a lack of customer acceptance led to the discontinuation of the Rim Blow steering wheel after only a few short years.

Dates of Rim Blow Installation
General Motors


 * Cadillac - 1969
 * Buick - 1969-1971
 * Oldsmobile - 1969-1971

Ford


 * Ford - 1969-1973
 * Mercury - 1969-1973
 * Lincoln - 1970-1973

Chrysler


 * Chrysler - 1970-1973
 * Dodge - 1970-1974
 * Plymouth - 1970-1973

American Motors


 * AMC - 1970-1971