General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

Metal

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

N/A

Width

9.0 cm

Height

3.6 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Motorized Ground Transportation

Category

Automotive parts

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

KISSEL

Country

United States of America

State/Province

Wisconsin

City

Hartford

Context

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

Period

Unknown

Canada

Hub caps are collectors’ items.

Function

Cover put on automobile wheels to enhance its aesthetic appearance or aerodynamism and to protect the wheel bolts from mud and dust.

Technical

The Kissel Motor Co. was an automobile manufacturer located in Hartford, Wisconsin, founded in 1906 by Louis Kissel. In 1931, the company closed because it could not survive the Depression (Wisconsin Historical Society, 2006). Two of the most famous lines produced by Kissel were the Goldbug Speedster in 1919 and the White Eagle in 1927 (Wisconsin Historical Society, 1996-2011). Originally, hub caps date back to the horse-drawn era and afterwards to the first automobiles when wheels were made of wooden spokes connected to the center hub. The hub contained the wheel bearing, which was packed with grease. The hub cap was a small device used to cover the center hub to keep the dust out and the grease in. Eventually, car manufacturers replaced the wooden spokes with steel wire spokes in the 1920’s and 1930’s. As a result the hub cap evolved into a wheel cover, which is a large disc that covers most of the wheel. Wheel covers continue to serve a functional purpose but they have also become a decorative design feature of the wheel.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

Black painted depressed disk in center of hubcap containing name 'KISSEL' in raised letters

Missing

N/A

Finish

Polished silver surface/ black paint used in decorative detail/ condition: black paint worn, metal severely scraped from use, center of hubcap pushed in on one side

Decoration

N/A