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

7.0 cm

Height

3.9 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

DORT

Country

United States of America

State/Province

Michigan

City

Flint

Context

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

Period

Unknown

Canada

In 1915, Josiah Dallas Dort, a carriage and automobile maker from Michigan partnered with William Gray Sons Campbell Limited, a carriage manufacturer in Chatham, Ontario, forming the Gray-Dort Motors Limited. The company produced automobiles until 1924 (Gray, Robert). 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

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

Two stamped rings around center of hub cap containing name 'DORT' in stamped letters

Missing

N/A

Finish

Polished electroplated silver surface/ condition: surface electroplating almost complete worn, edges show signs of wear from wrench, some rust on face of hubcap.

Decoration

N/A