The Kelsey Hayes wheels were cast aluminum and slated to be released as optional wheels (coded as W23) on 1969 Chrysler Corporation vehicles. The wheels were recalled (see the recall notice - pages 1 and 2) very early in the model year on September 13, 1968, due to a design defect which caused the lug nuts to work loose, resulting in the centers pulling out.
Quite a few of the wheels actually made it into the hands of Mopar-buying customers, and obviously many of them were not returned during the recall by their owners.
The Kelsey Hayes Company also offered this same wheel later as an after market item, with the only difference being that the rim was chromed on the after markets. Is it possible that the after markets were the same wheels that were returned under the recall and then doctored to look a little different? We're not going to speculate on that!
In these photos, note the difference in the center caps. The wheel with the flat center was found on a 1969 Plymouth Road Runner. The wheel with the cone-shaped center was found on a 1969 Dodge Coronet.
