Illuminated wheel cover

A cover (20) for a spare (12) mounted on the exterior of an associated vehicle (10), said spare (12) including a tire (26) mounted on a wheel (28), said vehicle (10) having a light source (38) mounted adjacent the center of wheel (28), comprising:

• a flexible cover (46) including a circumferential portion (54) and opposed side wall portions (56,58), said cover (46) mounted on and supported by said tire (26) and being of a construction sufficient for covering said tire (26) and exposing said wheel (28) and said light source (38);
• one of said sidewalls (56) terminating at side-by-side flaps (50,52) defining an opening (64) exposing said wheel (28) and said light source (38);
• a first one of said flaps (52) being adjacent said tire (26) and a second one of said flaps (50) being adjacent said first flap (52):
• a resilient bead (66) in said second flap (50), said bead (66) being of a construction sufficient for radially exapnding and contracting said opening (64);
• and
• a light penetrable portion (22) covering said opening (64), said light penetrable portion having a peripheral edge (40) mounted between said flaps (50,52), said bead (66) being radially expandable for permitting edge (40) to be mounted in and removed from between said flaps (50,52), and said bead (66) being radially contractable for retaining edge (40) between said flaps (50,52).