Slipstream - April 2017
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Historicizing Porsche: Fuchs for Ferdinand<br />
By Ash Seidl-Staley<br />
Photos courtesy of the Author<br />
hen Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, Ferry<br />
W<br />
Porsche’s eldest son, went out searching for<br />
the perfect wheel for his 911 production<br />
sports car, he knew that acquiring just any<br />
wheel would not do. It had to compliment the 911, it<br />
had to be sleek, it had to be light, it had to be trendsetting,<br />
and, above all else, it had to be made of some<br />
sort of alloy. Otto Fuchs, working out of a workshop<br />
in Meinerzhagen, Germany, accepted F.A.’s wheel challenge,<br />
and even let F.A. design the final product! The<br />
result from the Porsche-Fuchs collaboration became<br />
one of the most iconic sets of wheels ever to be manufactured<br />
for a road-going sports car. Of course, I’m<br />
talking about Fuchsfelge, the “windmill” wheels, or put<br />
simply, Fuchs.<br />
Since their initial 911 contract signed in 1963,<br />
Otto Fuchs KG has continued to develop alternative<br />
wheel designs for cars, motorcycles, trucks, and<br />
even airplanes. In the late sixties to early seventies<br />
Otto Fuchs developed what came to be known as the<br />
baroque wheel for the Mercedes-Benz W 108 and W<br />
109. Later, Fuchs supplied wheels for the NSU Ro80,<br />
Opel’s Kadett GTE, and even BMW’s first M5. Since<br />
the early 1980s Audi, Rolls-Royce, and Lamborghini<br />
have all been known to deploy sets of forged Fuchs on<br />
some of their most prestigious models. But it is with<br />
Porsche that Fuchsfelge have garnered their legendary<br />
status. Initially, Porsche offered 15-inch Fuchs for<br />
its 911 S model, but in 1981 expanded their coverage<br />
to include the 924 and 944 base models. Since 1988,<br />
Fuchs have been the standard wheel deployed on the<br />
911 Carrera, and can be ordered in the classic 15- and<br />
16-inch diameters, or upgraded to 17-, 18-, or even<br />
19-inch sizes! Currently, aftermarket Fuchs, knockoff<br />
Fuchs, and brand-spanking-new Fuchs can be ordered,<br />
and fitted onto nearly all Porsche models regardless of<br />
the wheelbase, ride height, or year. Don’t have a set of<br />
Fuchs lying around the garage? That’s ok; eBay, Pelican<br />
Parts, Craigslist, and even 5milesapp.com have lightly<br />
used sets going for around $1200-$1500. Plus, you can<br />
always build a Porsche online or check out the Fuchs<br />
website at www.fuchsfelgeusa.com for pricing and to attain<br />
lists of applicable vehicles.<br />
As you might have guessed, I have a set of classic<br />
Fuchs (as Porsche fanatics, haven’t we all at some<br />
point?). My set, along with a massive set of BBS Wheels,<br />
were bequeathed to me with my grandfather’s 1972 911<br />
T-V (carbureted) -- the one with the infamous 935 Kevlar<br />
body kit. And although they are not bolted onto any<br />
vehicle now, I plan on keeping them indefinitely. These<br />
Fuchs are special to me, not just because they were my<br />
1972 vintage Fuchs wheel with custom painted cap<br />
grandfather’s and are most likely original to his ‘72,<br />
but because my mother actually painted the Porsche<br />
name and crest on the wheel caps! Before my existence<br />
was ever thought of, my grandfather commissioned my<br />
mother to “spice up” his Fuchs, a task the young, aspiring<br />
artist graciously accepted. It has been nearly forty<br />
years since she painted these caps, but the paint still<br />
pops with vibrant color. Every time I look at the Fuchs<br />
I am treated to happy memories depicting both my<br />
grandfather and my mother. For these reasons, I could<br />
never bring myself to sell them.<br />
I’d like to close out this month’s article with a short<br />
dedication to my mother, Diana McCoy, as on the 21st<br />
of this month she will be celebrating the big 5-0. I cannot<br />
express how<br />
much I love her,<br />
and how grateful<br />
I am that she<br />
raised me the<br />
way that she did.<br />
I want to thank<br />
her for her compassion,<br />
for her<br />
wisdom, and for<br />
her love. Thank<br />
you Mom! I love<br />
you, and have an<br />
extremely Happy<br />
Birthday!<br />
See you next<br />
month, Mavs. As<br />
always . . . Wrench<br />
On!<br />
Longtime columnist Ash and<br />
his mother, Diana McCoy<br />
28 <strong>April</strong>