1.
This snapshot of an early, round-shaped, brass Cadillac hub cover was
supplied kindly by Andrew J. Monahan of the Raritan Region CLC;
it came blank but you could get the "Cadillac" script at extra cost

1a   1b
1a and 1b. Cadillac wheel hub cap and center inscription from circa 1904-05
[ Photo (right): © 2007 and courtesy Andrew J. Monahan, CLC ]

Thanks to CLC member, Andrew J. Monahan of the Raritan River Region CLC for suggesting to separate the pre-1905 hub covers (above),
marked "CADILLAC AUTOMOBILE COMPANY" from those of 1906-08 (below) marked "CADILLAC MOTOR CAR COMPANY" -
Andrew wrote:   After this year's Grand National [2008], we should have enough photos of hub caps to cover all early years and models.
Models had different sizes of hub caps as well because of the axles being up-graded for heavy duty.   I'm in contact with a couple
of club members now who are also helping me lock in some of these years of hub caps. I will keep you posted with everything.

2 2a  2b   2c 3 
2.  Artist's rendering of the embossed lettering reads Cadillac Motor Car Co, Detroit, Mich., USA
2a/2b/2c.  Center cap inscription, circa 1906-08
3.  All these models could be tightened and loosened with a wrench; the earliest ones apparently  were only hand tight

4   5        
In 1908, Cadillac adopted the slogan Standard of the World
and had the latter embossed on the subsequent hub caps
4. Here we have mixture of polished brass and nickel
5.  This pair of hub caps is all nickel over bronze; CLC member Andrew J. Monahan, of the Raritan Region,
identified this one as being from 1914 (the last of the 4-cyl. Cadillacs); the crown features 18 "pearls" or "points"
[the enlarged views, right, show the 18-pearl crown, with swans in lieu of merlettes]

5a
Not sure about this one; late twenties ?
(possibly just a duplicate of #5, above)

6   7
6.  My guess, 1908-09, pointed crown, worn off nickel-plating
8.  Mistake (???) or "personalized" Cadillac wheel hubs?

8   9 10 11 12
8. 1915 and later;  9.  early twenties;   10. and 11.   Similar type, restored  with erroneous chrome-plating; 12. 1924 artillery wheel
[ Photos #10 and 11: © 2002, J. Scott Harris ]

12
Unsure: my guess is a sidemount
hub cap from 1928-29

13  14  15
Screw-on hub caps of the early thirties featured "arrows" around the circumference, and the
words "On" (left) and "Off" (right) to indicate the clockwise and anti-clockwise turning directions
13.   1931 V8 and V12 hub cap;  14.   Sidemount cover, same year and models;  15.  [Hub detail]

 16  17
16. Standard Cadillac wheels up to the early thirties were the wood artillery type;
they tended to look quite "odd" when equipped with chrome-plated hub caps
17.  This was the more appropriate hub cap for these wooden, artillery wheels; here on a V16

18 18a 18b
18/18a. This early V-16 hub cap was more suited to and suitable for the increasingly popular spoked wheels;
they were available with a blue center (V-12 models) or black center (V-8 models)
18b.  [for info] This is what the side-mounted spare looked like with the chromed steel cover option

18a 18b
18a and 18b. This hub cap is from a 1932 V-16; the black
paint on the outer ring has rubbed off [see #16, above]

    
19   20
It is said that the wheel "disc" was invented by a chauffeur who hated cleaning wire wheels!
19.  Catalog illustration of the new, 1932 wheel "discs"
20.  Detail of the new disc (this one was for sale on the Internet in 2000)

21 22 22a
21. and 22.   Screw-on hub caps continued to be popular in 1933; these are the V8 and V12 models
22a. brass center medallion for 1933 V-8 hub cap (unrestored and restored) 

23 24  25
23.  This full wheel disc and screw-on hub cap was photographed on a V12 in Colorado in 200o
24-25.   V16 "Hollywood spinner" hub cap popular on sixteen-cylinder Cadillac models from 1933-37

25a 25b

25c 26  27
25a and 25c.  Spin-off hub cap for the 1934-35 models, with CADILLAC in block letters
25b special hub cap with winged emblem for side-mounted spares (1934-35?)
26.  Full Full wheel cover for 1936 with Cadillac in script
27.  More commonly used in 1936 were these hub caps, also with the Cadillac script

28     28a  29  30 
28/28a.  Full  wheel cover for 1937-38, with gold crest on gloss black background
29.  Artist's impression of the full wheel cover for the 1939-40 models
30.  Another artist's view of the full wheel cover for the V16 models from 1938-40

31a 31b 32
31.  Full wheel cover for the V16 models from 1938-40, with "V16" center medallion
32. 1939-40 model [not sure about that medallion, though!]

33 34
These are unidentified
33.  May have been in use in the late thirties and early forties
34.  Could be a fake, although the crests on both these hub caps are typical of post-1941 cars

35a  35b  35c
Introduced in 1941, this "cheaper" hub cap remained  in use on some cars up to 1953

36  37 37a
These are the full wheel covers usually seen on 1941 and 1942 cars

38
The 1946 hub cap is basically the same
as the 1941-42 model, above

39a  39b  39c   40
39a-b-c:  The popular Cadillac  sombrero   wheel disc, made from 1947 up to 1952
40.   1953 full wheel disc; has center "moon" with attached convex crest

40a
This cover was used on Continental
kits in the early fifties

41  42a
41 and 42a:  Authentic wire wheel, was standard equipment on the
1953 Eldorado model and optional on the 1954 model

42b 43 
42b: Center cap or hub cap for both the authentic wire wheel and the simpler wheel cover
43.  A similar styling effect was achieved with these cheaper, wire wheel discs, offered optionally from 1953 to 1955

44
This authentic wire wheel is a not-quite-true
modern replica of the 1953 original

 45  46 47
45 and 46: the full wheel cover and unique center medallion used in 1954 and 1955
47.  One of my favorites are these  1956 covers; featuring the deepest dish of all post-WW2 covers

   48 49  49a
48 and 49: The "spoked" 1957 cover is the customizers' dream, hence its high value and relative rarity]
49a  The 57 wheel cover after "customizing" [ here, the addition of   a "moon" hub]

   
Set of five (5) cast alloy wheels for
the 1957-58 Eldorado Brougham
[ sold on Ebay, in March 2009,  for $6,500 ! ]

50 50a 50b 50c
50 Cast aluminum alloy wheel for the bespoke 1957-58 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham
50a. 1957-58 Eldorado Brougham turbine wheel, complete with center cap
50b.  Wheel center cap for 1957-58 Eldorado Brougham turbine wheel
50c.  The regular 1958 cover, with brass crest finished in full color

51  51a 51b 51b
51.  Cast aluminum-alloy, so-called sabre-spoke wheel, available for the 1955-1958 Eldorado models
51a.  2nd view, with center hub cap
51b.  Full face view, without center hub cap
51c.  Close-up of sabre spokes

52  53  
52.  From 1956 to 1958 the cast wheels were available also in gold-anodized finish with matching gold center cap
53.  A non-authentic (since) highly polished gold-anodized alloy wheel and center cap

 54 55
54.  Center cap or hub cap for the basic aluminum sabre-spoke wheel [ image missing ]
55.  Center cap in gold finish for the gold-anodized sabre-spoke wheels

56 57a  57b 57c
56.  regular 1959 covers [like 1958 but aluminum instead of  brass for center crest, and no color];
57 b.  1959 turbine-blade cover for 60 Special and Eldorado models; 57c.  1960 turbine-blade cover for 60 Special and Eldorado models

58 59
58. 1959 turbine covers, without the black painted rings in the center;
59.  a stash of '59-60 Eldorado wheel covers located "somewhere in the USA"
[ I promised I wouldn't tell! ]

60 61  62  63
60 to 62: regular covers for 1960 models (except 60 Special and Eldorado); they were available in bare metal (satin) finish
or with painted center and concentric rings in either white (61) or black (62); the 1960 Data Book reads thus: New Cadillac
wheel discs feature a ribbed concave outer ring around a raised center hub with concentric rings of chrome and either white
or black enamel or brushed chrome as selected by the owners; at least one professional car maker offered color-coordinated
wheel discs, like this one (63), on their 1960 ambulance models

64  65  

66  67
Above: (64 to 67) four deep dish covers for 1961; in 1961and 1962, Cadillac wheel covers were available in plain
chrome finish or painted to match the color of the car; the Master Parts List  for 1961 and earlier cars lists these
colors as being available: black (code #10 - image 64),  white (code #12),  platinum (code #14),   gray (code #16), 
blue (code #22),  blue (code #24),  blue (code #26 - image 66), turquoise (code #29 - image 65), green (code #32), 
green (code #34),  green (code #36), tan (code #44),  beige (code #46),  rose (code #48),  red (code #50), 
blue (code #94), jade (code #96),  gold (code #97 - image 67),  topaz (code #98) and  pearl (code #99).

68
68: typical 1962 cover [note elongated crest compared to "square" crest for 1961]; like the 1961 covers, those for 1962
also were color-coordinated with the cars: ebony (code #10), Olympic white (code #12 - image 68), Nevada silver
(code #14), Aleutian gray (code #16), Newport blue (code #22), Avalon  blue (code #24),  York blue (code #26), turquoise
(code #29),  sage (code #32), Granada  green (code #36), sandalwood (code #44),  maize (code #45), driftwood beige
(code #46),  laurel (code #48), Pompeian red (code #50),  Burgundy (code #52),  Neptune blue (code #94),
Pinehurst green (code #96),  Victorian gold (code #97),  bronze (code #98) and  heather (code #99).

69 70
69: the 1963 and 1964 Cadillacs both used this deep dish cover featuring alternating black and chrome rib/stripes;
70: for 1965 Cadillac adopted a wider central hub decorated with concentric rings in lieu of the "spokes" of 1961 and 1962

71a 71b 72 73
71a-b: Two versions of this 1966 wheel cover were made; the second, later version had 12, long, oval holes
around the base of the hub for improved cooling of the front brake drums; it was used also on the 1967 models;
72. This full front view of a 1968-69 cover shows cooling slits like those used in  1966 and 1967; 73.  (same, without slits)

   74  75 76
74.  These super-sized, rectangular "holes" allowed a lot of air through to the brake drums on the 1967-and 1968 Eldorado
75/76.  standard cover for 1970;  with the exception of the concentric ring around the crest emblem, the latter is quite
similar to the covers used for the rear-wheel drive Cadillacs of 1974-76 [see below]

77  78 78a
77.  Special wheel covers for the 1969-71 Eldorado model
78/78a.  Once again a semi-spoked wheel cover, this time for the regular, rear-wheel drive models of 1971 and 1972

79  80
79.  Modified version of the Eldorado cover of 1969-71; this models was used for the Eldorado of  1972-73
80.  Eldorado cover for 1974-75 returned to spokes, although shorter than in 1969-71

81 82 83  84    
81.  [missing image] totally smooth and shiny covers of the regular rear-wheel-drive models of 1973-74
82.  Similar models for 1974-76 got these plain covers with rim "spokes",  similar to the 1970 covers;
for those same years, the Fleetwood models got a wreath around the central crest emblem
83. the covers for 1974-79 were introduced in 1974 as standard equipment on the Fleetwood Talisman and Fleetwood Brougham
d'Elégance; the Turbine Wheel Disc was later called the Turbine-Vaned Wheel Disc; from 1974 it was available at extra cost
on the Fleetwood 75, Fleetwood Brougham, DeVille and Calais.  In 1976 it became available on the Seville. There were two versions:
one without a wreath for DeVille and Calais (#83) an one with a wreath for Fleetwoods and Seville (#84). 
This cover was last used in 1979; the special, bicentennial Eldorado models of 1976 had white centers instead of  black (#85)

84a  85  86 86a
84a to 86: the 1976-77 Eldorado cover could be matched to the body color
86a is an optional cover available on all models that year except the Eldorado; it was again available in 1983-84

87  88  88a 89  90
87 and 88:  Wheel cover for the regular 1977 cars; #88a "Fake" cover for 1977 cars; #89:   1977 Fleetwood cover [color and crest]; #90. 1978 regular cover

91  92  93  94 94a
#91: 1977-78 Eldorado cover [color coordinated with the body]; #92  1979 De Ville;
#93: 1979 regular wheel cover; #94: cover for regular 1980s Cadillacs, #94a 1980-87 optional?

95 96 97 98
A number of different models of optional wire wheels and center caps were offered in the 80s and 90s;
here is the main selection: (95) 1975-84,  (96) 1975-85,  (97)   1985-86,  (98) 1986-92

99
   Custom wire wheel (what years?)

 

   [ to come ]

Center emblem off  1929-30 sidemounted spare wheel

    
Forties skirt emblem, 1941 center emblem

      
(Left) early V-16 cloisonné hub cap center emblem
(Right)  V16 center emblem,  1938-1940

    
Rare turbine wheel (left) and center cover (right):
From Cadillac Le Mans  roadster, 1953 [SO 1709]

       
The cover on the left graced the 1956 Eldorado Brougham town car [XP-48]
the one in the center was used on the 1959 experimental Cadillac Cyclone [ XP-74];
that showcar was modernized in the eighties (?) and received new aluminum-alloy wheels (right)

Custom cover off a custom 1977 Eldorado Biarritz
[see #85-86, above, with wire "cage", spinner & crest ]

At least one professional car maker offered color-coordinated
wheel discs, like this one, on their 1960 ambulance models

1   2a 2b

3a   3b  3c  3d
1.  Hess & Eisenhardt  S&S full wheel cover for 1942; 2a and 2b. S&S hub caps seen  on a 1951Cadillac
3a.  S&S hubcap from 1947 through 1952
3b. S&S medallion of he late forties and early fifties
3c. 1967-68 cover with "Z" [for Zagato] custom center medallion
[this one is  from a unique, mid-engined custom 1967 Eldorado, completed in 1970]
3d. S&S cover for 1977

4     
4. Superior commercial car cover for 1977

5   6   7
5. This custom 1975 wheel cover was mounted on an equally custom Cadillac Mirage pick-up truck
6. This is the wire wheel cover used on 1978-79 Sevilles signed by fashion mogul, Aldo Gucci
7.  Unidentified wire wheel [80s-90s ?]

1   2   3
1.  Center medallion, 1941-42;
2.  to all intents and purposes, the 1949 part is the same
3.  This is the label from the box in which new parts were packaged

   1   2    3 
1.  A "flattened" 1953 crest;   
2.   Unique crest emblem used in 1954 and 1955;
3.  The same part, in like new condition

4
4.  Late forties and early fifties emblems are readily
interchangeable and not too difficult to restore

 5   6   7   8
5.  1956 center crest (metal);  6.   1957 center crest (plastic); 
7.  1958 center crest (brass, painted);  8.  1959 center crest (aluminum, painted] (missing image?)

      
(Left) eighties (?); (Right)  nineties (?)

Repro items currently on the market:
Top row (L-R): 1956, 1946-1947, 1948-1952, 1953 (?)
2nd row (L-R) 1930-1931, 1937-1938, 1940-1942, 1957 (?), 1959 (?)
Bottom row (L-R): 1957, 1938  La Salle, unknown La Salle, 1940 La Salle (?), 1959-1960 Eldorado and Series 60S

(résumé en français)

Cette page est consacrée aux roues et enjoliveurs de roues des automobiles Cadillac de 1902 à 1979. Ces pièces, aussi essentielles que décoratives, sont renouvellées presque chaque année.  Parfois, on trouve plusieurs modèles différents pour une seule et même année, en fonction du modèle de la voiture.  Il en existe beaucoup plus d'une centaine;  pour celui qui a de la place, voilà une collection inédite au moyen de laquelle on pourra décorer un garage, voire un salon un peu kitsch.