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Fancy Footwork: 8 Cool Wheels from Autorama
Every year since 1964, hot-rod builders from all over North America have travelled to Michigan to pursue “the Nobel Prize of hot-rodding,” the Don Ridler Memorial Award, at the Detroit Autorama. Any participant in the three-day event is eligible, as long as the vehicle is operable and has never appeared at any other show.
Winning the Ridler requires a car with an impeccable attention to detail. Builders go to great lengths to leave no stone unturned, powdercoating and chroming chassis bits that you would never see without the help of a mirror or two. One of the most important details to get right on a car are the wheels. As a certified wheel dork, I love seeing the creativity and variety of cool rolling stock at the Detroit Autorama. Here’s a look at some of our favorite wheels from last weekend’s show.
Meshtastic
Pro-touring builds answer the question, “What if we take a vintage muscle car and make it perform like a modern one?” The style, which originated in the mid 1990s and saw a boom in the 2010s with outfits like the Ringbrothers, borrows heavily from motorsports—both aesthetically and parts-wise. And nothing says motorsports quite like mesh wheels. The mesh-style wheel was pioneered by Jim Hall, the creator of the Can Am Chaparral race cars, and later copied endlessly by companies such as BBS and CCW. (Hall reportedly regrets not securing the intellectual rights for the design). The multi-spoked, forged-aluminum CCW LM20s on this Road Runner are probably as no-nonsense as a mesh wheel can get.
Many, Many Spokes
Speaking of spokes, Autorama had plenty of them, especially in the lowrider section. Wire wheels, particularly of the small-diameter 100-spoke variety, have long been a staple of cars that bounce up and down on hydraulics. (That said, one of the most famous lowriders rides on Cragars). The wheels featured here are not Daytons, the century-old manufacturer that is the Kleenex of wire wheels, but rather Luxors, a more recent American brand.
Deep Dish
The 1939 Ford, like many prewar cars, has bulbous, pontoon-like fenders that could fit a lot of wheel and tire. And many enterprising hot-rodders and customizers have done exactly that—whether to fit a big slick to put the power down or just to fill the void for aesthetic purposes. This particular Deluxe Coupe goes wild with width. The 19-inch forged aluminum Boze Alloy rear wheels are 12 inches wide.
Big Blades
If you are going to spend the BIG BUCKS necessary to build a highly customized contender for Autorama, you might as well go all the way with some one-off wheels. The owner of this 1990 GMC truck took inspiration from the fourth-generation Corvette’s “Saw Blade” wheels, albeit in a much larger diameter. The wheels, which are 20 x 8 inches up front and 20 x 11 in the rear, were designed and machined from billet aluminum by Sage Speed & Custom.
Fuchs for the People
Fuchs wheels might be more associated with Porsche, as they were a factory option, but the fat five-spokes are also popular with the modified Volkswagen crowd. The chrome Fuchs on this Karmann Ghia contrast nicely with its matte lavender paint.
Real Steel
This GT-2 Camaro race car was way more go than show. Sports Car Club of America Grand Touring classes are for tube-framed “silhouette” cars that don’t have much in common with their road-going siblings. Although cars in the GT-2 class can run any size wheel and tire, so long as they don’t exceed 12 inches of width in the front and 13.75 inches in the rear, this car runs 15-inch-diameter steel wheels made by Basset. Basset wheels have long been popular with circle-track racers and road racers alike, because of their durability and relative affordability.
Satisfying Symmetry
Work, a Japanese brand known for making high-quality aftermarket wheels since 1977, has always been a master at radial symmetry. These Work Equip 40s really do it for me, especially because the number of lug holes matches the number of spokes.
Put It All on Red
I’d like to think that the riff from Motörhead’s 1980 speed metal classic “Ace of Spades” inspired this choice of hubcap. I know that song is more about cards rather than roulette, but lead singer Lemmy Kilmister, who was a fan of all types of gambling, likely would have approved.
None would be worth having for reasons of looks and upkeep.
I’ll vote those 4 spoke 4 lugs. Everything else looks played out to me.
I agree with those above. They’re all pretty ugly. I especially can’t stand black rims.
The jury is in: all of these wheels are either ugly or grotesque. Hard to beat the Cragar SS or Minilites. The cast aluminum wheels on a Bugatti Type 35 are the penultimate in form and function.
I think I’ll stick with my Panasports.
I like the wheels on my 87 MCSS and 2016 300S. Better look and function.
The mesh one in silver instead of black would look substantially better than black.
Agreed
If I had to choose I would take the deep dish. Black wheels have had their 15 minutes ( same as patina paint). Big blades is just a big glob of aluminum with no class. The put it all on red is really terrible.
Just the classic 5 spoke alloy wheel is the best. Easy to clean and good looking. Not sure why so many double spoke wheels on put on newer cars, but they are a pain to wash and keep clean.
how about the old Centerline champ 500
Zzzzz….
Nothing groundbreaking or trend setting with these offerings.
Original Porsche Fuchs is clearly the most beautiful wheel EVER…
Interesting… I am really surprised that so many don’t like ANY of the wheels or wheel types shown. Personally, none of the specific wheels shown are my favorites, but I do like some of the types or styles. Deep dishes and meshed fit my preferences on modern cars and some restomods. But I still have a place in my heart for Cragar Super Sports with 3 spoke knock off hubs for certain cars.
Each wheel you have shown has its place on the cars that are wearing them in your photos. But, not necessarily for all cars. Wheels are tricky. Picking the right wheel for your car is a challenge. Usually something you have seen on a similar car as your car that you really like. None of the wheels shown would I select for my cars. In most cases I would not select a solid black wheel either.
Maybe if you just showed the different wheel options by themselves, not on cars, and a much larger selection you would get a better response?
None really do anything for me, but if I.had to pick one, I’d go with the sawblades, but just for a truck. I think they’re too.”heavy/clunky” for most cars.