Car glove
Accessoires
Warmth and grip on the steering wheel
When the car was introduced in 1886, driving in the winter was a cold affair. After all, the first cars were open, without heating, and the metal steering wheels were not yet equipped with power steering. Wearing gloves was therefore an obvious choice for the motorist. These were made of thick leather, lined with wool or fur, and fit over the overcoat. They probably didn't offer much traction. With the advent of car heating in the 1930s, driving gloves became shorter, tighter and provided with ventilation holes in the soft, thin leather. Stitching on the palm was supposed to increase grip on the handlebars. The open knuckles provided extra room to move. From the 1960s onwards, car steering wheels with anti-slip became popular, causing car gloves to fall into disuse.
Image: © Roeckl
