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Hubcaps - On or Off When the Car Was Shipped in 1941?

Started by Tom Hall 7485, July 19, 2006, 12:47:28 PM

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Tom Hall 7485

Were 1941 Cadillacs usually shipped from Detroit with hubcaps or wheel covers on?  Walter McCalls book, 80 Years of Cadillac and La Salle, shows 1941 Series 75 commercial chassis (running boards help distinguish them from the Series 62 commercial chassis) being loaded onto a truck. The chassis are wearing the small hubcaps. These chassis may not be representative of the shipping practices for other cars that year. Would a typical 1941 Series 61 or 63 sedan, for example, have left the factory wearing anything on the wheels?  (Certainly not for Cadillacs of the 1970s, which were shipped with wheel covers stowed inside the car.)

Doug Houston

Few, if any of us were around to see the cars delivered, but the wheel discs or hub caps were proably on the car when it left the line.

In the case of the commercial chassis, the wheel covers (discs, or hubcaps) were probably overpacked with smaller parts as part of the chassis kits.

Maybe a foolish thing for me to ask, but is it important?

Tom Hall 7485

Thanks for your reply.  No, not very important, but I want to be accurate in something I am writing for the Self-Starter.

Wm Link

My guess would be that hubcaps were not shipped separate until theft of them became an issue. 1960s ???

Bill Ingler 7799

Page 77 of Cadlllacs of the 40s by Roy Schneider shows a 42 being loaded on a rail car with the full caps on the car. I would assume no difference in shipping the 41

Doug Houston

Well O.K., but keep in mind that while some of us know that some cars were shipped in one manner, it cannot be construed that ALL of the cars in a model year were shipped thusly.

If the process sheets for manufacturing the car were available, and they are not,a firm answer could be drawn from them, and you could then emerge as an authority. I believe that you are going out on a limb, saying unequivocally that cars were all shipped in one certain manner or another, when there is nothing concrete for you to fall back on as an authority.

I feel that I know about as much about the 41 model year as anyone, and Id never take this issue on as an expert observer. I  think  you might say that:. "some cars were known to be shipped with wheel covers (either small or full size), but photographs also show bare wheels in shipment" That way, you can cover yourself on correctness, and not let yourself in for sharpshooters.

Ive written lots of articles for both the SS and CCCA pubs, and even when I can show indisputable material in the article, you ought to see the "experts" who come out of the woodwork, contraicing my material.  If youre going to be an authority, youd better have a foundation under you, down past the frost line!

Tom Hall 7485

Thanks for your replies.  I now recall the photo Mr. Ingler mentions.