I have 4 hubcaps for sale, 2 black ones and 2 navy blue. They fit w123 and are the ALUMINUM type and not the steel type.

Make me an offer for whichever set you'd like. The aluminum ones are quite expensive on ebay

PM sent regarding description

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

They aren't aluminum - they are either chrome or stainless. I they came from a US 1980 - 1982 240D or 300D or 280E then they _might_ have wheel clips that are for the pressed aluminum wheels.

I was told that the non magnetic hubcaps are made of aluminum. There’s quite a few places online selling aluminum hubcaps. Am I reading something wrong?

They are wrong.
The wheel covers are stainless steel.

Oh well I tried to do be the messenger of doom in a not so public way for the OP

If you look at the thickness of the metal I think it will be apparent that aluminium wouldn't stay in the same shape for long - stainless steel does. Also the polished parts of the hubcaps (see pictures of the new ones on ebay for example) are hard to get that shiny in aluminium. Curb scratches would be pretty dreadful - if you've got some scratches on your hubcaps pick at then with a screwdriver or a knife edge you'll find the metal to be hard - not soft.

If there's still doubt I'm more than happy to weigh one of my stainless steel hubcaps and post up the weight.

The whole magnetism thing is a bit misleading - this isn't a definite test for nonferrous-ness. It depends on the grade of the stainless steel used.

For the record I've not seen any chromed hubcaps of this W114/5/6 W123/W126 series - I think they're all stainless - never seen any flaking on the parts that are meant to be shiny metal.

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

I am fairly sure the first couple years were Chrome and then they switched to stainless. I have also not seen them flake but HAVE seen them pit and rust.

I too have seen evidence of surface rust but that's just down to the grade of the stainless - even stainless cutlery can rust in dishwashers with all those chemicals


I've got chromed hubcaps on my Volvo - they're in a dreadful condition - makes me think Mercedes have really got it right...

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!