Road wheels are about the last, and easiest, modes to altering the look of your car, and over the years an entire industry arose to support this customizing opportunity. In the earliest days of the automotive age, wheels were just wheels, typically wooden spoked affairs that might be tarted up with paint and pinstriping, but otherwise generally looked the same from one car to the next. It was the hot rod craze that really put the wheel at the forefront of automotive personalization, and out of that came a number of names that we know still today.
Not just hot rods, but everything from sports cars to family sedans seemed to be improved by the addition of certain aftermarket wheels, and today we want your opinion as to what has been history’s greatest, and hence most iconic non-factory wheel. What do you think, what is the most venerated aftermarket wheel?
Image: Mooneyesusa
Hooniverse Asks: What's the Greatest Iconic Aftermarket Wheel?
By Robert Emslie
Sep 15, 2015
Kamil Kaluski 
Jeff Glucker
I’ve professed my love for Cragar S/S wheels many, many times – but they truly are the greatest aftermarket wheel ever made. They instantly transform the most clapped out road hazard into a legitimate ride.
http://content.belletire.com/wheel_image/cragar_s_s_super_sport_chr.jpg
My immediate thought, too. Maybe it reflects my age, but I spent a good portion of my life seeing Cragars on everything, from otherwise-stock Chevelles and ’57 Chevys to lowriders, pickups and custom vans.
http://img.myconfinedspace.com/wp-content/uploads/tdomf-2/474479/Blown-001-700×479.jpg
They look a bit like polished Fuchs wheels, but less baroque.
http://berndpletzer.de/media_upload/wagen_bilder/36/DSC_0993%20ba.jpg
So they were kinda sorta factory, but they have been a boon for Ford in the aftermarket:
https://fordperformanceracingparts.com/images/part/full/M1007R58.jpg
Cobra R wheels. You would think these things carry 40 extra horsepower each with how many Mustangs, Thunderbirds, and even F-150s and Rangers wound up wearing them.
So they were kinda sorta factory, but they have been a boon for Ford in the aftermarket:
https://fordperformanceracingparts.com/images/part/full/M1007R58.jpg
Cobra R wheels. You would think these things carry 40 extra horsepower each with how many Mustangs, Thunderbirds, and even F-150s and Rangers wound up wearing them.
Plenty of replicas out there too. I even see them on Hondas.
http://www.allfordmustangs.com/forums/attachments/classic-tech/73287d1246556951-1968-mustang-torque-thrust-d-7-1-2009-033.c.jpg
Torq Thrust FTW. Especially early magnesium ones (even though they do start to tarnish the nanosecond you finish polishing them).
The were so awesome that Ford had them as 17″ and 18″ OEM styles in thru the 2000’s.
Beat me to it. The staple of affordable, recognizable, “oh that’s a muscle car!” wheels.
BBS RS.
http://www.bbsrszone.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/01_bbs_rs_porsche_911_black_gold.jpg
Since the Cragar SS is taken, how about Borrani wires?
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/13/Maserati_3500_GT_front.jpg/640px-Maserati_3500_GT_front.jpg
Then there’s the Panasports…
http://thefastonesvintage.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/miata-panasports.jpg
Them’s Minilite copies. Often imitated, never duplicated.
I blame google images!
https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRb0KXfhhk8F2zQV66K8q57MXpwxMibn-gfOarr-r4a59etGgWteg
http://www.autocraze.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/minilite.jpg
http://www.dmmultimedia.com/escort_mk1/Escort_Tokyo_under_002s.jpg
http://image.mustangmonthly.com/f/9225513/mump_0610_10_z+1969_boss_302_ford_mustang+front_wheel.jpg
Since my first, second, third, and fourth choices have all been taken, how about Dayton wires? They ain’t my thing, but they are unquestionably iconic.
http://image.lowridermagazine.com/f/features/1306_1981_lincoln_mark_vi_coupe/44697985/06-1981-lincoln-mark-vi-gold-dayton-wire-wheel.jpg
Make sure to buy them at least 2 sizes wider than the tires you plan to stretch onto them!
Minilites. Hands down.
http://minilite.co.uk/dynamic_images/g_8_l.jpg
Also, the wheel of choice for the ever-sexy LoCort.
http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/yy311/colinrnk/RNK/DSC00270-1.jpg
and countless minis
Magnum 500/Rostyle wheels. Maybe not the greatest but certainly popular in the ’70s.
No discussion of wheels is complete without the most polarizing wheel, the Ronal Teddy Bear
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c127/ExonicJay/MiataPictures007.jpg
Ronal Polar Bear, in order to be polarizing…
The answer’s got to be in there somewhere…
http://www.roadsters.com/wall_500x408.jpg
http://www.roadsters.com/wheels/
I’ll go for the Ansen Sprint that became the classic simple, cheap, dished slotted mag.
https://oldcarjunkie.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/010-5.jpg
Man, I do love me some slot mags
They’re on EVERYTHING! Honda, Mazda, Mopar, Chevy, Americar… anything you can think of. And made by every operator in he market!
https://oldcarjunkie.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/010-5.jpg
BBS RS and Minilites were already mentioned, I’d probably go with one of those.
I’m a huge fan of the RPF1s! They’re very light and just awesome all around. Had 15, 16 and 17inchers!
RPF1 all the things!
I’ll go old school on this one…Kelsey Hayes wire wheels on anything from the 50’s does it for me.
In Europe ATS five spokes were The aftermarket wheel for the small cars.
Your answer probably depends upon your age. For those who may have been married in a powder blue tux, reverse chrome steelies are it…http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/attachments/40-20gmc-jpg.2037282/
He looks better in the T-shirt…
OZ Superturismo in white/red
I wanted those on my B5 A4 for the BTTC look but the Borbet C2T won for the RS2/968 Cup look.
http://bangshift.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Dodge-Powerwagon-1978-Omaha-Orange039.jpg
So many great options have already been listed, but I will say, if I ever get a vintage truck or SUV, it’s most likely getting a set of wagon wheels.
Ooooh, good call. And if you’re of a certain age, you know them as “Jackmans”
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b220/timhicks55/jackman_wheels.jpg
Well, now we know what Wooderson bought to replace Melba Toast.
Rudge knock-off wheels
http://49gf6u13ip2tbxkia1tx5d8u.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/2015-07-05-00-rudge-15×4.5knockoff.jpg
Save me grippy penis wheels!
I’m a sucker for 20-spoke Alpinas, especially when they’re on a B8 wagon.
http://germancarsforsaleblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Alpina-B8-wagon2.jpg
I find the Desmond Regamaster pretty iconic. It was a very simple, clean design, forged instead of cast – in Russia, interestingly – and available in a range of sizes that all looked good. Like all the greats, it’s now widely copied (Rota Slipstream, etc). I’ve never seen it on any car where I felt it was out of place, but then they’re so expensive on the used market that you don’t choose them by accident.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7378/8720146126_64b936100c_o.jpg
http://i1268.photobucket.com/albums/jj580/Terrin_Belosowsky/9A753CC1-253D-437D-84A9-CED4B430A0D6_zpsia0feqeh.jpg
Any magnesium or beryllium alloy wheel will do just fine.
maybe it’s just a Thing Of The Moment In My Head, but anything looks good on TE37s, made even more impressive by the fact that it’s a six-spoke wheel, and i normally can’t see why someone would bother with a six-spoke wheel. the TE37s just look right.
otherwise…..blades. i remember seeing these all around chicago as a younger-ster, seemingly getting bigger and chromier each year. they look awful, but they are truly the most successful wheel i can think of. fittingly, this image is from “rim financing dot org”.
http://www.rim-financing.org/uploaded/liquid_list/Milanni/448rocket.gif
These Oak center wheels were offered by Appliance in 1982. Of course there is a steel center behind the oak. Never saw another set anywhere.