Below is a brief discussion and illustration of several common hubcap features.
FULL SIZE STAINLESS STEEL DESIGNS

The first full size stainless steel hubcaps were truly solid.

The front side was a polished [shiny] finish and the back side was not polished.
So, above, you saw hubcaps with decorative notches and holes in the design.
Now, below, are some of these stainless steel designs that have various symbol imprints into the metal surface. And, also, some centers have plastic center inserts or attachments.
TRIM RING
An option worth mentioning is a trim ring. A hubcap rim can make a 15” hubcap fit a 16” wheel. An example of a trim rim [the outer ring piece] is shown in images below.
c15ford1972_4 and r16ford1972_9 r16ford1972_9
FULL SIZE PLASTIC DESIGNS
There are some designs where the design was both stainless with some major plastic parts. Below is a 14 inch Chrysler 1988 hubcap with both “metal and plastic” on both the back and front.
back and front back view plastic and metal front
plastic backside metal front c13chev1985_4 c13chev1985_4
And, below, are some mostly all plastic designs with very creative and attractive contours .
all plastic c13ford1992_5 c14ford1986_6 plastic with metal trim plastic c15pont1992_2 all plastic c16chev2000_1
Full Size WIRE WHEEL type HUBCAP
The initial wire wheel hubcaps had wires that ran radially as shown. [Note that one design is 14″ and other is 15″ wire wheel] And then, designs used an attractive crossing wires as illustrated below.
w14chry1971_6 w15chry1971_5 w14pont1979_3 w14chev1981_3 with removable ctr. insert
Because wire wheel hubcaps are relatively more expensive, some locking designs became quite common. This locking is done by making the center piece (INSERT) removable for the installing of a locking bolt design (BELOW) difficult to remove.
Most owners found the locks very troublesome because changing a flat tire became more labor intensive and, also requiring specialty tools. [ Hubcap Hilton has very low inventory of locking hardware for wire wheel type hubcaps. ]
L14chev1981_6 Lock L14chev1981_6 fits hubcap w14chev1981_3 Optional locking hardware, shown attached and loose.
The above L14chev1981_6 {locking hardware} is not a common item we sell. But we do have a few and this fits a wire wheel type hubcap w14chev1981_3 , a 14 inch chevy 1981.
RIM DESIGNS AND SMALL SIZE HUBCAP COVERS
Rims were common with use of small diameter caps. These are hard to identify; and the market is small, so the discussion will be very limited. Hubcap Hilton does not sell rims and small caps yet because we have not inventoried / identified our rims yet.
piles of unidentified rims piles of small unidentified small diameter caps rims hanging from racks, and small caps at bottom of racks on left
WHEEL ATTACHMENT DESIGN VARIATIONS
Hubcaps are attached to the steel wheel by either wedging [pushing] or bolting. Wedging is the most common and the designs are quite varied. The attachment design is on the back of the hubcap.
One of the nicest wedging attachment designs is an integral stainless multi-clip design. Amazing that stainless steel could be formed in this manner. Many like this design because no carbon steel exists in the backside design and hence no rusting occurs with time [which destroys many “antique” hubcaps].
back view showing clips around perimeter of c13chry1981_5 note many clips on back perimeter of c13dodge1984_1 on back view, note the multi clip points on the perimeter of w14ford1981_4
Another common and very functional attachment design has a carbon steel ring with several flexible clips riveted to the ring. The design results in several groups of 4 metal points that project out radial and flex when the hubcap wedges onto the wheel. The images below illustrate this design.
perimeter of carbon steel ring with flexible points shown on w14pont1979_3 view of carbon steel outer ring with flex clip group on w14chev1980_8
Another attachment design uses a wire ring design and provides several clip points for attachment. Many plastic designs commonly had plastic arms and hence several clip attachment points. Below are a few images illustrating these various designs.
note wire ring attaching to about 6 clip points for c14ford1994_2 This wire ring attaches to many clips on the back of c14ford1992_7 This back has only a few large bent metal clips around the perimeter of w14buic1990_2 another clip design variation, on c14pont1987_4
There are a few hubcaps where the front does not change, but the clip design is varied for some (unknown) reason. Below is an example.
Note that c14chev1990_1 has two potential clip designs on back side. Shows profile of two clip designs used in this design.
And there are a few designs where the hubcap attaches via nuts screwing onto the wheel studs. One design illustration below uses plastic lug-nuts within the hubcap and another illustration shows a design where the car lug-nuts are for attachment.
This hubcap supply includes plastic lug-nuts for attachment design showing back and front of c16chev2000_1 Again, plastic lug-nuts with hubcap for c15pont1994_1 close up view of back of c15pont1994_1 The back view shows the area of lug nut attachment and a perimeter guidance system c15pont1992_2 The car wheel lug nuts are for attachment of c15pont1992_2