2001 Mercedes e200 steel wheels

Grab All Association

Seen one in Thurles with steel wheels and cheap looking Mercedes branded hubcaps. Was this really a factory spec at the time? The car looked absolutely ridiculous with them on it. A car that cost in or around £30k at the time didn’t it?

colm_mcm

That was nearly 20 years ago, not too long before that it wouldn’t be unusual to have a merc with no electric windows.

Borderfox

Poverty spec cars were quite common in Ireland when I was growing up, rear wash wipe was an option on the Fiesta

fancy pigeon

colm_mcm wrote: »

That was nearly 20 years ago, not too long before that it wouldn’t be unusual to have a merc with no electric windows.

My 1995 C220 D has wind up windows all round and originally had steel wheels/orange indicators

porsche boy

That e class (210 model) had steelies & hubcaps in Classic trim. Option to upspec to basic alloys for a couple of hundred quid was usually selected.

Odyssey 2005

I remember when you had to spec a radio in a brand new Merc.

colm_mcm

I remember when seatbelts in the back was posh.

Odyssey 2005

colm_mcm wrote: »

I remember when seatbelts in the back was posh.

They used to be posh in the front

TheDriver

I remember when wheelcovers were an upgrade over hub caps e.g. 90 fiesta L

Wishbone Ash

Grab All Association wrote: »

... and cheap looking Mercedes branded hubcaps.....

I presume you mean wheel covers as opposed to hub caps? It not that long since wheel covers were a coveted item and often subject to theft.

Tommyboy40

You're obviously a younger chap. Cars didn't used to have door mirrors, when they did arrive, it was only a drivers one. No radio, reversing lights, hazards, nothing. Basically you had a BL car that would never start without pulling the plugs and applying a blowtorch. Who remembers putting a blanket on the engine in cold weather or draining the car in the frost?

Del2005

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I presume you mean wheel covers as opposed to hub caps? It not that long since wheel covers were a coveted item and often subject to theft.

I'd a set stolen only a few years ago. Woke up one morning and looked out the window to black wheels, took a few seconds to realise the trim was gone from the wheels. Got a brand new set to replace them but it looked like a branch car without them:D

Odyssey 2005

Del2005 wrote: »

I'd a set stolen only a few years ago. Woke up one morning and looked out the window to black wheels, took a few seconds to realise the trim was gone from the wheels. Got a brand new set to replace them but it looked like a branch car without them:D

Or a poxy taxi.:)

zilog_jones

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I presume you mean wheel covers as opposed to hub caps?

I'd say a lot of people call wheel covers/wheel trims "hub caps", and the other things would be "centre caps" - but maybe that's Americanese?

Wishbone Ash

zilog_jones wrote: »

I'd say a lot of people call wheel covers/wheel trims "hub caps", and the other things would be "centre caps" - but maybe that's Americanese?

Hub caps to me would be the shiny dinner plate sized thing that clipped onto the centre of the wheel to cover the wheel nuts.

Zubeneschamali

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Hub caps to me would be the shiny dinner plate sized thing that clipped onto the centre of the wheel to cover the wheel nuts.

In the movie Bullitt, the Dodge Charger Steve McQueen chases loses 8 hubcaps during the 10 minute sequence.

Wishbone Ash

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

In the movie Bullitt, the Dodge Charger Steve McQueen chases loses 8 hubcaps during the 10 minute sequence.

....and the wing mirrors keep appearing and disappearing!

fancy pigeon

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

....and the wing mirrors keep appearing and disappearing!

...and the Charger completely misses the fuel station when crashing and exploding!

I wouldn't hold any mistakes against that film though