The kinship between early 19th-century cars and boats was not only evident in the heavy use of wooden materials; the car was also controlled using a sailboat-type tiller.

Visually, the evolution of the steering wheel has been about diameter and dimension. At first, the steering wheel was quite a substantial object to hold with a steady grip. Eventually though, the diameter of the wheel would be reduced and its dimension grow. The variation between steering wheels also became greater as the differentiation car models accelerated. The sportier the car, the smaller the wheel. When the airbag broke through in the 70's the wheel center grew considerably to be able to house the airbag module.
 
The first function to be added to the steering wheel and that had nothing to do with handling was the signal horn. Today, controls for the sound system, cruise control and phone are commonly found on the steering wheel. The inspiration from the racing world has also resulted in some cars to grow pads, which replace  gear stick.
 

Steering wheels from DKW 1000 of 1962 and Audi A3 of 2009.