Drive more safely with car gloves
06/11/2014
Driving with gloves is not just a matter of fashion. It was even postulated that every responsible driver should wear gloves. That was 50 years ago in 1964.
The recommendations in the Automobil Revue went further:
"On long journeys, on the highway, but above all at motor sport events, sweating of the palms cannot be avoided. Wet hands, however, logically lose their grip. The ideal case would be a moist palm. Unfortunately, however, it is not within human power to control the degree of body perspiration."
So, off to the nearest store to buy gloves straight away? But beware, not every glove met the requirements at the time, as the AR wrote:
"Contrary to popular belief, not just any glove meets the requirements of a good car glove. A "lined" glove is excluded from the outset, because the lining prevents direct contact between the skin and the leather - and therefore there is no material that could absorb moisture. The absorbent leather, which absorbs one hundred percent of this moisture, thus provides the desired, ideal moisture. This prevents the hands from slipping on the steering wheel and enables perfect, safe steering of the vehicle."
And then there was the question of spitting into the gloves:
"Whether the unsightly habit of spitting into the inside of the gloves is practised for superstition or "technical" reasons is not entirely clear; but you will certainly have observed this bad habit. Absorbent, sweat-absorbing quality leather helps us to maintain a favorable level of hand moisture. The leather, which meets the highest standards, was processed into gloves, the purpose of which is to enable the motorist to steer his vehicle safely and enjoy a more pleasant journey on his long journey."
In 1964, vehicles only rarely had leather steering wheels; wood was considered stylish and plastic was on the rise. Today, the leather steering wheel predominates and hardly anyone would think of reaching for a glove here ....
