Team III Wheels

Here's an astute observation: When at a car show, and looking out at the sea of cars in front of you, what do you really see? If you start to describe the types of cars, you're being a bit too specific. But if you say paint and wheels, then you'd be on track. What is more important than the paint and wheels when talking overall appeal of a car? It defines the car's personality, and quite possibly that of the owner, too. Black with flames denotes a different driver than that of a blue-with-white-stripes guy, so picking the right color scheme and the right set of wheels is what will make the greatest impact on those viewing your car.

Now consider the fact the aforementioned observation was made by a woman who grew up in mainland China where the automobile is only used by those who need to get from point A to point B, with no real concept of why you'd want to customize its appearance, and then you'll understand just how amazing the observation is.

Well, the woman happens to be Jin Russell, who is married to Scott Russell, owner of Team III Wheels (home of the ETIII wheel). She made her observation at a Goodguys hot rod show, and what's more, followed it up with the statement: "If these people are willing to spend thousands of dollars on their paint jobs, interiors, and motors, then why won't they spend the money to have a nice set of wheels on their cars?" Good point.

Most folks leave wheel choice until the last, when in reality, it should be made at the beginning of the build. And that's where Team III Wheels comes into the picture. Offering a line of wheels in various diameters and widths, along with the appropriate accessories (rearend covers, knock-off adaptors, wheel caps, etc.), Team III can help create the right look for your car.

If you're an old-time hot rodder, then the ETIII name should sound familiar to you. Founded in the late-'50s by Dick Beith in Concord, California (near Oakland), the wheel company at its peak was producing one wheel per minute and owned the largest die-cast machine west of the Mississippi. You'd find ETIII wheels on every type of hot rod and drag race car back in the day, but by the '70s, the wheel market had changed so much, Beith decided to sell out to Filter Dynamics and go Indy car racing.

The retro look was coming back into hot rodding by the mid-'90s (when the "billet look" began to wane) and Beith wanted to start up his old shop again. The Wheel Center reopened in 1994 in San Leandro (again, near Oakland), and Dick started making new versions of his old wheels (but no longer riveting the centers to the hoops like back in the old days!). By 1999, Beith wanted to retire, and looked to an old family friend, Scott Russell, to run the business while he traveled around the country.

Russell, who had put in 27 years in the aerospace industry and was bored to tears with his career, wanted a new challenge and gladly accepted the chance to run the business. When Beith finally offered to sell the business to Russell, Scott took the plunge, bought the company, and was then suddenly in the wheel market. Initially, Russell wanted to concentrate on making wheels, improve their quality, and, in a cost-saving measure, have the foundry produce less rejects. Once those goals were achieved, Scott began to expand his line of wheels while reducing the customer's wait time.

Soon, Team III Wheels was producing 11 wheel styles, two of which are Ferrari-style wheels and one Lambo-type wheel, as well as have the ability to make a set of one-off wheels for individual customers. (They'll work with the customer, using their design to make a 15- to 17-inch set of cast-center rollers for about $6,000).

Since taking the reigns in 1999, the bottom line of Russell's company has grown tenfold, which means he's doing something right. He's split the focus of the company in two, with one side being a supplier of wheels of his own design and having them available for immediate delivery, and the other being a division that will make custom offsets for specific customer's needs. Always wary of trends, Team III Wheels also offers a new line of Cobra one-piece cast wheels in 17-inch while still making the design in a two-piece configuration. Another wheel just added to the line is the Altered, a square-window wheel that looks similar to the vintage Halibrand wheel.

Russell still looks at the wheel business as something fun, and really gets a kick out of creating new designs and being able to provide custom fitments when others have said it wasn't possible. His company supplies his AC III wheels (in both lug-style and the knock-off type) to several of the Cobra manufacturers in the kit and replicar industry, and though it's not too often noted, the AC III wheels are usually lighter than the competition's (sometimes by 10 pounds per wheel!). That's a lot of unsprung weight when dealing with car performance aspects.

When you have someone who heads up a company that isn't jaded with the business and still has time and the interest to create new products, then it's the consumer who benefits the most. And with the way Scott views the future of Team III Wheels, we can expect some exciting new wheels to be coming off the assembly line for some time to come.