American Racing-A Company With Roots. In 1954, early drag racing innovator Romeo Palimides teamed up with J.O. Ellison, a San Francisco machine shop owner, to design and craft cutting-edge, high strength-to-weight ratio magnesium racing wheels for his dragster. Eventually they met up with forward-thinking Tom Griffith, an engineer that was ahead of his time, and the heart and soul of American Racing Equipment was born. It was the golden age of hot rodding, and street enthusiast interest in the lighter weight, higher tech wheels was overwhelming. Romeo's original vision, coupled with the leading edge designs of Tom Griffith from that small machine shop in San Francisco, evolved into the world's leading aftermarket wheel company. In 1956, American Racing Equipment, Inc. was incorporated. In those early years, American Racing produced more than thirty styles and sizes for use on the street as well as professional and amateur racing in drag racing, Formula One, Formula Jr. and Grand Tour sports car racing.
The Wheel That Started A Craze. In the early sixties, when European racing wheel companies were focused upon semi-solid modular designs, designer Tom Griffith conceived the tapered parabolic contour spoked American Racing "Torq Thrust" which reduced wheel weight and promoted brake cooling. Considered by many to be the most famous wheel of all time and honored by Hot Rod Magazine in 2005 as one of twenty automotive speed parts that changed the automobile world, the Torq Thrust started the custom wheel craze, making the conversion from strip to street. Known as "Americans", "5-spokes" or "Torq Thrusts", different design generations evolved as car crafting technology developed. Today authentic "old school" Torq Thrusts are highly collectible and sold around the world. Often imitated, never duplicated, the Torq Thrust is the signature wheel for performance and custom purists. Torq Thrusts graced the covers of two Beach Boys albums and became the signature wheel of a rock and roll generation.