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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>

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