On Tue, 27 Aug 1996 lesnyd@bb1t.monsanto.com wrote:
> Hey, Andy, et al,
>
> My 1968 Spit has the full wheel covers that have a conical shape in the
> middle and have vanes that ostensibly cool the brakes. Do you know what
> years these wheel covers were available? I haven't seen many of them. I
> believe I saw them in an ad for the 1969 Spit...
>
> Larry
> lesnyd@monsanto.com
Those are pretty much U.S.-only. They were available as dealer-installed
options for Spitfire and Herald from about the 1964 model year, but in
truth were very often THE installed wheel cover/hubcap on those models.
They are shown in accessory catalogs as part number V-XXX (forget the
number) and they were called "air-flow". This is an appropriate name in
that they originally were "sided" and stamped on the inside LEFT or
RIGHT, with the vanes facing the appropriate direction to suck in all
that brake-cooling air.
We old-timers :-) remember these wheel covers originally on the Plymouth
Valiant, circa 1961-62; I don't know if that version was sided, but it
did have some extra embossing in the middle with Plymouth or Valiant
and/or some emblem. Also, around 1970, non-sided versions were used on
the early AMC Gremlins.
As long as we're on the subject, the 1969-only, U.S.-only Spitfire Mk.3
wheel covers first appeared on a Dodge Dart, I think around 1964-66.
Again (thankfully), references to DODGE did not appear on the Triumph
version of the hubcaps, but it obviously was the same stamping.
--Andy "if you put the airflow wheel covers on the wrong sides, would
the brakes get hotter?" Mace
Andrew Mace
10/Herald/Vitesse (Sports 6) Consultant
Vintage Triumph Register
amace@unix2.nysed.gov
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