What metals are car alloy wheels made from?

Macdonald. Hello car alloys are made of cast ALUMINIUM a lower quality ALUMINIUM than say your double glazed windows are made from. Any acid, salt, or irritants -including wheel cleaning solution- tend to corrode the alloy. Best to keep them sparkling from new and only wash with a sponge and car shampoo (mild detergent) if you do this every week this should stop the build up of brake dust on the wheels- corrosion. Magnesium alloys are used in racing and a very lightweight but very weak and would not last 5 minutes on the highway. Believe it or not, boffins are working on a carbon-fibre wheel/tyre all in one. Apparently they're really noisy. But this was a few years ago. should expect to see them on car in the nx 5-10 yrs.........