Rostyle's "Rubery Owen" History & refurb etc

[JoKer]

I see these more & more on Overseas cars as such have developed a wee taste for these OEM / Optional Wheels for our Avengers eg

CarBrochureAddict
@addict_car
Chrysler UK was possibly the only manufacturer in Europe to embrace US-style half vinyl roofs, used in white on these 1974 Hillman Avenger Sunseeker special editions. The summer paint colours and sporty trim contrast with a rather sober interior. #carbrochure #Hillman #Chrysler

(not the greatest Example, it is a miniature btw BUT I know yo now know what we are talking about

eg : these





I'm 'robbing' much of this following info from the www.buysellcortina.co.uk forums as well as 'Wiki'

Specifically : https://www.buysellcortina.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/74359-ford-rostyle-wheels/

which was a listing for these 'Escort Sport' Steels aka Dartboards from that thread

Technically they are Also Rostyles and came from the same factory, and in NZ colloquially known also as Rostyles

Here comes a Copy & paste from a couple of sites

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/rostyles

Rostyles
By Mark J. McCourt from June 2006 issue of Hemmings Motor News





What do an MG Midget, a Sunbeam H120 and a Ford Capri all have in common? Like many European cars of the early 1970s, they all rode on Rostyles. These mag-style steel wheels, available in a number of sizes and designs, came to represent the European version of America's popular Magnum 500 sports wheel for fans of British imports.

The company responsible for the design and manufacture, as well as the name of the Rostyle (short for Rubery Owen-style) wheel, was Rubery Owen & Co. Ltd of Darlaston, South Staffordshire, England. This company was founded in 1884 to manufacture light steel constructions; they diversified into building numerous components for the automotive and other industries in the early part of the 20th century. The Rubery Owen firm was a powerhouse in the British motor industry from the 1950s through the 1970s, and its ruling group, the family-run Owen Organization, headed the famed British Racing Motors (BRM) Grand Prix racing team; Sir Alfred Owen of Rubery Owen & Co. Ltd. was a primary sponsor of this all-British racing marque, which was founded in 1945. Rubery Owen was restructured in the mid-1970s, and is still extant today in the form of the ROTech Laboratories, a firm that services the motor vehicle component industry instead of directly providing components.

The stylish pressed-steel wheels that bear the company's name were designed in the mid-1960s. Although Rubery Owen made different designs and 15- and 16-inch sizes for automakers like Jensen and Range Rover, their most famous design, and the one most people think of when they hear the name Rostyle, was the OEM version used on Ford of Europe's lauded 1968 Cortina 1600E. This Cortina used 13 x 5.5-inch Rostyles with flat chrome center caps. The wheels had a four-spoke design that radiated from a raised center; four short spokes were set in the depressions, ending before four lug holes. Eight semi-rectangular openings were pressed in each wheel, two-per quarter, and the depressed areas between the raised spokes were painted semi-gloss black to stand apart from the hammered aluminum silver paint on the spokes and rims. Accessory polished stainless steel or brushed aluminum trim rings gave Rostyles a deep-dish look, and center cap designs varied with the automakers using the wheels.

Ford also used the Rostyle, in 13 x 5-inch form, on their charming 'European Mustang,' the first-generation 1969-1974 Capri. This wheel was found on the sporty Sunbeam H120 coupe in 1968, and a tiny 10 x 4.5- inch version enhanced the 1969 Morris Mini 1275GT. The most famous proponent of Rostyle wheels was MG, the automaker who introduced them on the facelifted 1970 MGBs and Midgets. These wheels replaced plain pressed wheels with large chrome center hubcaps, although traditional wire wheels remained optional. MG Midgets used 13 x 4.5-inch Rostyles with a 4-inch bolt circle and 2.625-inch diameter center hole, while MGBs and B-GTs used 14 x 5-inch versions. Although rare in the U.S., optional chrome and black painted Rostyles were available for early 1970s U.K.-spec MGBs.

The MGB was the largest user of Rostyle wheels from 1970 to 1980, although wheel offset differed between those fitted to chrome bumper (1970-early 1974) and rubber bumper (1974.5-1980) cars; early cars used a 2.814cm offset, while that of later Rostyles was 2.384cm, explained by a switch from using 155R14 to 165R14 tires. Rostyle wheels are not currently being reproduced, but can be purchased inexpensively at swap meets, from specialty parts vendors or junkyards, and reconditioned.

Wiki : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rostyle_wheel

Rostyle wheels are a notable design of automobile wheels of American origin but made under licence[1] by the British firm of Rubery Owen. The Rostyle wheel was especially popular during the 1960s and 1970s.

The wheels had a characteristic pressed steel form with raised 'spokes', and were painted aluminium-grey on the spokes and rim and black between the spokes to imitate the open space of true magnesium alloy wheels. They were designed for use without the need of hubcaps or wheel covers but usually had a centre cap carrying the emblem of the car manufacturer.

In the United States, the wheel style was manufactured in Lansing, Michigan, by the Motor Wheel Corporation[2] and found fame in the 1960s and 1970s on Muscle cars like the Pontiac GTO, Ford Torino, Shelby Mustang, Plymouth Barracuda and AMC Javelin. In an American context the wheel style was known as the "Magnum 500". Hence, the first British cars with "Rostyle" wheels were referred to in early road tests as having "Magnum style" wheels.

The first appearance of Rostyle wheels on the Rover P5B met with descriptions of them by some testers as "raffish" and "gaudy" [3] and ill-befitting a luxury saloon. At that time, some Rover road testers also referred to the wheels as "Ro-style", suggesting that the name, if not the style, may have first been developed specifically for wheels fitted to Rovers. Although this surfaces as "fact" on forums it is not correct. The name "Rostyle" is a portmanteau word deriving from "R-ubery O-wen" (the manufacturer of the wheels) and "Style": "ROstyle": "Rostyle".

The firms MG and Rover, amongst other British sporty cars in the 1960s often specified Rostyle wheels as original equipment instead of ones made of light alloy or wire spoked wheels. Chromium-plated Rostyle wheels were made for Jensen, Rover and, famously, the Ford Cortina 1600E, originally designed for Ford Chairman Len Crossland's wife.

Rostyle wheels were the only wheel option on the Range Rover for many years following its introduction. These 16-inch Rostyles were used on the Range Rover until 1986 when they were replaced by alloy wheels. The Rostyles then became optional fitment to the short wheelbase Land Rover (the wheels were not strong enough for use on the long wheelbase models). The Land Rover maintained its optional Rostyle wheels until 1995, becoming the last vehicle to offer them from new.

As well as in Britain, similar wheels were made under license in Germany, Argentina and Australia. (Rubery, Owen and Kelmsley at first, and later RO Holdings (ROH), Woodville, South Australia, and are still manufacturing world class wheels at this facility (2020)

Special masks must be made to paint the wheels of restored cars to resemble the originals.

Max Sinclair, the sales manager for Rubery Owen in the 1960 to 1980 period has stated that "We changed the face of motoring, and Mag wheels followed us as their reliability improved.

for 'fun' here's a new school re-invention https://www.imagewheels.co.uk/billet-104-rostyle-alloy-wheel/

https://incayellow.com/posts/restoring-the-rostyle-wheels/

Restoring the Rostyle wheels : [Goes as expected : strip & repaint etc]

I also found a dew interesting products that purport to assist with the masking Job etc

eg


from : https://www.ukmgparts.com/product/accessory-caracc-car-accessories/13-inch-rostyle-wheel-mask-gac7123

they apparently don't work as well or as good as Manually Masking


from : https://www.mgexp.com/forum/mgb-and-gt-forum.1/rostyle-wheel-painting-templates.3511452/


now back to the History


the FS thread of the 'other' style :
https://www.buysellcortina.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/74359-ford-rostyle-wheels/


the 1st reply to thread does point out :

Hmm , I'm fairly sure those are sports wheels and not rostyle wheels. ... pity is i am in need of one for a spare but you're better off selling as a set i would think. If you are prepared to sell separately, give me a shout

then links to : https://www.buysellcortina.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/42153-rubery-owen-factory/ (needs login to view hence I am reposting here)



oh yeah and they still exist to this day!

https://www.ruberyowen.com/

with thanks to Miles' I've managed to collect more than half a set
and I have a plan to put them on a car I am rescuing (reveal later)

[JoKer]

This pair even came with 'free' Beauty rings and Caps!

this is still one of my all time fav images of an "Avenger" Wearing (5 stud + Widened) Ro's

[JoKer]

and then Paul Sent me this image on the weekend



now I am really confused!

there appears to be 1x RoStyle and 4x RoStyle Styles!

*enhance*



I know alot of Wheel makes have imitations but a little keen know more about the others now (they were offered "Free" in Chch on FB Market Place

[JoKer]

I know no one seems to be 'caring' and I'm talking to myself (gettign expoert advice from self emplyed they tell me)

so the Brittsh car FB group says they are 4x100 Vauxhall Rostyle

as viewed here : https://forum.retro-rides.org/thread/95108/4x100-rostyle-wheels-10

ksry
@ksry
Jan 6, 2011 at 11:36am
Hi all, i've a set of Rostyle wheels (their steel, not aluminium) for sale, most need a refurb, but this is purely surface rust rather than damage, quite rare these days. They do have tyres but some of these are past thier best as the wheels haven't been used since circa 2004 so I'd recommend new tyres too.

more pics available but their all similar to this:

[JoKer]

Who knew there were so many Alternatives of the one Wheel!

Posting there here just for future reference : NB All are 4x100 (EG : NOT AVENGER)

Opel / Manta / Vauxhall

https://picclick.co.uk/4-x-13-GENUINE-OPEL-VAUXHALL-MANTA-253404934893.html



https://line.17qq.com/articles/cdopcocdcv.html

[JoKer]

https://forum.retro-rides.org/thread/30784/rostyle-steels-4x100-come-collect

CR500Dom
@cr500dom
Aug 29, 2007 at 8:27pm
Relisted due to Timewaster

I have a set of Rostyle steels off my Kadett, complete with Chrome trim rings, centrecaps and decent 175/70/13 tyres (All matching), had new Valves and rebalanced, not used since