When cars were first built, they very often had steering wheels made of wood or sometimes uncovered metal. Cars had little insulation, and many of the first units employed neither heating nor cooling controls. Hands could get cold on long drives in the winter, or they could get sweaty in hot weather, making it more difficult to grip the steering wheel. Gloves at the time were already popularly worn for many things, warmth, fashion, et cetera. Driving gloves were a natural extension on the already many uses for gloves. Others suggest that driving gloves could really refer to leather “riding” gloves. Holding the reins of a horse, or driving a coach meant many wore riding gloves. This protected the hands from calluses, and helped keep them warm on cold days. When humans switched from horse-powered vehicles to motorized ones, it simply made sense to keep the gloves on.

Driving gloves have external seams, open knuckles and keyhole backs, ventilation holes, short cuffs, and snaps. They fit close, and stretch to conform to the hand’s anatomy. Driving gloves are made from thin leather.

The type of driving gloves:

Unlined

The unlined designs allow the fingers senses through, so that drivers do not lose a layer of sensitivity lost with lined gloves.

Lined

Driver’s gloves are frequently used to keep the hands warm, a function that is particularly necessary during top down operation in cold weather. The design of cars is such that the driver’s hands remain on the steering wheel while driving, a position that leaves them exposed to the elements. The hands are also relatively inactive, and do not have a great deal of muscle mass, which also contributes to the possibility of chill. Lined gloves therefore contribute to insulating the hands while driving.

Full fingered

Gloves should fit snugly but not be tight. Pay particular attention to the length of the fingers as the fingertips can become very cold if the glove’s fingers are not long enough. Ideally the glove should be loose on the fingers and fit comfortably around the palm. A tight glove will tend to restrict blood flow and make the hand cold as it is at an extreme distance from the heart.

Fingerless

Fingerless gloves have the fingers cut off. The exposed fingers interfere less with the sensation of gripping.

Nappa leather or Napa leather is a full-grain leather, typically dyed, made from unsplit kid-, lamb- or sheep-skin by tawing with salts of chromium or aluminium sulfate, and noted for softness and durability. It is often used in high-quality leather products such as leather glove.