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PB asks: what is the best wheel design ever?

Published by Gavin Big-Surname at 31st March 2015
Fiat Strada

OK, so what’s the best wheel design the world has ever seen? The nicest looking wheel trim, hub cap, steelie or alloy wheel. This was the question posed by pillar of the PetrolBlog community, Peter Counsell, in a recent email. Quite rightly, Peter believed it was time PetrolBlog started the hunt to find the ultimate wheel.

It’s at this point that the smart alecks and smart alices will point out that the best wheel design is a round one. And yes, they’d have a point. But we’re looking for the design. The wheel that makes you go weak at the knees.

You’ll have discussed this very subject at the bar on a Friday night. Such conversations are usually heated and involve a fair amount of nodding and strange facial expressions. You know, that face you pull when someone reminds you of something very pretty or agreeable. Like Barbara Bach in The Spy Who Loved Me.

Anyway, moving on.

It’s time to settle the argument once and for all. We need to settle upon the most PetrolBloggy wheel design of all time. As our regular reader, you’ll know we’re not looking for the biggest, the blingiest (is that a word?) or the craziest. We’re not into 20-inch rims or 40-spoke designs encrusted with diamonds mined by unicorns. But hey, if they float your boat, put them forward.

To kick things off, PetrolBlog – in conjunction with Peter Counsell – is putting forward 18 designs that float our boat. There’s something for all here, unless you happen to think big and bling is the way to go.

Ladies and gentleman, choose your weapon. Actually, don’t do that. Choose your wheel instead. Tell us your favourite wheel by using the comments facility, tweeting us on Twitter or talking to us on Facebook. You can use the hashtag #PBWheel if you’ve got nothing better to do. We’ll then run a vote to find the most PetrolBloggy wheel design in the world. Ever.

And the vote may indeed involve Hobnobs.

Over to you…

Saab 99 on Inca alloy wheels
Saab’s Inca alloy wheels
1978-1982 Fiat Ritmo and Strada
Fiat Strada – proof that wheel trims can rock
Alfa Romeo 164 Cloverleaf Q4
Alfa 164 Q4 – swoon

RUF Porsche 911 on Fuchs
Fuchs – sublime
Volkswagen up wheels
Delightful VW up!
Ford Escort XR3 on cloverleaf alloy wheels
Escort XR3 cloverleafs – 80s loveliness

Renault 18 Turbo
Renault 18 Turbo – hell, yes
Dacia Duster steel wheels
The lady approves of steel wheels
Mitsubishi Starion ESI
Stunning Starion wheels

Suzuki G70 Concept alloy wheel
Suzuki G70 – crazy concept wheels
Alfa Romeo Alfasud 1.2
Alfasud does everything right
1983 Ford Capri 2.8 police on pepperpots
Ford’s ‘Pepperpots’ – yes please

Kia Rio 5-spoke alloy wheels
Kia Rio’s 5-spoke – surprisingly cool
MK1 Ford Capri on Rostyle alloy wheels
Rostyle – gotta love ’em
Ford RS 4-spoke alloy wheel
Ford 4-spoke – timeless

Citroen Synergie wheel trims
Citroën Synergie – yes, really
Citroen AX GT on steel wheels
AX GT – simplicity
Alfa Romeo 156 on Teledial alloy wheels
Alfa Teledials – Italian perfection

All pics © manufacturers or PetrolBlog, except Ford 4-spoke © Veloce

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25 Comments

  1. Craig says:
    31st March 2015 at 1:23 pm

    I’m going to kick things off with the Ka three-spoke: http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/fit/730×700//media/3158034/Ka3_RHD.jpg

    Reply
    • Gavin Big-Surname says:
      31st March 2015 at 3:40 pm

      That is an unexpected, but surprisingly good submission.

      Bravo.

      Reply
  2. Tom says:
    1st April 2015 at 6:47 pm

    I hate the piece of plastic they put on steel wheels nowadays: it’s cheap and tacky.
    Bring back the simplicity of plain old steel wheels.
    http://www.nettally.com/jcarr/Autox/images/miata.jpg

    Reply
    • Gavin Big-Surname says:
      1st April 2015 at 6:48 pm

      Ooh, that pic makes a strong argument! Good work.

      Reply
  3. bjarnetv says:
    2nd April 2015 at 8:58 am

    prize for the best plastic hubcaps goes to the mirage aero gt
    http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s–OGj-J7Dc–/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/yistizypvnfemexfwobw.jpg

    and although you have already listed most of my favorite wheel designs (inca, and various pepperpots), i think ronal turbos deserve an honorable mention for their use of the word TURBO on the rim itself.
    http://www.mijnalbum.nl/GroteFoto-WJL3WT48.jpg

    Reply
    • Gavin Big-Surname says:
      2nd April 2015 at 12:32 pm

      RONAL TURBO for the win. Excellent choice.

      Reply
  4. Mark says:
    2nd April 2015 at 10:01 am

    My vote goes to the Peugeot 205 1.6 GTi pepperpot alloy. Richard Hammond agrees too!
    http://www.topgear.com/uk/photos/hammond-drives-the-icons-peugeot-205-gti-18-07-2012?imageNo=3

    Reply
    • Gavin Big-Surname says:
      2nd April 2015 at 12:32 pm

      Oh, that’s a very good shout!

      Reply
  5. Mark says:
    2nd April 2015 at 10:18 am

    Or the timeless classic, the BBS rs.
    http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp154/sethpeterz/DOKA/DokaPhotos006-1.jpg

    Reply
  6. Kiwi Steve says:
    2nd April 2015 at 11:01 am

    No, you’re all wrong, it’s the Toyota Will from the ‘my Spirograph set is one cog short of a spiral and appears to be stuck but somehow it works” school of design http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Toyota_WiLL_Vi_002.JPG
    or actually…..maybe just this one as another example of why Saabs are simply sublime
    https://petrolblog.com/2014/10/end-for-3-spoke-alloy-wheel/3-spoke-alloys-saab-900-turbo/

    Reply
    • Gavin Big-Surname says:
      2nd April 2015 at 12:33 pm

      Well that’s a surprising – but welcome entry. Good call!

      Reply
  7. EndlessWaves says:
    2nd April 2015 at 1:05 pm

    For me it’s got to be the XM wheel trims, these ones in particular:
    http://www.vehicules-hors-serie.fr/site%20Amicale%20Tissier/Images%20agrandies/images%20XM/XM_limousine_blanche_profil.jpg
    (from here: http://www.vehicules-hors-serie.fr/site%20Amicale%20Tissier/menu_XM_limousines.htm)

    Although while I was looking for pictures I came across this XM looking pretty on the Synergie’s three spoke trims:
    http://c-forum.forumpro.fr/viewimage.forum?u=http%3A%2F%2Fmediastorage.classiccarsforsale.co.uk%2F5c%2Fc5cae%2F8982d%2F125d4%2Fe790c%2Fb1c28%2F61a05%2FPicture171_880x660.jpg%3F1359742071%26displayId%3D1002

    That was in this large thread of big Citroen pictures (click at your own peril):
    http://c-forum.forumpro.fr/t4128p675-il-etait-une-fois-les-grandes-citroen-hydrauliques

    Reply
    • Graculus says:
      26th July 2015 at 8:36 pm

      Some great pics there – I had a XM a few years ago, but it didn’t have alloys. I was always a big fan of the jelly-fish alloys that they did, superb design.

      Reply
    • Graculus says:
      26th July 2015 at 8:48 pm

      http://jvgavila.com/xm_big.jpg

      Reply
      • Gavin Big-Surname says:
        27th July 2015 at 6:55 pm

        Oh yes indeed.

        Reply
  8. Craig says:
    2nd April 2015 at 2:38 pm

    Maserati Boomerang: http://www.carstyling.ru/resources/studios/1972_Italdesign_Maserati_Boomerang_18.jpg

    /thread

    Reply
    • Gavin Big-Surname says:
      3rd April 2015 at 12:59 pm

      Bloody hell, yes.

      Reply
  9. David Milloy says:
    3rd April 2015 at 8:16 pm

    How about these lovely BBS 18 inch split rims as fitted to the Z4?

    https://flic.kr/p/nbyMsq

    Or, alternatively, these equally lovely items as found on the Alfa GT Blackline?

    https://alfetta.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/gt_blackline_1.jpg

    Reply
  10. Harry Peek says:
    7th April 2015 at 11:09 am

    The Pirelli wheels off the Golf Gti: http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa172/bigrvg/15×6%20P%20Slots/DSC_0843_zpsa83d2335.jpg

    Reply
  11. Trevor Nightingale says:
    14th April 2015 at 3:07 pm

    No matter which year the Alpine A310 was made in it always sat on an amazing set of alloys: http://www.autozine.org/Archive/Renault/classic/A310.html

    Reply
  12. Darren Leslie says:
    14th April 2015 at 4:13 pm

    Ronal R8s found mainly on 80’s / 90’s Audi are rather nice, and available in a range of sizes from this:
    http://www.audi-me.com/etc/medialib/ngw/brand/company_history/models/1965_1990/audi_80_b2.Par.0030.Image.jpg/704x396_4_90seitesilbermj84.jpg

    to this:
    http://carfreakz.com/wp-content/uploads/HLIC/07e373132daf2db46c2fcf607d599d3b.jpg

    (I’m hoping thse links work okay).

    Reply
  13. Kristian says:
    14th April 2015 at 7:32 pm

    Difficult one. Especially since it usually depends on the car.

    These steelies probably wouldn’t look that special, if it wasn’t because they were attached to a Bertone:
    http://www.alfaholics.com/old_cms_pics/447017f2f21edd20736fc994e64de8b2.jpg

    They get my vote nonetheless.

    Reply
    • Kristian says:
      14th April 2015 at 7:35 pm

      I do like the Teledials on the Alfa 156 though, if we’re talking more modern day cars.

      I think I just like Alfa Romeo in general.

      Reply
  14. EndlessWaves says:
    15th April 2015 at 11:49 pm

    I thought the ones on the Laborghini Athon looked nice too, particularly the handling of the wheel nuts:
    http://www.lambocars.com/images/prototypes/athon5.jpg

    Reply
  15. Tony says:
    20th May 2015 at 8:53 pm

    Saab Aero’s every time 🙂 Either those or the 4 – hole ones (don’t know the name) found on the Golf GTi … for some reason they remind me of the spools of a cassette tape!

    Reply

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