OE steel and wire wheels cover the standard wheel options available for the Midget throughout its production. The steel wheel range includes both the plain pressed steel wheel (1967 to 1969) and the Rostyle wheel (1970 to 1979), while the wire wheel option covers the 60-spoke painted and chrome wheels with their knock-on spinner system.
Steel Wheels
The plain pressed steel wheel is a simple dished design fitted with a push-on hub cap carrying the MG logo. Four dome-head wheel nuts secure each wheel. The Rostyle wheel replaced it from 1970, featuring the distinctive slotted appearance that became the Midget’s visual signature for the remainder of production. The Rostyle uses a separate centre cap with an MG badge and requires a different hub cap fitting than the plain wheel.
Wire Wheels
Wire wheels were offered as a factory option from October 1962 (introduction of the 1098cc Mk1) through to 1976 (up to GAN6-166300). The 60-spoke wheel in 4x13 inch size uses a splined hub adaptor and knock-on spinner system. The spinners are handed, right-hand thread on the left side of the car and left-hand thread on the right side, so that forward rotation tightens rather than loosens the spinner. Wire wheels require different half shafts at the rear and different hub assemblies at the front compared to steel wheels, so the wheel type determines much more than just the wheel itself.
Conversion between steel and wire wheels is possible using a wire wheel conversion kit, but requires changing the half shafts and front hubs as well as adding the hub adaptors and spinners.