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Are they hubcaps, wheel center caps or wheel covers? What is the distinction between them? Exactly where did they come from anyway? These queries will not normally come to mind but they are interesting.

Hubcaps have gotten as much love as the cars they go on. Even the Chrysler Building honors hub caps with the art deco style found there.

How did they come about anyway? Hubcaps were necessary. At first, wooden spokes were used on automobiles. They had to be joined together with the outer rim to where the wheel bearing was at in the hub. The wheel bearing was stuffed using grease. A cover was necessary to hold the grease in and dirt out.

What was needed was a hub cap. So this hub cap came into being for functional causes, but they were small center caps created to cover the hub and leave the spokes bare. The spokes made out of wood were not produced for this world. They were glossed and occasionally adorned with pin-striping but they aged and cracked and didn’t appear to great. Automobiles with aging spokes may very well be heard from a distance.

Toward the end of the twenties and thirties, steel wire spokes were formulated. Center caps were still needed. Again, the spokes were left uncovered. The thirties, practicality became second to fashion. Hubcaps were stamped while using name of the car maker in brass or stainless steel and they were even larger. Caps were supposed to become stylish; but the spokes still showed. They were complicated to clean as well as the wind noise when traveling down the road was maddening.

In 1934, Cadillac put together the 1st disc that enveloped the whole wheel. It created a sleek visual appeal.

Cadillac started making use of 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 discover old Cadillac wheel covers for the 1930-1950’s customized hot rods. Individuals who owned Cadillac’s started having their covers stolen.

The 1970’s brought the introduction of the use of plastic hubcaps by automobile manufacturers on the cars. Steel hubcaps were thrown aside in the 80’s and plastic hubcaps persisted on. Plastic automatically makes people think of cheap and very easily broken pieces. That is far from the truth with this plastic. The plastic used on hubcaps is weightless, tough and sturdy. Some weightless hubcaps come right off a car. Keep in mind that automobile producers produce these items that are not all that perfect either. They also come off with ease. It is not enough to have all these things combined though. All hubcaps require 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 authority when it comes to the history of the hubcap, you can wow friends at the next get together with the details that you have learned. You may not wow them but maybe you enjoyed learning a little history that most people do not know.