‘Pimp My Shopping Trolley’

Motorists with cash in their pockets have given chrome wheels the nod for the last decade, but in America these look-at-me vehicle accessories are losing favour with drivers pummelled by rising fuel and other costs. In an article published by USA Today, König Wheels sales manager Jim Fisher commented that the fashion for chrome wheels “might come back, but it’s going to be a while…..we’re selling something that people don’t need.”

This opinion, expressed at the SEMA show, is not unique. Danny Ward, vice president of sales for Modular Society Wheels, commented that while athletes, musicians and actors aren’t cutting back on chrome wheel purchases in light of economic troubles, many of the younger buyers wishing to emulate their idols are now finding their budgets overstretched. He said the “easy come, easy go” crowd is disappearing.

Top quality rims come with a hefty price tag. As a given example, a good set for a Dodge Charger can cost up to US$8,000. It is not uncommon for the wheels fitted to a used car to cost more than the vehicle itself. And while bigger has long being considered better – at SEMA Lexani Wheels displayed a set of 42-inch rims, a diameter so extreme that no currently produced tyres fit it – Ward believes that the ‘size wars’ are largely over. With fewer Hummers and luxury SUVs being sold in the US, demand for wheels that wouldn’t look out of place on a tractor is dwindling.

“Maybe sizes and pricing will go down a little,” said Ryan Friedlinghaus, founder of West Coast Customs, the vehicle modifier made famous through the ‘Pimp My Ride’ television show. He adds, however, that “wheels is always the first question” for customers looking to personalise vehicles, even if they have insufficient funds for a complete rebuild.

Jim Fisher says König’s business is holding up because it has focused on areas less susceptible to the turndown. The company has targeted the tuning segment. “They are not worried about feeding their families. They are worried about fixing up their cars,” he said. In spite of this confident statement, it must be said that König is also focusing upon smaller wheels, a segment not as hard hit economically. Modular Society Wheels has replaced some of its lost US business by exporting custom wheels to places where bling is thought cool and money is still to be found, such as Russia and the Middle East.