General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

2

Total Parts

3

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

11.4 cm

Height

4.3 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

Cadillac

Country

United States of America

State/Province

Michigan

City

Detroit

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 Cadillac Motor Car Company was established in 1902 by Henry Leland, who named the company after his ancestor and founder of Detroit, Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac; the company's crest was inspired by the family's historic coat of arms. During the 1910s, vehicles required a crank to start the engine, however Cadillac developed the first car with an electric self-starter; this feature allowed more women to enjoy the driving experience. In 1975, the company was the first to produce a vehicle with an electronically-fueled engine (General Motors, "Experience Cadillac: History and Heritage"). In 1909, Cadillac merged with General Motors (Grant: 148-153). General Motors (GM) was established in 1892 and today the company is still an important car manufacturer. The company produces a variety of brands, which include Buick, Chevrolet, GMC, Pontiac, Saturn, Cadillac, Hummer, and Saab. The origins of GM began with the founding of the Olds Motor Vehicle Company by R.E. Olds in 1892 (Grant: 148-153). The company merged with the Olds Gasoline Engine Works to become Olds Motor Works in 1899, which produced the first Oldsmobile (Walkinshaw, "Olds, Ransom Eli"). In 1901, Olds developed the first Oldsmobile and manufactured vehicles at a low cost for the mass market, contributing to the growth of the U.S. automotive industry (National Park Service). In 1903, some of the major manufacturing giants banned together as a result of market instability. William Durant, an executive of the Buick Motor Company formed the General Motors Corporation by merging Oldsmobile and Buick; Cadillac and Oakland (renamed Pontiac) joined in 1909 and Chevrolet followed in 1918. By 1920, GM had acquired the McLaughlin Motor Company of Canada, which would later become General Motors of Canada Limited. Today, GM continues to be an important manufacturer of automobiles (Grant: 148-153). 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 1920s and 1930s. 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

Cadillac logo stamped into surface, surrounded by raised ring

Missing

N/A

Finish

Polished surface, possibly chromed/ condition: chromed surface worn side of hubcap, gouged metal torn, might have had same decorative details as .1 & .3

Decoration

N/A