When Were Center Caps Designed?
Are they hubcaps, center caps or wheel covers? What is the distinction between them? Where did they come from anyway? These questions do not normally come to mind but they are interesting.
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.
So, how did they come around to begin with? At first, they were required. In the beginning, automobiles used wooden spokes. These spokes linked the outside rim to hub where the wheel bearing is at. The wheel bearing is packed with grease. A cover was necessary to keep the grease in and the dirt out.
A hub cap was needed. Now you know it started as a useful item. Little in size, it covered the center cap and left the spokes uncovered. The wooden spokes did not last long. When they were new, they were polished and occasionally festooned using pin-striping. Age mad them pin striping crack and unappealing. From a distance, autos that had old spokes were heard.
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.
Cadillac started using pressed steel wheels in 1938. Full sized hubcaps were used for the wheels. What is important is that Cadillac made this cover a symbol of comfort and style. It didn’t take hot rodders long to look for old Cadillac wheel covers for the 1930-1950’s customized hot rods. Those who owned Cadillac’s started having their covers stolen.
The 1970’s brought the beginning of the use of plastic hubcaps by automobile makers on the cars. Steel hubcaps were tossed aside during the 80’s and plastic hubcaps continued on. Plastic automatically makes people think of cheap and easily broken pieces. That is not true with this plastic. The plastic used on hubcaps is weightless, resilient and tough. Some weightless hubcaps come right off a car. Keep in mind that automobile makers produce these items that are not all that perfect either. They also come off quite simply. It is not enough to have all these things combined though. All hubcaps have to have an unyielding retention system. A 360 degree, all steel retention ring is the absolute best. It simply holds on to the wheel and holds the hubcap in place.
Since you are now an expert when it comes to the history of the hubcap, you can wow your friends at the next get together with the information that you have learned.
All the things they never informed you about center caps exposed! For more insider tips and information on wheel center caps be sure and check out http://center-caps.org




