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

11.3 cm

Height

5.3 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

Pierce Arrow

Country

United States of America

State/Province

New York

City

Buffalo

Context

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

Period

Unknown

Canada

Hub caps are collector's 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 Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company was founded in 1908 by George Pierce and was a manufacturer of luxury vehicles during the early 20th century. The company was originally called the George N. Pierce Company and manufactured a variety of household items, however by the turn of the century the company entered the automotive industry. In 1903, the company produced the largest and most expensive automobiles available at the time known as the Arrow, followed by the Great Arrow in 1904. After the Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company was established, the Great Arrow models were named Pierce-Arrow in 1908. The company’s reputation continued to grow, and in 1909 President Taft requested two Pierce-Arrows for the White House. President Taft was the first President to use an automobile for official occasions and this started a tradition that would continue until 1935, when the Pierce-Arrows were ordered by the White House during the Roosevelt administration. Along with many manufacturing companies, Pierce-Arrow suffered from the Great Depression and eventually closed its doors in 1938 (Pierce-Arrow Society). 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

Stamped (raised) logo containing name 'PIERCE' in raised letters

Missing

N/A

Finish

Polished silver plated surface/ condition: plated surface worn, metal shows signs of wear from wrench

Decoration

N/A