Flipper Hubcaps

A stock 1937 Cadillac V16 Series 90 Fleetwood 2 Passenger Coupe. This might be the father of the one bar flipper hubcap.Copyright Richard Owen. From Supercars.net.

Four single flipper hubcaps by the brand National. Model #3740

The 3740's have two ripples down at the edge.

Two single flipper hubcaps by the brand National. These are model #3770.

The 3770's have one ripple around the edge.

This Ford Model T Roadster on 32 rails belonged to Jim Woods of Burbank, California. Woods ran the car at the lakes quite a bit before the war. It looks great with 1933 Chevrolet headlights and flipper hubcaps, and Nobey told us that the guys all around Burbank, Pasadena, and Glendale ran flipper hubcaps with ripples on their hot rods before the war. "You don't see them much in photos, because pre-war photos are so rare. Dad said they used to go alongside rival clubs' cars, going down the street, bang into them, and try to flip their hub caps off. Kind of like Gladiators of Rome, with their Chariots. This was a game they played on the streets, that was pretty common." Photo from The Richard "Nobey" Noble Photo Collection.

Dick Noble's 1932 Ford Roadster of Burbank, California. Dick bought the car as a coupe in 1938. He wanted a roadster and ended up trading the coupe body for a roadster body. A padded top with side curtains was added in 1941 along with a shiny black paint job and ripple with flippers hubcaps. Dick was a meticulous builder, and the roadster ended up as one of Burbank's finest. Photo from The Richard "Nobey" Noble Photo Collection.

Glen Wall's 1935 Ford Phaeton of Huntington Park, California. Glen bought the car in the late 1930s, and he restyled it mildly, dressing it up with fenderskirts, flipper hubcaps and Appletons.

Joe Stone's 1938 Ford Convertible Sedan of Downey, California. The car was mildly restyled sometime between 1938 and 1941, and it was dressed up with fenderskirts and Flipper hubcaps.

G. C. Woodard, Jr's 1932 Ford Roadster, of Fort Worth, Texas.

Bob Kuykendall's 1933 Ford Cabriolet of Culver City, California. Bob was a member of the Culver City Screwdrivers.

Allan Winward's 1936 Ford 5-Window Coupe of Salt Lake City, Utah. Restyled by Allan, the build, known as "Miss Scarlet," was started in 2010 and completed in January of 2016, featuring Hollywood Flipper hubcaps.

Joe "Bud" Simmons' 1936 Ford 3-Window Coupe of Chowchilla, California. Bud was a founding member of the Throttle Benders car club, and photos taken in 1949 shows the car running a filled roof, solid hood sides, dual spotlights, and flipper caps.

George Patris' 1936 Ford 3-Window Coupe, of Inglewood, California.

Ray Giovannoni's 1936 Ford Roadster of Washington, D.C. Ray's roadster was restyled by Bud Unger, and the build was completed around 1947/1948. The car ran Flipper hubcaps.

Tommy Jamieson's 1936 Ford 5-Window Coupe was restyled by Howard Fall in 1940.

Tommy Jamieson's 1937 Ford Truck

Dick Fowler's 1938 Ford

George Bistagne's 1938 Ford DeLuxe Convertible Sedan

Harold Johnson's 1938 Ford Tudor of Inglewood, California. The tudor was Harold's first car, and the build was started in 1948. By 1949 the car ran Flipper hubcaps.

Kenny Controtto's 1939 Ford Convertible of South Gate, California was restyled in the 1940s.

Bill Henderson's 1939 Mercury Convertible of Los Angeles, California. Bill bought the Merc when he was 14 years old. In the mid to late 1940s he worked for Barris Kustoms, and they taught him how to customize cars, while he was working on the Merc. A photo taken around 1947 shows it running flipper hubcaps.

Bill Spurgeon's 1939 Mercury Coupe

Jim Kierstead's 1939 Mercury Coupe of Inglewood, California. Jim's Mercury was restyled by Barris Kustoms, and it is rumored to be the first 1939 - 1940 Mercury coupe that the Barris Brothers chopped. The build was started in 1945 and completed in 1947. It ran single Flipper hubcaps.

Al Beckman's 1940 Ford Convertible

Dick Colarossi's 1940 Ford

Link Paola's 1940 Ford Convertible

Al Andril's 1940 Mercury Coupe of Maywood, California. Al's Merc was restyled by Barris Kustoms in 1948 at their Compton Avenue shop. Al's Merc ran single flipper hubcaps.

Dick Owens' 1940 Mercury convertible of Redondo Beach, California. Dick's Mercury was restyled by Barris Kustoms, and the work was done sometime between 1945 and 1947, and it featured Single Bar Flipper hubcaps.

Johnny Zaro's 1940 Mercury Coupe of Maywood, California. Johnny's Merc was restyled by Barris Kustoms in 1948 at their Compton Avenue shop. It ran Single Flipper hubcaps.

Kevan Sledge's 1940 Mercury coupe of Martinez, California. Restyled by Kevan, the build was started in 2002 and completed in 2014, featuring Single Flipper Hubcaps.

Sam Barris' 1940 Mercury

A radically restyled custom photographed at a used car lot located at 4875 El Cajon Blvd. in San Diego, California. Running 1947 license plates, the car seems to have started out as a 1940 Mercury Convertible. Modifications include a sectioned body, removed running boards, a chopped and padded top, a custom made grille and front end, molded body seams, fenderskirts, blackwall tires, and flipper hubcaps. Please get in touch with us if you have more info or photos to share of this mystery custom. Photo from The Robert Genat Photo Collection.

Eldon Gibson's 1940 Oldsmobile was restyled by Modern Motors of Glendale, California in 1941.

Dick Carter's 1941 Ford

John Vara's 1941 Ford

Wally Welch's 1941 Ford

Bill Cole's 1941 Ford 4 Door Sedan of Redlands, California. Bill was a member of the Strokers of Whittier and his Ford was restyled in the late 1940s or 1950. This photo, taken in 1950, shows the car running flipper hubcaps with ripples.

Bud Unger's 1946 Ford Convertible, of Rockville, Maryland was restyled by Bud Unger between 1950 - 1951. Once completed, Bud fit it with Flipper Hubcaps.

Frank Livingston's 1949 Chevrolet Fleetline as it looked when he bought it in 1952.

Jon Fisher's 1936 Ford 3-Window Coupe of Burbank, California. Jon is a member of the Burbank Choppers car club, and the coupe was restyled by Jon and Scott Guildner. The build was completed in 1996 featuring Flipper hubcaps.

Mike McAuliffe's 1940 Ford Deluxe Fordor Sedan of Pleasant Hill, California. Restyled by East Bay Speed & Custom, the build was started in 2016 and completed in 2017. It was dressed up with National Hollywood Flipper Hubcaps.

Johnny Aguirre's 1940 Dodge Business Coupe of Riverside, California. The build was completed early in 2019, featuring 16 inch wheels and NOS Flipper hubcaps.

1937 Cadillac V16's came with single bar flipper hubcaps, and it is believed that the accessory flipper hubcap that was very popular in the 1940s originates from this Cadillac.

Game of Gladiators

According to Richard "Nobey" Noble, the guys all around Burbank, Pasadena, and Glendale ran flipper hubcaps with ripples on their hot rods before the war. "You don't see them much in photos, because pre-war photos are so rare. Dad said they used to go alongside rival clubs' cars, going down the street, bang into them, and try to flip their hub caps off. Kind of like Gladiators of Rome, with their Chariots. This was a game they played on the streets, that was pretty common," Nobey told Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama in 2019.

Hot Rods Featuring Single Flipper Hubcaps

Jim Woods' Ford Model T Roadster
Dick Noble's 1932 Ford Roadster
G. C. Woodard, Jr's 1932 Ford Roadster
Bob Kuykendall's 1933 Ford Cabriolet

Custom Cars Featuring Single Flipper Hubcaps

Wes Collins' 1934 Ford
Glen Wall's 1935 Ford Phaeton
Allan Winward's 1936 Ford 5-Window Coupe - "Miss Scarlet"
George Patris' 1936 Ford 3-Window Coupe
Joe "Bud" Simmons' 1936 Ford 3-Window Coupe
Jon Fisher's 1936 Ford 3-Window Coupe
Leland Davis' 1936 Ford
Ray Giovannoni's 1936 Ford Roadster
Tommy Jamieson's 1936 Ford 5-Window Coupe
Dick Fowler's 1938 Ford
George Bistagne's 1938 Ford DeLuxe Convertible Sedan
Harold Johnson's 1938 Ford Tudor
Joe Stone's 1938 Ford Convertible Sedan
Kenny Controtto's 1939 Ford Convertible
Bill Henderson's 1939 Mercury Convertible
Bill Spurgeon's 1939 Mercury Coupe
Jim Kierstead's 1939 Mercury Coupe
Johnny Aguirre's 1940 Dodge Business Coupe
Al Beckman's 1940 Ford Convertible
Dick Colarossi's 1940 Ford
Link Paola's 1940 Ford Convertible
Mike McAuliffe's 1940 Ford Deluxe Fordor Sedan - The Second Time Around
Al Andril's 1940 Mercury Coupe
Dick Owens' 1940 Mercury Convertible
Gerry Huth's 1940 Mercury
Johnny Zaro's 1940 Mercury Coupe
Kevan Sledge's 1940 Mercury Coupe
Mike McAuliffe's 1940 Ford Deluxe Fordor Sedan - The Second Time Around
Sam Barris' 1940 Mercury
Eldon Gibson's 1940 Oldsmobile
Vic Grace's 1941 Buick
Dick Arkline's 1941 Chevrolet
Bill Cole's 1941 Ford 4 Door Sedan
Dick Carter's 1941 Ford
Joe Graffio's 1941 Ford
John Vara's 1941 Ford
Wally Welch's 1941 Ford
Bud Unger's 1946 Ford Convertible
Frank Livingston's 1949 Chevrolet Fleetline