Wire wheels were available as optional equipment on pushrod MGAs, the 1500, 1600 and 1600 Mk II, and remain the defining visual upgrade for cars originally supplied with the standard bolt-on steel disc wheel. The factory wire wheel was a Dunlop 48-spoke centre-lock item, and MGOC Spares supplies centre-lock wire wheels as direct fitment replacements across the two factory-relevant sizes and in both painted and chrome finishes.
Factory specification, Dunlop 48-spoke
The factory-fitted wire wheel on pushrod MGAs was a Dunlop 48-spoke item, 4J x 15 (four-inch rim width, 15-inch diameter), with a steel rim and centre-lock fixing to the car's splined hub. The wheel construction uses 16 long outer spokes running to the outer rim and 32 short inner spokes running to the inner rim, giving the characteristic cross-lacing pattern. Factory wire wheels were painted aluminium, chrome-plated wire wheels do not appear to have been available as original factory-fitted equipment, though they were widely fitted after sale. A 60-spoke competition wheel, size 4½ x 15, was listed as part of the MGA racing and competition equipment but was not available as original factory-fitted equipment.
Wire wheels on pushrod MGAs are retained by eared centre-lock knock-ons (three patterns during 1500 production, the original MG-badged pattern, the post-chassis 40857 curved centre pattern, and the post-chassis 48730 no-badge pattern) or, for German and Swiss market cars from approximately chassis 57500, by octagonal spinners. Knock-on and spinner production-change detail is covered under the Wheel Spinners node.
Twin Cam and De Luxe, different wheel architecture
Twin Cam and De Luxe cars are a separate case. These variants use a Dunlop centre-lock disc wheel rather than a wire wheel, with peg drive to the hub rather than splined drive, and knock-ons with a coarser thread. The Twin Cam / De Luxe architecture is not interchangeable with pushrod wire wheel hardware.
Owners of Twin Cam or De Luxe cars looking for the factory-specification wheel should refer to the centre-lock disc wheel rather than the wire wheels supplied through this category. Twin Cam / De Luxe wheel, knock-on and hub detail is covered under the Road Wheels and Stub Axles & Hubs nodes.
MGOC wire wheel range, painted and chrome, 4x15 and 4.5x15
MGOC Spares supplies centre-lock wire wheels in two sizes, 4x15 and 4.5x15, and in both painted and chrome finishes, giving four principal options for an MGA owner fitting wire wheels. These wheels are shared with the MG T-series (TD, TF and TA pushrod cars), reflecting the common BMC centre-lock hub architecture used across the marque from the TD through to the end of MGA production. The 4x15 painted and chrome wire wheels match the factory MGA rim width of 4J x 15 most closely. The painted version matches the factory-original aluminium-painted finish used at build; the chrome version is the popular post-sale finish widely fitted by MGA owners from the 1960s onwards.
Either option preserves the factory-correct rim width for use with tyres in the original size range. The 4.5x15 painted and chrome wire wheels match the rim width of the factory competition 60-spoke wire wheel that was listed as MGA racing and competition equipment. The slightly wider rim provides more support for modern tyre sizes without moving away from the period-correct visual proportions. Again, painted and chrome finishes are stocked to suit both original-specification and post-sale appearance preferences.
A larger 6x15 chrome wire wheel is also stocked within the wider MGOC wire wheel range, primarily suited to AC-series fitments but sharing the same centre-lock architecture as the MGA items. Owners fitting a 6x15 wheel to an MGA should confirm clearance to the wings, brakes and suspension components before ordering.
Finish, painted or chrome
The choice between painted and chrome finish is primarily aesthetic and maintenance-related. The painted wire wheel is the factory-correct finish for all original MGA installations, and is the appropriate choice for concours restorations to period originality.
The chrome wire wheel is the popular post-sale finish widely associated with MGAs in private and show ownership, and gives a brighter appearance at the cost of requiring more regular cleaning to maintain the finish, chrome is prone to pitting if neglected, particularly in damp storage or salty-air coastal environments. Both finishes use the same underlying wheel construction and centre-lock fixing.
Tapered wheel nuts, required for modern wire wheel fitment
Centre-lock wire wheels of the type supplied here require matched tapered wheel nuts for correct seating and secure service life.