Wheel arch chrome

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Mercedes-Benz W 126 with retrofitted wheel arch chrome

Wheel arch chrome refers to an application of the wheel arches of a vehicle with an ornament or cover by a chrome-plated piece of sheet metal or a chrome-plated sheet metal strip. This decoration was part of the standard equipment on some models until the 1970s and was found by almost all manufacturers. Today, these elements are only available in accessory shops for current models.

When retrofitting, the top coat is usually destroyed by holes or screws, which, in addition to dirt and scratches between the sheet metal and the wheel arch, leads to corrosion damage that often goes undetected for years.

Controversial in taste, these accessories are often a feature of particularly neglected or run-down vehicles. In order to conceal corrosion damage with fraudulent intent, they are often only applied shortly before a used vehicle is sold.

Connoisseurs therefore avoid buying such vehicles because other defects (more or less tricky) may also need to be concealed.

Trivia

In used car jargon, these accessories are jokingly referred to as "gypsy sickles".