Voting Station

James Winner

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Inventor

The Resume

    (July 1929-September 14, 2010)
    Born in Transfer, Pennsylvania
    Created 'The Club,' an anti-theft device that locks over a car's steering wheel
    Founded Winner International to market the Club
    Died in a car crash in Pennsylvania

Why he might be annoying:

    If you lost the keys to the Club after you attached it, you had to call a locksmith to get the damn thing off.
    A really determined thief could defeat the Club by breaking the lock or sawing through the steering wheel.
    He was sued by mechanic Claude Johnson who said he helped develop the Club and had a verbal agreement with Winner to split the profits; the suit was settled out of court, with Johnson reportedly being paid $10.5 million.

Why he might not be annoying:

    The invention of the Club was inspired by his service in Korea, when soldiers would secure Jeeps with chains on the steering wheels.
    In less than a decade, he sold over 10 million Clubs, one for every twenty cars in the US.
    Remembering his financial difficulties growing up, he funded Shoe the Children, a charity that provided money to pay for shoes for needy children.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 5 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 8 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 16 Votes: 43.75% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 16 Votes: 56.25% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 14 Votes: 64.29% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 16 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 23 Votes: 47.83% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 12 Votes: 41.67% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 61 Votes: 57.38% Annoying