Take a walk and check any parking lot and check out the wheels. There is a probability that you will see way more black wheels than you expected. Unless you want to buy wheels, you probably aren’t even aware that black wheels are a thing. But they are. Black wheels are highly common for cars, trucks, cruisers, SUVs, mom-vans, sedans, and even beaters. Why are black wheels popular? It’s the perfect intersection of the rise of Euro-styled details on all autos and the trend towards bigger wheels.
THE EURO INVASION
It all being with a European invasion in the luxury and high-end vehicle market. Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche, Audi, Jaguar, Alfa Romeo and Land Rover positioned themselves as the leaders in luxury in the American market.
The Alfa Romeo Giulia debuted with black wheels. The company left the US in the 90’s because their cars frankly weren’t selling as expected. But Alfa Romeo took their game to the next level, re-entered the market with a turbocharged V6 under the hood, and the result is a car that’s fun to drive and looks awesome. Part of those good looks come from the dark wheels that are standard.
In 2016, the Jaguar F-Type R changed over to all-wheel drive, and that badass V8 moved black snowflake wheels with machined accents. A striking car with striking wheels turned heads in cities all over the US.
From 2012 to 2016, the Porsche 911 was available with a stock 10 spoke wheel in black. Simply spectacular.
So, you understand the concept. People saw these luxury vehicles, and these luxury vehicles had black wheels. Naturally, people began to associate black wheels with luxury vehicles. So, even if you couldn’t afford a high-end vehicle, you could afford to use some of the same trim and accents.
SPORTS CARS GO BLACK
The 2019 Volkswagen Jetta GLI looks and drives sportier than ever, thanks in part to black wheels. When Road and Track took it out to tame the Tail of the Dragon those black wheels took everything that was thrown their way.
The 2017 Chevy Camaro was an incredibly sporty car that rode on black wheels. Reintroduced in 2009 as a coupe with a retro feel, Camaro got sportier, and the wheels got badder and darker as the years went by. Whether Chevy was jumping on the Euro luxury bandwagon or trying to make a statement of their own, it’s clear that they were going black, and they weren’t looking back.
BLACK WHEELS FOR TRUCKS AND CARS
So now you know. Black wheels are the result of bigger wheels and the influence of European luxury and sports cars on the American market. Ready to ride the black wheel wave? Surf on over to Waysize Customz, where you’ll find black wheels for trucks, cars, and SUVs. Moto Metal gloss black wheels for trucks to Helo wheels for SUVs have plenty of black wheels available.
Don’t be bothered about the fitment; Wayside got you covered. Just enter your year, make, model and rim size, and the only wheels you will see are the wheels that fit. You can even filter on the finish to narrow the selection down to black wheels only. And if you decide you want anthracite or chrome, those alternatives are available too.