Car Culture
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ by Mark Llewellyn ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Necker Knobs Used on hot rods and most popular in the 1950’s, “Necker Knobs” were attached to the steering wheel and swiveled. This allowed the driver to put one hand on the wheel and the other around his girlfriend, allowing the opportunity for the driver to kiss his girl on the neck while driving! It was also known as a ”Suicide Knob”, “Granny Knob”, and a plain “Steering Wheel Spinner”. Perhaps the most common name was a “Brodie Knob”. It was named after the “bridge jumper” Steve Brodie. Mr. Brodie is best described as a daredevil of the late 1800’s. Drivers would use the knob to spin the steering wheel rapidly and while spinning the rear tires they could whip a 180° turn or a half donut and take off the other way. This is where we got the term, “lay a Brodie”! Auto parts stores sold a variety of these knobs in the 50’s and 60’s. They had everything on them; product logo’s, colors, and women! Brodie knobs are more common today on commercial equipment like fork lifts, riding lawnmowers, and tractors. They allow sharp turns with on hand while working accessories or a shifter with the other. The advent of power steering really caused the demise of the “Brodie Wheel”. An original “Brodie Wheel” can be a fun find at a local swap meet. Keep your eyes out!
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