The Cragar S/S was by far the most popular custom wheel on the hot rod and muscle car scene all through the ’60s and ’70s. Let’s check out its history. 

With its line of Cragar speed equipment, Bell Auto Parts on Gage Avenue in Bell, California was an institution on the LA hot rodding scene long before 1943, when young employee Roy Richter took over the store. An industry pioneer, Richter (1914-1983) developed the famed Bell racing helmet and was a founding member of SEMA, the performance industry’s trade group.

In 1962, well before most in the speed equipment business, Richter could see the enormous potential in the custom wheel market. After two years of experimenting and careful testing, in 1964 the first ads for Cragar S/S wheels appeared in Hot Rod magazine.

Magnesium racing wheels were commonplace in drag-strip competition, but they were expensive and not suited for road use, while the aluminum “mag wheel” lookalikes, often cast in Tenzaloy, weren’t ideal either. On the S/S wheel, Richter took a different route: A pressure-cast aluminum center was paired to a conventional rolled steel rim. Like a standard passenger car wheel, it was strong, resilient, and able to take road shocks.

To join the two dissimilar metals, five steel lugs, one for each spoke, were cast integrally in the aluminum centers, which could then be welded directly to the rim. Richter was awarded a U.S. patent (above) for the technique, one of many he received for his wheel designs. Both sections could be heavily chrome plated for great looks and easy maintenance, while the steel rim was compatible with tire-store mounting and balancing equipment.

We know what happened next. The wheels were an immediate hit, both with the traditional hot rodding crowd and on the exploding muscle car scene. Custom wheels were an easy way for owners for to personalize their rides and stand out from the crowd. And affordable, too: At the 1964 introduction, S/S wheels were just $46 each ($40 for polished). While the wheels weren’t light, they were rugged enough for competition, which Cragar demonstrated through aggressive marketing in drag racing. According to Richter, the S/S was proven stronger in lab testing than any conventional steel production wheel.

It’s fun to reflect that while car owners mounted custom wheels to individualize their machines, many chose the same Cragar S/S. All through the ’60s and ’70s, they were by far the most popular custom wheels on the market. Simply put, they were the cool wheel to have. A number of competitors offered lookalikes: Rocket, Fenton, Mickey Thompson, and others sold wheels that were virtually indistinguishable in appearance from the Cragar originals.

Cragar, now a division of The Carlstar Group, is still in the game today with a complete range of custom wheels, including a traditional S/S type and variations, as well as an updated version to accommodate contemporary wheel and tire sizes. Designed by noted Detroit stylist Larry Shinoda, the modern S/S wheel is intended to echo the look of the original despite its considerably larger diameter. Still, according to Cragar, the traditional S/S style that first appeared in 1964 remains the company’s best seller.       -Photos courtesy of Cragar.