a composite vehicle wheel having a disk , a rim circumscribing the disk , and an ornamental metal - plated plastic overlay attached to the outboard surface of the disk . the overlay has a pair of oppositely disposed surfaces which form interior and exterior surfaces of the overlay . the interior surface mates with at least a portion of the outboard surface of the wheel while the exterior surface has a metal layer plated thereon . the overlay is formed from a relatively thin plastic panel such that the exterior surface uniformly and closely conforms to the outboard surface of the wheel and the metal layer is substantially flush with the adjacent portions of the outboard surface to provide a pleasing aesthetic effect to the wheel . the integrity of the metal layer is such that the overlay successfully meets corrosion resistance requirements for automobile manufacturers &# 39 ; original equipment .