WEIRD PLACES TO STORE YOUR SPARE WHEEL
01 On the tailgate
Yep, the OG, the standard way for Jeeps, Land Cruisers and Discoverys the world over to lug a spare tyre around. Extra points for making sure it’s encased in a novelty spare wheel jacket, or, in the case of this G-Wagen, shrouded in a cocoon apparently modelled on a designer wristwatch.
02 On the damn bonnet
Only really works on flat-bonneted old Landies, this. It wouldn’t suit a BMW X6. By topping the bonnet with a spare tyre, an old Land Rover keeps space free on the rear for, well, another spare wheel. If it’s good enough for James ‘the name’s Bond’ Bond...
03 On the side running boards
Back in the pre-war days when cars had curvaceous running boards cascading down from the front wheels like a crested wave, designers often used the space ahead of the door to let the spare wheel hitch a ride. Naturally, a valet would change the wheel in an emergency.
04 On the flipping roof
Whatever the car, whatever the brief, TG will find a way to bolt a roof rack onto it for carrying apocalypse-proof accessories. This Polestar 2 is a prime example. Obviously it’s terrible for aero, centre of gravity, and actually lugging the damn things on and off the roof. Looks cool though.
05 Sort of in the middle somewhere
This is the Prodrive BRX Hunter. Despite housing a 400bhp twin-turbo Ford V6 amidships, 280mm of suspension travel and four-wheel-drive gubbins, Prodrive still managed to squeeze in a couple of spare wheels – by simply wedging them into gaps in the Hunter’s Ian Callum-designed bodywork.
06 Oh! Under the bonnet
Just another extremely clever piece of thinking among many on the iconic Citroen DS. By shoving the engine well back under the long bonnet, there was enough space for Citroen to strap the spare wheel in the front, so the posh saloon’s boot space wasn’t compromised.
07 Bursting out of the boot
OK, trunk. Back in the days when cars were expected to include a spare wheel, many decided to make a feature out of it, as per this 1956 Ford Thunderbird, with its encased wheel mounted in a holster on the polished bumper. Maybe it doubled as some extra crash crumple zone too...
08 Where the back seats used to be
Racecar priorities here. Bowler’s go-faster Defender has the rear chairs stripped out and the resulting space filled with roll cage, fresh air, and a spare wheel wearing its own safety harness. Unlucky, kids.
09 Surprise! In the mid-engine bay
Mid-engined cars tend to be impractical. Stuffing the motor behind the cockpit is ideal for weight distribution, but usually leaves very little space to stow a spare wheel. Maserati’s pragmatic solution in the Seventies Merak 2+2 coupe was to wang the wheel in the engine bay along with the 3.0-litre V6.