Tag: 1937

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Ford Spyder Hubcaps

We have a guide for early Ford V8 hubcaps that you can access by clicking here, and I am going to add to it with this recent find:

This is an original 1937 Ford dealer accessory wheel cover that is unofficially referred to as a Spyder, or sometimes Spider, hubcap. Officially, Ford called it a “Hub and Spoke Cover” as seen in this 1936 Genuine Ford Accessories brochure:

Similar versions were offered for the years 1936 and 1937, although the markings were recessed for ’36 and raised for ’37. This is what one looks like installed:

Attribution: nakhon100, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. This photo has been cropped.

For 1938, the wheel covers were revamped with a larger V8 symbol:

The 1938 version was carried over for use in 1939, as well. All three versions have been reproduced, but the originals were made of stainless steel and were of good quality. This 1936 advertisement includes them in some gift ideas for those lucky enough to own a Ford V8. Notice the catchy poem!

Photo from the 1937 Ford brochure

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1937 Chevrolet

The grille on this Chevy was part of the “Diamond Crown Speedline Styling” that was new for 1937. Chevy’s tagline was “The Complete Car – Completely New,” and other innovations like all-steel unisteel bodies by Fisher and new six-cylinder high-compression valve-in-head engines were enough to make Chevrolet the best-selling automobile that year.

Chevrolet. Advertisement. The Daily Messenger [Canandaigua, NY], 2 December 1936, p. 3.
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1937 Packard

Packard’s production numbers soared in 1937, and with a grille like this, it’s easy to see why. The Packard was offered in four models in ’37, the Twelve, the Super Eight, the 120 and the new Packard Six.

1937 Packard models

The Twelve was powered by a 473.3 cubic inch V-block engine. Both the Super Eight and the 120 had straight-eights, with 320 and 282 cubic inches, respectively, and the new Six featured a 237 cubic inch inline-six.

The Six was the bargain of the bunch with prices starting at just $795. Prices started at $945 for the 120 and $2,335 for the Super Eight. The Twelve was the luxury model with prices beginning at $3,420 (that’s around $60,000 in today’s dollars)!

Packard’s famous slogan

Sources:

Kimes, Beverly Rae and Henry Austin Clark, Jr. Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942. Krause Publications, 1985.

“Packard Announces Four Complete Lines of Cars for 1937.” The Detroit Free Press, 6 September 1936, p. 8.

Packard. Advertisement. Pittsburgh Sun Telegraph, 18 September 1936, p. 33.

Packard. Advertisement. The Enquirer [Cincinnati], 15 November 1936, p. 12.