Buzz
During the 1990s, thieves scouring parking lots and neighborhoods for vulnerable vehicles encountered a significant obstacle: The Club. This robust device clamped onto a car’s steering wheel, rendering it nearly impossible to steer.
Ironically, The Club proved so effective that it also inconvenienced honest drivers.
“I tried to unlock it, but it wouldn’t budge,” Lauren Clarke, a Club user, shared with The Los Angeles Times in 1992. “After struggling with it, I snapped the key. I was left wondering, what now?”
Thieves faced a new challenge. Thanks to a bold marketing push showcased in TV ads, The Club and its imitators became a hit, immobilizing steering wheels and pushing criminals to seek out vehicles without the device. By 1994, sales of The Club had reached 10 million.
However, thieves quickly adapted, uncovering a critical weakness in the locks. This led to widespread criticism of The Club and similar devices, sparking debates over whether they were truly effective or just a psychological deterrent.
The Mastermind Behind the Wheel
The Club was created by James Winner, a Pennsylvania man who grew up in humble conditions. He attended a one-room schoolhouse and often lacked proper shoes for class. Skipping college, he joined the Army and worked as a salesman, peddling everything from vacuums to women’s clothing and keyboard organs.
During his time in Korea, Winner recalled how soldiers used chains to secure their Jeeps’ steering wheels against theft. Years later, after his Cadillac was stolen, he revisited this idea. Partnering with Ohio mechanic Charles Johnson, he developed The Club in 1986. Winner International, his new company, handled distribution. (Johnson later claimed sole credit for the design, winning a $10.5 million settlement in a lawsuit.)
Winner’s timing was impeccable. As the 1980s came to an end, demand surged for personal safety products like locks, pepper sprays, and bulletproof glass. By 1994, the security industry was thriving, generating $6 billion from alarm sales. Priced between $40 and $100, The Club became the go-to solution for drivers worried about car theft.
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Experts attributed part of the boom to fear-driven advertising. For those who had never thought about home invasions or car thefts, TV ads featuring masked intruders sparked anxiety. Consumers could easily picture themselves as victims, prompting them to buy preventive measures.
Winner attributed The Club’s success to Paul Harvey, a renowned radio broadcaster who promoted the device on his popular show. Harvey’s ads shattered any sense of security, reminding listeners that danger could strike anytime. “You might live in a safe area,” Harvey warned, “but you probably drive into the city or go to a ballgame occasionally.”
In essence, no one’s property or personal safety was guaranteed. The Club offered a way to ease those fears.
Thanks to aggressive marketing and its unique design, The Club became a cultural icon, akin to George Foreman’s Lean Mean Fat Grilling Machine or the ShamWow. David Letterman even featured it in a skit, attaching it to a golf cart. Its widespread use was evident in parking lots, where its presence served as free promotion. By the mid-1990s, over 10 million units were sold, equating to one Club for every 20 cars in the U.S.
The Downside of The Club
The Club’s advertising played on the psychology of fear, and so did its design. Winner International acknowledged that the device was primarily a deterrent—its bulky presence on the steering wheel was meant to discourage thieves by making the car seem like too much trouble.
However, its effectiveness depended on the thief’s determination. A persistent criminal could easily bypass The Club, as some owners discovered when they accidentally locked themselves out and needed a locksmith. Defeating the device often required nothing more than drilling the lock or using bolt cutters.
“It’s always the same story,” locksmith Bruce Schwartz explained to The Los Angeles Times in 1992. “People believe their car is untouchable, but I cut through the lock like it’s nothing. They’re always shocked.”
Thieves developed their own tactics to bypass The Club. They could slice through the steering wheel to remove the device effortlessly. Alternatively, they could freeze the lock with liquid nitrogen and smash it off. For the more daring, bringing a replacement steering wheel, removing the original with The Club still attached, and installing the new one allowed them to drive away.
Winner International compared The Club to a front door lock, emphasizing it was a deterrent, not an impenetrable solution. The company also offered a $500 reimbursement to customers whose cars were stolen despite using The Club. Few ever claimed the compensation, which was designed to offset insurance deductibles.
While The Club may have discouraged amateur thieves, like joyriding teens, it was less effective against professional car thieves. Still, it gave consumers a sense of security, especially when they believed it had the endorsement of law enforcement.
Moving On
Winner International’s aggressive marketing of The Club as a law enforcement favorite sometimes misfired. In 1989, the National Fraternal Order of Police (NFOP) endorsed the device, which Winner’s company heavily promoted. However, in 1992, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) revealed that only the NFOP’s board had approved it, not its 220,000 members. Winner was forced to retract the claim.
Despite this, The Club had its advocates. Officer Jack Klaric starred in ads for the device, but while he was a genuine cop, he was compensated for his role. When questioned directly, many police officers admitted The Club was primarily a visual deterrent. Its effectiveness was further undermined when users forgot to attach it, leaving it on the floor or under the seat instead of securing it to the steering wheel.
Winner International diversified into door locks, boat locks, and other Club-inspired products, though none matched the success of the original 1990s device. Winner envisioned Clubs for hotel doors, housing projects, and even a car stereo protector that would release pepper spray to deter thieves. He also proposed the Wizard, a system that would disable a carjacked vehicle, locking the doors until authorities arrived.
Winner passed away in a car accident in 2010 at 81, but The Club remains available. In 2020, Winner International reported a sales surge due to increased car thefts during pandemic lockdowns, when vehicles were left unattended for extended periods. Safety experts recommend pairing The Club with additional security measures, like alarms or GPS tracking. Its primary value remains psychological—intimidating thieves and reassuring owners. On those grounds, The Club continues to serve its purpose effectively.
