When I was 16, I had a few bucks in my pocket from a summer job and I'm sure a few years of saving any birthday winnings from my grandparents. I also owned a 1999 MK3 VW Jetta, and after years of staring at the two-page spread of available wheels from Tire Rack in the center of Car & Driver magazine (when it was still good), there was only thing I wanted to buy to quell the fire burning a hole in my pocket:
Borbet Type Cs. These were the wheels I had to have. Tire Rack often times featured MK3 VWs with this exact wheel mounted in the illustration, so their marketing was effective. Imagine my horror when I called Tire Rack and the friendly customer service rep told me under no uncertain terms that I should not buy those wheels. A guy who sells wheels telling me not to buy a set of expensive, German-made Borbets? His reasoning was as follows: 16-inch rollers were too big on a car that came with 14s from the factory.
I mean, I like the fact that the guy was conservative and didn't want me to spend money I barely had. But he was wrong! 16" wheels would have fit just fine. Anyway, years later, I have found redemption by grabbing a set of Type Cs off of a junked Audi CQ in Kansas, which also sacrificed its front bumper for my car. The wheels are amazingly clean for a car sitting in a junkyard, and while it's not the most creative choice, Type C's do complement the looks of the CQ perfectly.