One of the most iconic wheels among fans of classic Toyotas is the TOM’s Igeta. Introduced in 1978 by Tachi Oiwa Motor Sport, its unique crosshatch design has graced countless Toyota race cars. At the recent Tokyo Auto Salon, TOM’s showed a revived version, so it’s as good a time as any to revisit the history of the TOM’s Igeta.
The actual history of the TOM’s Igeta starts a decade earlier. The wheel’s design dates back to Toyota’s works programs, its thin spokes created to allow for brake cooling. The first appearance of the design can be found on the 1968 Toyota 7, albeit in 5-spoke form.
When Toyota began racing production-based cars like the KP47 Starlet, TA22 Celica, and TE27 Corolla, it needed a version compatible with four-lug hubs. The works wheels were made of magnesium, which was too fragile and flammable for street use.
Following the 1972 oil crisis, Toyota disbanded its racing program, as it was considered unseemly to have a large corporation backing motorsports activities. Ex-works driver Nobuhide Tachi and Kiyoshi Oiwa, a mechanic at Toyota Corolla Takashimaya, established TOM’s in 1974. It was entrusted with continuing Toyota’s presence in racing, building race cars and parts for the aftermarket.
The TOM’s Igeta was developed using alloy instead of magnesium as a way to provide a works-style Toyota wheel to customers for street use. The wheel saw use in a variety of applications, including the JSPC Toyota TOM’s 83C, but because Toyota had been active in rally racing, the wheel was officially known as the TOM’s Rally.
However, it gained the nickname Igeta, the Japanese word for “well”. Hundreds of years ago, Japanese water wells were denoted by a square walls, typically made of stone or interlocking wooden beams that formed a lattice pattern. The shape is even denoted in the kanji character for igeta (井).
The Igeta became a popular accessory among Toyotaku, so much so that TOM’s has released several updates throughout the decades. In 1987, as FF cars were becoming the norm, a high-offset version was introduced. In 2010, a modernized version called the TN-10 was developed for Y2K-era models like the MR-S and bB. When Toyota launched the 86, TOM’s was ready with a contemporary version. In 2015 it was resurrected at the hands of RS Watanabe. There have even been versions that invert the spoke design completely.
The latest Igeta Revival displayed at the Tokyo Auto Salon stays true to the original. Sized at 15×7.5+6 in order to fit perfectly under the fenders of an AE86. TOM’s showed them in gunmetal, white, and gold, but for now they are “for reference” to gauge public response. If there’s enough interest, we could see TOM’s resurrect this iconic wheel once again.
