Historically, artillery wheels were first made of wood and wrapped in a steel lip. The style rapidly grew in popularity for motor vehicles.
artillery wheels were first made of wood and wrapped in a steel lip.
The style rapidly grew in popularity for motor vehicles. American makers began stamping the entire wheel out of steel, but they retained the heavy spoke look. Ford first introduced its version of steel artillery wheels in the early 1930s. These modern recreations bring the best of both worlds: form and function. They measure
18x9 inches all around. They are wrapped up in Falken
Azenis tires for smooth sailing all year round.
The truck’s exterior is essentially untouched. But there’s no want for aesthetics. The 18-inch wheels sport a bright red center, white lip and
polished hub cap. The high contrast complements the truck’s Caribbean Turquoise patina perfectly. The red plays off the factory taillights, Ford badges and natural reds of the surface rust. The white lip teams up with the whitelettered tailgate. And the polished hubcaps bring the all-important dash of chrome to the OG recipe. The original patina and custom tailgate lettering were re-cleared in a matte finish.
The interior received a bit more attention. Old Town Upholstery in Escondido, California, recovered the factory bench seat in rich red leather. The black diamond stitch complements the red beautifully. The gauge cluster surround was also painted red to continue the colorway. Johnathan threw the icing on the cake with the handmade rose-shaped shift knob—a fitting touch for a gift to his wife. Less than a month from start-to-finish and the Elkins’ ’60 was cruising into the SEMA show, and then, endless summer nights in Southern California.