When it comes to vehicle modification, wheels are frequently at the top of any car enthusiast’s to-do list.
Whether you want to be individual or just don't like the OEM's standard wheel design, changing them on your car is simple and easy. The saying “you can tell a lot about someone by their shoes” also applies to a car's shoes – the wheels.
However, every once in a while a car will come out with some seriously gorgeous wheels. We celebrate the best OEM wheels of all time.
The Holden Piazza is a bit of an acquired taste, but as it ages, it seems to look cooler, and the same goes for the wheels.
The whole car (including the wheels) was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro’s studio, ItalDesign. It makes for an interesting combo: an Italian-designed car, built in Japan (under Isuzu), and sold with an Australian badge.
The wheels, made of cast aluminium, were constructed by Topy Industries Japan, which is renowned for its aftermarket wheel solutions.
The wheels themselves are a desirable collector's item beyond Piazza owners and can fetch up to $2000 for a set on auction sites.
When it comes to OEM wheels, BMW has always been the best in the business, and perhaps the best example of that is the BMW M1.
Again, another Giugiaro design – the car itself is closer to a work of art than a vehicle.
The cherry on top of the beautiful design comes from the wheels. These were a special order from Italian wheel maker Campagnolo and wrapped in Pirelli P7 Cinturato tyres – which were also a special order for a BMW M1.
They were constructed from magnesium, which is still an extremely expensive material, and designed with aerodynamics in mind.
This time, BMW is back with one of the most radical wheel designs on what was more of a businessman’s car.
The E34 5 Series was fitted with style 21 M-System II wheels, which were colloquially known as 'Throwing Stars'. These were an optional extra for the M540i LE and was only sold in Australia and the United Kingdom.
According to the BMW registry, only 70 examples of the M540i LE were made, but you were able to option the throwing stars on the M5 and other 540i trims in certain markets. Rumour has it that only circa 140 sets are still around.
Many fail to realise that the throwing star part of the wheel is a cover that bolts to the existing wheel. But it does have real performance advantages by directing cold air straight onto the brakes.
The wheels have been replicated multiple times before, but only as a single-piece construction (the star cannot be unbolted).
Due to their scarcity and desirability, they have been seen selling for around $5000, and a set is currently on eBay for $10,000.
Tri-spoke wheels can often be an acquired taste. Very few cars genuinely suit them, but the Saab 9-5 does.
Saab was known for its tri-spoke design wheels throughout the 1990s, and when the 9-5 hit the market in 1997, it came on some truly beautiful wheels.
Instead of the basic three-spoke design, Saab split the spokes with small air channels and rounded off the tops.
They only came on a select few of the early 9-5s, but unfortunately, there is no cool story about why they chose them or who designed them.
They're not particularly desirable, and a set can be picked up for around $500 to $1000.
It is hard to imagine a more iconic wheel than the Fuchs fitted to early Porsches. These five-spoke wheels were designed for the first-generation 911 in 1966 and were a collaborative effort between multiple esteemed modellers.
Heinrich Klie (a Porsche designer) and Ferdinand Porsche Jr approached the German aerospace engineering firm Otto Fuchs KG with a new wheel to polish off the design of their timeless classic.
With form and function in mind, Porsche wanted to be the first manufacturer to fit a lightweight forged wheel on a production vehicle.
While Porsche had experience making lightweight aluminium tank components, it lacked the know-how to transfer those skills into the automotive industry. That’s when it approached Otto Fuchs AG, which, due to its prior aerospace skills, supplied the skills to make a strong and lightweight wheel.
Prior to the construction of the Fuchs, wheels were made from casting aluminium. Porsche was unhappy with how fragile they were, so Otto Fuchs AG came up with the idea of pressing a solid block of aluminium to ensure no casting imperfections would allow cracks to form.
The result was an ultra-strong wheel that weighed only 5kg, which was more than 3kg lighter than those originally on the 911.
The new wheels were shown at the 1965 International Motor Show and gained plenty of interest. Porsche then placed an order for 5000 wheels, which were to be put on the new 911.
Fuchs still makes these original wheels, and other brands – such as Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, and BMW – now also use the firm to make wheels for their cars.
For a genuine set of brand-new Fuchs wheels, you’ll pay around $1500 per wheel, depending on the size and specification needed.
This list would be blasphemy without mentioning the gorgeous wheels on the equally gorgeous Ferrari F40.
Commonly known as the best alloy wheel design ever, the F40 features a three-piece (meaning the lip, barrel and face of the wheel are bolted together, not cast in a single piece) set of wheels constructed by Speedline.
The company was founded in 1976 to construct wheels for competition use. In fact, Speedline’s first contract was with the Ferrari Formula One team and its wheels were fitted to Niki Luada’s 1977 championship-winning car.
The relationship between the wheel brand and the Italian marque was so strong that Ferrari wanted Speedline to make a new wheel for its upcoming supercar.
The result was a centre-lock, five-spoke, lightweight magnesium wheel weighing between 9kg and 12kg, which is extraordinarily light for a wheel as large and wide as the ones on the F40.
Since the F40's construction, other brands have drawn inspiration from Speedline to offer aftermarket wheels to non-Ferrari owners. The most iconic is the Japanese Autostrada Modena wheels, which are an alloy forged construction and three-piece design.
You need deep pockets if you want a genuine set of Ferrari F40 wheels. A set sold at auction in 2020 for £GBP8100 ($AUD17,000).
Nissan R33 GT-R wheels have become somewhat of a pop-culture icon.
A timeless and simple design, they are desirable because they look like aftermarket wheels without the price tag of aftermarket wheels.
The specification also plays a big role in why they have become such a popular option; they fit a wide variety of cars beyond just Nissan Skylines.
They are forged alloy, and while they are stamped Nissan construction, they were likely made by Rays, a Japanese wheel company with which Nissan has a long-standing relationship.
On the used market, you can commonly find a genuine set for around $1500 to $2000.
When you’ve got a good thing, why change it? That’s evident with the Alfa Romeo Teledial's wheels. While the design has changed since it was first introduced on the 75 in 1985, the idea has remained unchanged.
We have seen some gorgeous examples, from the three-piece version on the SZ to the modern rendition on the 156, but the modern-day range takes the cake, especially when paired with the Giulia Quadrifoglio.
They’re actually an homage to the mid-century weight-saving tactics that Alfa Romeo used on its race cars and sporty GTA models. The company would drill holes in the steel wheels to save weight, and soon it became a staple of manufacturing, building the wheels with the holes already in them.
Alfa Romeo has used several different manufacturers to build the iconic Teledial wheels, but Speedline, the same company that made the wheels for the Ferrari F40, came back to construct these lightweight alloy examples.
It’s hard to price these wheels as they’ve gone through so many renditions, but most are not rare and readily available.
Zane Dobie comes from a background of motorcycle journalism, working for notable titles such as Australian Motorcycle News Magazine, Just Bikes and BikeReview. Despite his fresh age, Zane brings a lifetime of racing and hands-on experience. His passion now resides on four wheels as an avid car collector, restorer, drift car pilot and weekend go-kart racer.
