Lusso Cloverleaf

Life goes on and if you follow my blog, you remember that earlier I decided to put aside the Quadrifoglio steering wheel I purchased from Poland. The thing is, I tried multiple stitching color combinations - traditional red, simple black, and the tricolor (green, white and red) to mimic the Tributo Italiano Edition. But I realized none of them really fit my car.

So the steering wheel sat on the shelf for a couple of months. I even considered selling it and getting my money back, but something inside kept telling me not to. At least not yet...

In the meantime, I re-upholstered a few other steering wheels, which I really enjoyed. And every time I shipped one off to a customer, I felt a small regret - I couldn't experience the same excitement they did when receiving a freshly restored steering wheel.

Sure, I could do that to my non-QV steering wheel... But I have a Quadrifoglio one sitting right here. Should I give it another try?

As I grew my upholstery skills, I started experimenting with new stitching patterns. My first attempts on an Alfa Romeo steering wheel used the "macrame" stitch - the one used on Audis, BMWs, and others. These days, Alfa Romeo uses "sport" stitch, which, to be honest, I'm not a fan of.

Many manufacturers don't pay enough attention to stitching quality. And I get it - when you're running a production line, you can't spend 3-4 days on a single steering wheel like I do, making every stitch perfect. Sometimes i just drives me crazy when I see stitching like this in a brand new car.

Nevertheless, while studying new stitching patterns, I found one I truly love - the cross stitch. It's often used on Bentleys and I recently applied it to Mini Cooper and Honda Civic steering wheels. To me, it looks simple, clean and professional.

I started thinking that If I ever re-upholster my steering wheel, I would definitely use the cross stitch. But, the whole idea behind any retrofit I do is to keep the car's authenticity - so that someone unfamiliar with details would never notice it isn't stock. Because of that, I put this idea aside one more time.

But later, while browsing the photos of Alfa Romeo Guilia Quadrifoglio, I noticed that early QVs, 2017-2018 probably, actually did have a cross stitch pattern on the steering wheel! So it is canonical! It seems that at some point Alfa Romeo decided to cut costs and switched to the sport stitching, which, again, in my opinion, looks cheaper.

I know it might sound silly to some of you, but I came from VAG world, where details matter, and I've always been a perfectionist. And once you're in this business, you have to notice such details.

Okay, cross stitching is canonical. Now what about the color? I don't really have many red accents in my car. If it had a red interior, or even a black one with red stitching on the dashboard or seats - that would be different. But the Lusso has a creamy interior. And, as some have mentioned here, I prefer to keep that "classic Ferrari look" - red exterior, white interior.

So, I took out thread my palette and realized the best match would be beige stitching. A Lusso Quardifoglio steering wheel with beige cross stitching. The perfect combination!

The OEM Quadrifoglio steering wheel has alcantara inserts on the sides. Even though the Lusso interior doesn't have any alcantara, I decided to keep them. If I ever change my mind, I can always re-upholster it again later. The only customization I allowed myself was the 12 o'clock stripe. I've never had one before, but made a dozen times to others. So, I want to finally feel what it is like to drive a steering wheel with 12 o'clock stripe line. And to make it less noticeable I made it from alcantara. Still elegant, still authentic, just with a little extra personality.

With this steering installed, I can finally tell myself - I'm talented. Oh, my God, I did it myself! I just can't believe it! The steering wheel looks absolutely awesome! Don't get me wrong, I've heard countless times, that the steering wheels I make look and feel great. But for a perfectionist like me, the most important approval is the one you give yourself. Stop criticizing and just enjoy what you do.

Thank you, Alfa Romeo! You gave me the inspiration, which I turned into a small business, I can truly be proud of.  That's all I wanted to share. As usual, if you find attractive what I do, please consider following my Facebook and Instagram accounts. It keeps me motivated - and honestly, there's something beautiful about watching the old things transforming into something new.

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lazartori.rs/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565441024494

Stay safe and love your cars!

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