The Orgin of Rims
Every one has heard of rims, as in big chrome rims to hook up your ride. Today there are hundreds of wheel companies producing thousands of different rim styles. This wasn't always the case. Way back in the day there were only a handful of companies that made rims. The most recognizable companies were American Racing, Cragar, and Keystone.
Technically speaking, a "rim" is the outer portion of a complete wheel. The rim is the only part of the wheel that comes in contact with the tire. Somewhere down the line it became common practice to refer to custom wheels as "rims" or if you had an early Porsche 911 with the factory Fuchs made five spoke wheels you referred to them as "alloys" which referenced the aluminum alloy the wheel was constructed from.
Hot-rodders and drag racers initially favored custom rims because they offered wider widths than original equipment rims. The wider width allowed for much larger tires that were necessary to handle their cars increased performance. Of course, the custom rims also offered an aesthetic benefit that easily surpassed the factory equipment. The aesthetic improvement over stock rims is what attracted non-racers to put rims on their street vehicles.
There is no dispute that a set of custom rims can improve the looks of even the most mundane vehicle. Consider the current trend of customizing late 70's Chevy Caprices. While there are certainly less desirable cars on the road, a stock 78 Caprice would never get my vote as a must have for my car collection. The attraction to the Caprice and other big-bodied American made cars like it is the relative ease in which you can install a monster set of rims! It all started in the mid 90's when 20-inch rims became available. At first, cars like the Caprice were the only vehicles that could actually mount a rim that big. Then came 22's and 24's. I though it would end there but 26's and 28's quickly followed. Now, to be at the top of the game, you have to have 30-inch rims mounted on whatever kind of car you can mount them on.
Here is the biggest irony of this trend. In the past, the type of vehicle you drove was the most important statement you could make in your customizing. Now, the vehicle is secondary to the size of your rims! How else can one explain how a custom 1970 Monte Carlo with 30-inch rims gets more attention than a new Rolls Royce Phantom with factory 22-inch rims?
The reality is this…you could own one of the worlds least desirable cars, but if it has shiny paint and a set of enormous custom rims- you will get noticed and you will get props. Believe it!
Victor B
