It is one of the best-known wheel brands in the world, praised for decades for the originality and quality of its products, designed to equip production or racing vehicles. This brand is OZ, and in this complete file we will cover the most important topics that will allow you to perfect your knowledge of this great Italian firm.
Summary:
- What are OZ wheels?
- OZ wheels, the importance of the aluminum alloy
- How to recognize fake OZ wheels?
- The flagship models of OZ wheels
1. What are OZ wheels?
OZ is one of the world leaders in alloy wheels for cars and motorcycles. The brand develops and produces wheels for competition, aftermarket and manufacturers. It is above all thanks to its involvement in motor sports that the company has earned its credentials with the general public.
To date, there have been more than 150 victories won by vehicles equipped with OZ wheels, an impressive record that testifies to the very high performance delivered by the firm’s products. It is this know-how from racing that OZ uses to create alloy wheels with a racy style, both light and strong.
The birth of OZ wheels
The origin of OZ wheels dates back to 1971, when Silvano Oselladore and Pietro Zen (the O and Z of OZ respectively) teamed up to create their first model to fit a Mini Cooper involved in a local rally race. Established in a service station in Rossano Veneto, in the north-east of Italy, the two friends didn’t take long to manufacture their first rim for a motorcycle the following year. In 1978 the company OZ S.p.A was founded and the production came out of craftsmanship. However, it was not until 1992 that the company moved to its current headquarters in San Martino di Lupari.
The OZ records: breathtaking!
As we mentioned earlier, the brand has developed primarily through its involvement in racing. As early as 1984, with the creation of the OZ Racing division, the company found itself at the highest level of motorsport, supplying the Alfa Romeo F1 team with aluminum and magnesium wheels for the cars of drivers Riccardo Patrese and Eddie Cheever. The beginning of a long presence in Formula 1 with countless successes: Championship title for Alain Prost in 1993 on Williams-Renault then Damon Hill in 1996, Fernando Alonso in 2005 and 2006 with Renault, or Sebastien Vettel with Red Bull-Renault from 2010 to 2013.
The brand has also accompanied numerous victories and titles in other major FIA events such as the World Rally Championship alongside drivers such as Carlos Sainz, Richard Burns, Sébastien Loeb and Sébastien Ogier. Same success in IndyCar (which organizes the famous Indianapolis 500 race), CART, F3000, 24 Hours of Le Mans, Dakar, but also MotoGP… A record like no other!
2. OZ wheels, the importance of the aluminum alloy
Aluminum wheel types
At OZ, design teams work hand in hand with engineers to create and produce original, high-performance wheels. All stages of product manufacturing require advanced technical processes but also specific raw materials, depending on the type of wheel desired:
- Cast aluminum wheel
- Forged aluminum wheel
The properties of aluminum alloy
The aluminum alloy used in the manufacture of wheels for general use has a density of 2.7 g/cm3, which makes these products significantly lighter than steel wheels. It also offers greater resistance to bending and corrosion.
To obtain a cast aluminum wheel (low pressure and gravity casting process), OZ selects G-AlSi10Cu and G-AlSi7Mg compounds suited to the production method. A wheel intended to be forged will use Az 80A, Az 91 and EN AW 6082 alloys for a stronger and more durable finished product than its foundry equivalent.
Apart from these two historical processes, the HLT (High Light Technology) technique exclusive to OZ can be considered as a hybrid between casting and forging. This type of “flow forming” makes it possible to obtain a rim with superior mechanical properties (lightness, strength, etc.) compared to a conventional cast model at a lower production cost than a forged product.
Note that OZ also produces magnesium wheels. Reserved for racing, this structural metal surpasses the properties of aluminum alloy with its specific weight of only 1.7 g/cm3. Not only is the rim ultra-light, but it is also more resistant to shocks and vibrations.
3. How to recognize fake OZ wheels?
Like all major wheel brands, OZ is often imitated, even copied, and many products available on the market may turn out to be counterfeits. And we have to admit that today it is difficult, at first glance, to tell the difference between an original product and a fake.
Attention: we will deal in this subject with counterfeit wheels including the names and logos of the brand and model, not to be confused with so-called “replica” wheels marketed under different names so as not to mislead the consumer and which are legally available at the sale.
Counterfeit wheels: watch out for fake bargains!
The first thing that should alert you is the price of the wheel on sale. Very often, it is lower than the market price, and for good reason: these counterfeit wheels are cheaper to produce because they use cheap materials, less sophisticated manufacturing processes and receive a more basic finishing treatment.
In the end, whether it’s for a new or used product, if the selling price is very attractive and differs greatly from those of the market, there’s something wrong!
Even on wheels, every detail counts
Then, fake OZs are usually recognized by details, such as the presence of a different centre cap or stickers that are not quite similar. Looking even closer on the outer or inner rims, be sure to find the following engravings:
- brand (OZ)
- certifications (VIA, JWL…)
- country of manufacture (« Made in Italy »)
- possible manufacturing processes (« Forged » or « HLT » depending on the model)
- maximum load
- production date
- chemical composition of the alloy
The guarantee of a high performance wheel
More generally, a counterfeit will always suffer from the comparison with an original OZ wheel in terms of weight, strength and finish. Not only will a fake OZ product be heavier, but it will also be more fragile with lower impact resistance and an increased risk of warping, cracking or breaking on potholes in particular, not to mention poor resistance to chemicals, salt, corrosion…
Genuine OZ wheels benefit from thermal and electrochemical finishing treatments to guarantee exceptional properties that counterfeits cannot claim. They also receive several coats of paint and high quality varnish. In addition, they are proven by numerous very strict tests throughout their manufacturing process (chemical analyses, ultrasonic and X-ray inspections, fatigue tests, etc.) and meet standards (TÜV, KBA, NAD, UN /ECE 124, JWL VIA…). Finally, they come with a 2-year warranty.
We will end this chapter by recommending that you buy OZ wheels through an official retailer approved by the brand. Thus, you are guaranteed to receive an original product that will give you complete satisfaction in terms of quality, performance and lifespan.
4. The flagship models of OZ wheels
Over its long history, OZ has produced a huge number of iconic wheel designs. Below is a selection of the brand’s flagship products that have made their mark in motor sport and on the road.
Superturismo
The Superturismo has accompanied countless race car and formula victories. Available in GT, WRC, LM and Dakar versions, it still equips a very wide range of vehicles in the most prestigious championships around the world.
Ultraleggera
The Ultraleggera succeeded the famous Superleggera in 2006. Even lighter, this legendary six-twin-spoke wheel has been delighting fans of tuning and track days for years.
Rally Racing
The Rally Racing is a WRC icon with its recognizable design. Equipped with a large centre disc and red lettering, this wheel, equally at home on dirt, gravel or snow, has no longer counted its successes in the highest echelons of car rallying.
Anniversary 45
The Anniversary 45 is a contemporary reinterpretation of the first wheel created by the brand in the early 1970s. Launched in 2016, this modernized version with a look reminiscent of rotary phones pairs beautifully, like the original, with the (recent) Mini.
Beyond these legendary models, let’s remember that many limited series of cars have been released around the world equipped with OZ wheels. For example, the Volkswagen Golf R32 and its OZ Aristo, the Ultraleggera HLT of the Nissan 370Z Nürburgring, the Venturi 260 LM and its OZ Magnesium, the Honda Civic F1 and its OZ F1 Cup, the Superturismo GT of the Ford Focus RS WRC Edition or the Prodrive P1 of the Subaru Impreza P1.
VW Golf R32 
Venturi 260 LM 
Subaru Impreza P1
Photo credits: OZ / DR