Cars and trucks built before about 1935 came on wire spoke wheels with small metal caps installed to seal the wheel hub on the axle. Those early “HUBcaps” were smaller than 3″ in diameter, made of heavy gauge plated steel hammered onto the hub of the wheel. Their main function was to keep dirt out of the spindle nut and the wheel bearings.
In the 1930s, automobiles transitioned from mere modes of transportation to statements of status and style. Hubcaps became more decora…