Fuchs History

[old_skul]

That's some good history, Jack. I always wondered how they were made. It would be cool if there were an hour-long video on Discovery. Hey! Maybe you could write the script?

Yes, I understand Fuchs still produces a small amount of the wheels monthly. But Wheel Enhancement buys them all? That's crazy. I bet some of the parts warehouses still get some new ones.

[Jack Olsen]

Is there any credible evidence (other than Wheel Enhancement's salesmen) that Fuchs is still producing these wheels? I find it all but impossible to believe. The economics of doing it -- for the sake of a handful of sales -- would seem to be insane.

[tchanson]

Originally posted by BlueSkyJaunte
Wasn't there a Fuchs article similar to this in Excellence about a year ago? Anyone remember?

I recalled the same article so I dug it out tonight. It was in the May 2000 Excellence, a detailed piece by Jerry Sloniger that is far more extensive than the book quoted above.

The idea that Wheel Enhancement buys all Fuchs that may or may not still be produced doesn't ring true to me either.

To perhaps add some clarification, and since no one else has yet blown the dust off their copy from the closet, the Excellence article contains the following information:


"Incidentally, before you write Fuchs for a set of 911 replacement wheels, you should know that their contracts give tooling to the customer. Fuchs only has a license to use it thereafter and is forbidden to sell direct, not even those few wheels leftover in the warehouse.

On the other hand, they still have the tooling for the 911 wheel in 16-inch size (sadly not 15-inch any longer) and even produced a run of 500 for Porsche two years ago."


The article also contains some additional details on the design of the wheel that may prove something of a counterpoint to the amount of "design" (vs. necessity or availability) attributed to Herr Klie in the Tobias Aichele book quoted above:


"Fuchs had re-entered the military field in the late '50's, including forged alloy "bogies" (aligning wheels) to carry the tracks of a Porsche designed tank. When Zuffenhausen engineers were scrambling to find a suitable alloy wheel for the 911S, the only light metal wheels in those days were castings that were not up to Porsche's standards. With time pressure mounting, somebody eyed the Fuchs bogie and said "looks just like a wheel".

So much for the inspiration. Realization proved considerably harder and here memories diverge. One source claims Heinrich Klie, a former ceramics designer working on Porsche's styling team, tossed the paddle-spoke shape off with a little clay modeling, on the side, as it were. A retired Porsche engineer added in passing, "Klie, who designed the 914, you know...". Unfortuately Klie is no longer available for comment.

Paul Hensler, who retired as Porsche's head of drivetrains, recalls that they had no choice but alloy for weight reasons. Steel was considered too limited in styling, an emerging Porsche interest in the early '60's. Unsatisfactory American cast alloy wheels of the day had a similar, fan blade design. Time was running short. In one version of the tale, some stylist, perhaps even Klie, simply modified their cast design for forging. That would make the Fuchs 911 wheel a result of evolution rather than original creation.

As a sidelight, F.A. Porsche admits he and his team "didn't really like the looks all that well".


In any event, its one of those wonderful articles that Excellence (and Sloniger in particular) has every now and then that more than atone for the occasional purple prose of some of their other writers.

Tim

[speeder]

Thanks for digging up that article. I find it really interesting to research this company and its people, but even with the best research, "memories diverge", as the article states, particularly with a company that had such a charismatic leader.

Jack, it would actually make sense for Fuchs to crank up the old wheel rolling machine just to replace all of the wheels that have been chromed by W.E. and therefore permanently removed from the "good wheel pool".

[Jack Olsen]

Thanks, Tim. Great stuff.

All the more reason for them to find a way to make an archive available online.

[aps]

If you want to see how they make wheels now, just check this video.
Select Automotive Industry|Products|Wheels , and click on the "Show Production Video", which is on the rigth side.
The website is http://www.otto-fuchs.com/english/index.html

Antonio

[Jack Olsen]

Here's the Fuchs manufacturing clip (for the newer wheels they make, not the old):

'Fuchs on the run.'

[steveW]

"On the other hand, they still have the tooling for the 911 wheel in 16-inch size (sadly not 15-inch any longer) and even produced a run of 500 for Porsche two years ago."

Does this mean my set of 6X15 has just doubled in price?

[dtw]

Originally posted by JackOlsen
Is there any credible evidence (other than Wheel Enhancement's salesmen) that Fuchs is still producing these wheels? I find it all but impossible to believe. The economics of doing it -- for the sake of a handful of sales -- would seem to be insane.

I saw a pair a while back with a fairly recent date stamp.

[jpahemi]

Back in 2000 or so Porsche NA in Atlanta and Ontario, CA blew out thier complete stock of 9X16's. I bearly secured a one set and Wheel Enhancement bought something like 30 pairs; from what I understand that was the last of the 9X16's.
j.p.

[DARISC]

Great post, Jack!

When searching for Fuchs a year and a half ago, Wheel Enhancement didn't have any and mentioned (not offering to get them for me) that there actually were a very limited number (I forget the number he said) of new Fuchs still available in Europe, at a very high price - no size info available.

I ultimately found very nice used 16" 7's & 8's with non-stock polished rims, black centers, that I for got nicked $1200 for - but hadda have 'em!

[HandyRacing]

Hello all. I have a alloy wheel set that came from a 78 928S. A Pelican Parts forum member suggests they may be from a later S4 (maybe 87+). I looked them up on the Porsche parts manual for that range, which indicates they are forged. I'm thinking they are OEM but does that mean they are also then Fuchs (in other words, were other suppliers making forged alloy wheels)? Can someone help clarify please?









Thank you

[GeorgeK]

Handy,
They are made by Fuchs as well. The 944 Clubsport wheels are also made by Fuchs (they are vers close in design to your 928 wheels).
Today, the 997 turbo wheels are also made by Fuchs. In their time they have manufactured forged wheels for many cars: Audi Quattro, Mercedes S class, BMS M models, Opel Omega 3000, etc...

[HandyRacing]

Originally Posted by GeorgeK

Handy,
They are made by Fuchs as well. The 944 Clubsport wheels are also made by Fuchs (they are vers close in design to your 928 wheels).
Today, the 997 turbo wheels are also made by Fuchs. In their time they have manufactured forged wheels for many cars: Audi Quattro, Mercedes S class, BMS M models, Opel Omega 3000, etc...

Thank you for the assistance. I see a lot of folks offering 3rd party reproduction wheels. With these, I wasn't sure of the history, obviously they have the Porsche part numbers. I was unsure if it was a Mercedes Benz AMG type thing whereas some were a higher order quality optional wheel, and others were the stock.

I did see the Porsche parts list manual lists them as forged.

I have a complete set (2) 16x7 and (2) 16x8 for sale, including original center caps. I don't want to try and overcharge for them, yet not also give them away. The set I have are in excellent condition, listed here in the classified section.

[GeorgeK]

I use them as winter wheels on my C4.
Sadly the demand seems to be very low for them, being "only" 16" and fitting the 928 and 964, where most people want 17".

[HandyRacing]

Originally Posted by GeorgeK

I use them as winter wheels on my C4.
Sadly the demand seems to be very low for them, being "only" 16" and fitting the 928 and 964, where most people want 17".

It's an interesting game, this garage sale I'm having. I just hate to see these classic wheels go to scrap. Thank you again for your assistance.