Momo experts, need some help

[Bill Meyer]

With all the recent Momo discussions it got me wondering about a couple of wheels I have. I'm not looking for values or anything, just curious what I have here.

The first wheel is obviously a flat prototipo, build date 8-94. Maybe there's nothing unusual about it, but I vaguely remember the guy I bought it from told me Momo was not making flat proto's at that time, and this was a special small batch they did, but I can't remember why.

The second wheel is just a 380 Momo of some sort, no build date or anything, so I'm just curious about when it might have been made.

Thanks for any help! Bill

[Bill Meyer]

Here's the 380mm wheel.

[Mark Morrissey]

Nice wheels Bill. Occasionally, you seeing something from MOMO that is unexpected -- like your prototipo -- yet another reason why these wheels are so intriguing. I was under the impression that MOMO stopped producing flat wheels sometime in the mid to late 1980s. Truthfully, I don't know much about that period. I'll say that your wheel is quite unique and very cool. The second wheel is an Abarth style with the early 'Monza' slots in the spokes. Momo produced quite a few of these with slight variations. You could find dished or flat spokes, pads on the spokes or without. And there are at least a couple of different slot sizes. I've attached a photo of one I recently sold. As far as a date of manufacture -- it's my feeling that that simple MOMO stamp was used prior to Moretti having a logo designed. His first logo was designed mid to late 1967. So I'd say this is from 1966-67, give or take.
This is my best, educated guess. I'll go on record now and say I'm NOT a MOMO expert. I'm not sure one exists anywhere in the world. We lost the only one I knew of in January.

[Bill Meyer]

Much thanks Mark! I had no idea the 380 wheel was so old, very cool. Love the stiching on that one of yours!

The more I think about the prototipo story I seem to recall a Japanese Tuner of some sort requested Momo make a small batch of these flat ones. I did purchase the wheel out of Japan, so who knows, maybe it's true.