Porsche VDM 550 Spyder replica steering wheel. In finishing stage. This VDM wheel was originally made in a very unusual way. Exactly why the makers chose to do it as they did is a mystery, but if I had to guess, it was because they lacked experiene with this type of rim construction. There are various signs in the original rims that indicate such. However, because of the way they constructed the rim, there are several characteristics that are unique to this wheel. A Porsche enthusiast with expert knowledge will look for at least some of these characteristics as a sign of authenticity. The wood type itself was a challenge to identify since the species used was an European version with traits somewhat different from others of the same species. One characteristic of an original that most knowledgeable people look for is a seam that runs along the inside of the two grooves in the rim. This is due to the inner front rim being an insert. Because of this unusual approach, many of the original rim have suffered some separation at the seam. There is one other characteristic that is less known, and that it the total lack of seam around the outer edge of the rim. The construction method resulted in both factors. My replicas are made from original wood type, including the inner strip on the rear which gets largely sanded away with the finger grips. Since I construct the rim in the same manner as original, the seam will appear as it should in between grooves, and no seam will appear on the outer edge. However, I have modified the approach slightly so the inner front rim will not separate in time.