Automotive Fun Fact: First Steering Wheel

First Steering Wheel Invented in Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland is rich with automotive history.  The auto industry was started in Cleveland by a man named Alexander Winton.  Winton was a bicycle manufacturer who became interested in automobiles.  His first car designs used bicycle tires for wheels.  He formed the Winton Motor Carriage Company in 1897 and developed hundreds of patents for the automobile.  One of his most famous “firsts” was the invention of the steering wheel.  Prior to this, most automobiles were driven using a tiller.  The steering wheel gave the driver more control over the vehicle and required less energy.  To learn more about the Cleveland’s automotive history, check out Cleveland History Lessons and Ohio History Central!