The 10 best classic car wheels

Spokes of genius that keep us rolling

Think a wheel is just a wheel? Think again.

From wire wonders to arresting alloys, there exists a slim catalogue of classic designs so iconic they could grace posters in their own right.

Frequently imitated but rarely bettered, here are 10 classic car wheels that put your average hub cap to shame.

1. Bugatti alloys

First up is the Godfather of all alloys: Bugatti’s aluminium wheel with cast-in brake drum, striking for both its simple, stunning design and sheer darn size.

First seen on the fabled Type 35 racer of the 1920s – a later Type 55 is pictured – today’s rims are only just approaching the diameter of those distinctive GP wheels, which tells you something about their stature.

2. Minilites

They might have since spawned a thousand cheap imitations, but there’s no escaping the simple appeal of the iconic Minilite wheels.

Originally developed for the racing Minis of the 1960s, success on circuits and rally stages led to huge demand for the magnesium numbers, and they would soon be gracing countless competition machines of the era.

For our money, though, they always looked their best on the diminutive machine for which they were first created.

3. Rostyle five-spokes

The Americans were the first to go five-spoke, making them in magnesium, aluminium and steel, and fitting them to all sorts of models – from the Shelby Mustang to the AMC Javelin.

Germany had a go with Fuchs’ five-spoke forged-alloys for Porsches, but Blighty’s pressed-steel interpretation was arguably the best.

Built by Rubery Owen of Birmingham, the Rostyles were an odd fit for the stately Rover P5B but soon found their stride under the likes of the MGB GT, Ford Cortina and Jensen FF (pictured).

4. Borrani wires

Hand-crafted in Milan since 1929, Ruote Borrani’s wire wheels are strong because of the number of spokes and their intricate interlacing, lightweight because of the alloy rim, and alluring because of their incredible racing heritage. 

Stunningly elegant and fantastically functional, they’ve graced everything from World Championship-winning Formula 1 racers to all sorts of exotic GTs, Italian and otherwise – including the Lamborghini 350GT, pictured.

5. Dunlop racing wheels

A stunningly high-tech, aircraft-grade solution to saving weight without sacrificing the strength needed to go racing, Dunlop’s three-part alloy competition wheels of the mid-‘50s wowed the crowds in austerity Britain almost as much as the D-types they were fitted to – and they didn’t go too badly at Le Mans, either.

6. Citroën SM carbon

As if the way-out styling of Citroën’s sci-fi coupé wasn’t enough, you could spec the SM with carbon-resin wheels, à la the French firm’s East African Safari cars.

Created by Michelin, the lightweight options hit the scales at less than half the weight of the standard factory numbers and, like the SM’s design, the carbon-reinforced construction method was decades ahead of the competition.

7. Steels with beauty rings

Proving that simplicity can be beautiful, many a manufacturer in the 1940s paired steel wheels with chromed beauty rings – circles of shine around the tyre rim that created the illusion of a floating centre.

From Buicks to Packards to a raft of Fords (such as the Custom station wagon, pictured), they took minimalism to the max and showed understatement could look utterly gorgeous.

That it was a cheap solution only added to the appeal and probably explains why they also found their way on to hot-rods and muscle cars.

8. Halibrands

Raw functional beauty cast in magnesium, Halibrand wheels were the ultimate American racing wheel of the ‘50s and ‘60s.

Fitted to IndyCars – including a string of 500 winners – hot-rods, dragsters, CanAm racers and more, they’re most iconic in ‘Kidney Bean’ style (pictured) and could be ordered to fit almost anything, including the spindle-mount of a Ford Anglia.

9. Campagnolos

Whether they’re fitted to a Miura or an Espada, the intricate detailing and strength of these Italian rims instantly evoke the supercar hedonism of the 1960s.

Crafted from magnesium alloy by bicycle manufacturer Campagnolo – inventor of the quick-release wheel – the race-bred rollers are equal parts competition purity and muscular styling, much like the models they graced.

10. Cosmic alloys

True street kings of the ‘70s, Cosmic alloys were nothing if not distinctive – their gleaming alloy spokes contrasting starkly against black-painted gaps.

Available in a range of rib arrangements, all followed the same basic and bold pattern of gleaming pairs starring out from the centre. Made to fit all sorts of models, they cut a particularly striking picture on the Mini and the Ford Capri (pictured).