Are they wheel covers, center caps or hub caps? Are there variations in them? Why were they developed? These are just some questions to ponder whether they interest you or not.
People who love cars have developed a love of hubcaps as well. There are those that say the design of the Chrysler Building gives tribute to it.
Why were they even developed? They were developed out of necessity. Before metal was used, spokes were made of wood. The hub, located in the outer rim, had to be coupled with the spoke. A grease packed wheel bearing was located inside the hub. To contain the grease and keep out dirt, a cover had to be used.
Now you know why it was developed. The center cap was covered with the little cap and the spokes were left open to the elements. Suffice it to say, the spokes did not have a long life. Polished and often decked out with pin striping, age made them unattractive with cracks. Old spokes could be heard coming from far away.
The late twenties and thirties, saw a design change to steel wire-spokes. These needed the center cap as well. As with the previous design, the spokes were still left bare. The thirties, need took second play to style. Hubcaps got bigger and were stamped by the auto maker with their name in stainless steel or brass and were meant to be decorative, however, the spokes were still left bare. They were difficult to clean and were irritating because of the wind noise they made on the road.
In 1934, Cadillac developed the first disc that covered the entire wheel. It provided a streamlined look.
1938 ushered in the use of pressed steel wheels by Cadillac. These hubcaps were full sized. Cadillac made them a sign of comfort and elegance. Soon, Cadillac owners realized their hubcaps were in high demand when they were stolen by hot rodders. These hot rodders used them on the customized cars from the 30′s, 40′s and 50′s.
Auto manufacturers starting using plastic hubcaps on their cars during the 1970′s. By the 1980′s, steel hubcaps were pretty much gone and plastic covers took over. Most think of plastic as being inexpensive and fragile; but, the plastic that is used is rough, long lasting and light in weight. A light weight hubcap is likely to fly off the wheel of your car. You also should know that there are plastic wheel covers that are made by auto manufacturers that are not that great. They fly off way to easy. Being strong, rough and light is not nearly enough. The cover also needs a good rock hard retention structure. A 360 all steel retention ring is the best. It can easily grip the wheel and keep the hubcap on your car.
You are now an official expert on hub cap history. Amaze all of your friends with the information that you have gained on the elusive hubcap.
When it comes to center caps, acquiring the right info can be a discouraging task. That’s why we put together this information on wheel center caps for you at http://center-caps.org
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