Dogdish (pronounced dog-dish or dawg-dish)
(1) The
dish in which a pet dog’s meals are served (probably a rare use because “dog
bowl” is the more common (an accurate) descriptor.
(2) In US
use, the style of simple hubcap used in the 1960s & 1970s for low-cost
vehicles (especially for fleet operators such as police forces) or certain high-performance
cars (including those ordered for competition use).
1940s or 1950s
(in the automotive context): The word dog pre-dates the eleventh century and was
from the Middle English dogge (akin
to the Scots dug), from the Old English dogga
& docga, of uncertain origin. The documentary evidence from a thousand
years ago is unsurprisingly scant but does suggest “dog” was used to mean something
like the modern “cur” or “mutt” (ie a common or stray dog as opposed to one of
good breeding), later refined to be applied to “large or stocky canines”. The Old English dogga & docga may
have been a pet-form diminutive of dog, the appended suffix -ga also used of pet frogs (frocga) and pigs (picga). The ultimate source
of dog (and the meaning) is uncertain but there may be some link with the Old
English dox (dark, swarthy) or the Proto-West
Germanic dugan (to be suitable), the latter
the origin of the Old English dugan (to
be good, worthy, useful), the English dow,
the Dutch deugen and the German taugen. It’s all speculative but the most supported
theory appears to be it was likely a children’s epithet for dogs meaning
something like “good creature”. Less
supported is the notion of a relationship with docce (stock, muscle), from the Proto-West Germanic dokkā (round mass, ball, muscle, doll), from
which English gained dock (stumpy tail) and ultimately (in that context) docking
(the removal of a tail. In England, as
late as the early fifteenth century, the common words used of domestic canines
was hound, from the Old English hund while dog tended to be restricted to a sub-type
resembling the modern mastiff and bulldog.
In the way English tends towards shorter forms, by the sixteenth century
dog had become the general word with hound increasingly a specialist word used
of hunt dogs (accounting for all those English pubs called “The fox &
hounds”. At the same time, the word dog
was adopted by several continental European languages as their word for mastiff
although this use didn’t persist as “dog” became more generalized. Etymologists note that despite the overlaps in
form and meaning, the English word was not related to the Mbabaram dog.
Dish predated the tenth century and was from the Middle English dish & disch, from the Old English disċ
(plate; bowl; dish), from the Proto-West Germanic disk (table; dish), from the Latin discus, from the Ancient Greek
δίσκος (dískos) (quoit, disc, discus,
dish, trencher, round mirror, reliquary, marigold). For centuries the orthodox etymology of dískos was that it was from δίκ-σκος (dík-skos), from δικεῖν
(dikeîn) (to cast) but more recent
scholarship have cast doubts on this on the grounds the suffix -σκο- was rare
in nominal derivation. The alternative
suggestion was δισκ- (disk-) was a variant of δικεῖν
(dikeîn) (of pre-Greek origin) rather
than a direct formation. Dogdish is a
noun; the noun plural is dogdishes.
The dogdish hubcap
Dogdishes (also as dog dish or dog-dish and there’s even a faction which calls them “pie pans” although the most evocative collective is “poverty caps”) are a basic, unadorned style of hubcap used with steel wheels (“steelies” to the tappet-heads). Although some steel wheels could be stylish (notably those offered by the US manufacturers in the 1960s & 1970s and those Jaguar fitted to some E-Types (XKE) and XJs, in passenger vehicles, lighter aluminium wheels have in recent decades become the standard fitting for all but the cheapest models in a range. However, the steel wheel possesses a number of virtues as well as being cheaper than aluminium units, notably their resistance to impact injuries and ease of repair, the latter the reason they’re still the choice for many police & commercial vehicles. The steel wheel is inherently heavier so not the ideal choice for high performance use but their characteristics are attractive for off-road users who appreciate being able to effect repairs in remote places with little more equipment than a hammer.
1929 Mercedes-Benz 460 Nürburg (W08, 1928-1933); a Nürburg was the first "Popemobile" (supplied by the factory to Pius XI (1857–1939; pope 1922-1939) and the official car of Eugenio Pacelli (1876-1958, the future Pope Pius XII (1939-1958)) while Apostolic Nuncio to Germany (1920–1930). The wheels were fashioned in timber and the hubcaps were of stainless steel. Wooden wheels were by 1929 already archaic although some were still being produced as late as 1939. Typically, hickory was favored because of its strength, flexibility and shock resistance which made it able to cope with the stresses imposed by the often rough roads of the era.
1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham. During the 1930s, for various reasons (dirt protection, aerodynamics and, increasingly, aesthetics), hubcaps grew to become "wheel covers" and in the hands of US stylists in the 1950s they became an integral component of the whole design, used for product differentiation and the establishment of a model's place in the hierarchy. Compared with the excesses which would be seen in the 1960s & 1970s, those on the 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham were almost restrained.
The origin
of the hubcap was, fairly obviously, “a cap for hub”, something which dates
from the age of horse-drawn carts.
Although they would later become something decorative, hubcaps began as
a purely function fitting designed to ensure the hub mechanism was protected from
dirt and moisture because removing a wheel when the hub was caked in mud with
bolts “rusted on” could be a challenge. In
the twentieth century the practice was carried over to the automobile,
initially without much change but as wheels evolved from the wooden-spoked to solid
steel (and even in the 1920s some experimented with aluminium), the hubcaps
became larger because the securing bolts were more widely spaced. This meant they became a place to advertise so
manufacturers added their name and before long, especially in the US, the
humble hubcap evolved into the “wheel-cover”, enveloping the whole circle and
they became a styling feature, designs ranging from the elegant to the garishly
ornate and some were expensive: in 1984 a set of replacement “wire” wheel
covers for a second generation Cadillac Seville (the so-called “bustle-back”,
1980-1985) listed at US$995.00 if ordered as a Cadillac part-number and then
that was a lot of money.
1969 COPO Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Only 69 units in this configuration were built for not only was the all-aluminium ZL1 a highly-strung engine not suited to street use, it added US$4160.15 to a V8 Camaro's base price of US$2727.00 restricting demand to those who really did want to run on drag strips. The basic interior fittings and dogdish hubcaps saved buyers a few dollars.
But the dogdishes persisted because police forces and other fleet operators ordered cars with them in large volumes and many thrifty private buyers opted for them too. As the cult they are today however, the origin lies in their appearance on muscle cars during the 1960s. Sometimes their inclusion was as a cost-cutting measure such as the 1968 Plymouth Road Runner although in 1969, when the model was made available with a triple carburetor version of the 440 cubic inch (7.2 litre) V8, even the dogdishes weren't included in the package and the cars shipped to dealer with the five chromed lug nuts exposed, the companion Dodge Super Bee also so de-contented. Those purchasing something for competition (such as the Chevrolet Camaros fitted with 427 cubic inch (7.0 litre) engines via General Motors’ (GM) COPO (Central Office Production Order) scheme used usually for volume runs of things like vans for utility companies or police interceptors with the high-performance but not the "dress-up" options) also usually would opt for the steelie/dogdish combo. The apparent anomaly of the high-performance Camaros running the dogdishes (already referred to as “poverty caps”) was that the buyer would anyway be fitting their own wheel/tyre combination so the vehicle was supplied ex-factory with the cheapest option. The photographic record suggests that in truth, when new, relatively few muscle cars prowled the street with dogdishes still attached, something more stylish usually fitted at some point during ownership but they’ve become so emblematic of the era that reproductions are now available for those undertaking restorations or creating their own clone (tribute/faux/fake/replica etc); authenticity can be emulated.
1973 Maserati Bora 4.9 with the early (1971-1975) aluminium wheels fitted with "frisbee" (not dogdish) hubcaps (left), 1977 Maserati Bora 4.9 with the later (1975-1978) aluminium wheels without hubcaps (centre) and 1974 Maserati Merak 3.0 (right).
So in the US, the dogdish tended to appear on (1) the cheapest cars in a range, (2) those purchased (sometimes in the thousands) by fleet operators interested only in cost-breakdown or (3) those buying a car for racing, the wheels of which were going to be discarded immediately upon delivery. In Europe however, things were done differently and one of history’s plainest hubcaps appeared on a top-of-the-range model: Between 1971-1975, the mid-engined Maserati Bora (Tipo AM117; 1971-1978) was equipped with removable, polished stainless steel hubcaps (which the Maserati cognoscenti call frisbees) on its 7½ x 15 inch (190.5 x 381 mm) Campagnolo aluminium wheels. Although structurally different, the less expensive Merak (Tipo AM122; 1972-1983) used a similar body but was equipped with 2.0 & 3.0 V6 engines rather than the Bora’s 4.7 & 4.9 litre V8s, the smaller engines meaning the Merak was able to be fitted with two rear seats (most suitable for small children or contortionists). The Merak used wheels in the same style without the frisbees and after 1975 this configuration extended to the Bora. Rarely has there been a hubcap plainer than the those used on the Bora but anyone calling it a “poverty cap” would be shocked by the price they command as used parts; on the rare occasions they’re available, they've been listed at US$700-2000 apiece. Unlike the Merak which was named after a star in the constellation of Ursa Major, the Bora borrowed its name from a wind which blows along the Adriatic coast, the company over the years having used the names of a number of (usually hot) winds from North Africa and the Middle East including Ghibli, Khamsin, Shamal and Karif.
Usually, in the collector market, what commands the highest price is a vehicle which left the factory fitted with the most options, the “fully-optioned” machine the most desirable (although the odd extra-cost item like an automatic transmission or a vinyl roof can detract), the dogdishes don’t deter buyers, most of who would probably admit the various styled steel wheels of the era were better looking. In August 2024, the most highly optioned 1969 Dodge Daytona in the most desirable mechanical configuration (the 426 cubic inch (7.0 litre) Street Hemi V8 & four-speed manual transmission combination) achieved US$3.36 million at Mecum’s auction at Monterey, California. The price was impressive but what attracted the interest of the amateur sociologists was the same Daytona in May 2022 sold for US$1.3 million when offered by Mecum at their auction held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. The US$1.3 million was at the time the highest price then paid for a Hemi Daytona (of the 503 Daytonas built, only 70 were fitted with the Hemi and of those, only 22 had the four-speed manual) and the increase in value by some 250% was obviously the result of something other than the inflation rate.
The US$3.36 million 1969 Dodge Daytona. When new, the Daytona (and the more numerous companion "winged warrior" Plymouth Superbird) was sometimes difficult for dealers to sell, the wild body modifications not appealing to all. Consequently, so resorted to returning them to the same visual appearance as standard Dodge Chargers. Now, the process is reversed and a number of Chargers have been transformed into "clone" Daytonas.
The
consensus was that although the internet had made just about all markets
inherently global, local factors can still influence both the buyer profile and
their behaviour, especially in the hothouse environment of a live auction. Those who frequent California’s central coast
between Los Angeles and San Francisco include a demographic not typically found
in the mid-west and among other distinguishing characteristics there are more
rich folk, able to spend US$3.36 million on a half-century old car they’ll
probably never drive. That’s how the
collector market now works.
1971 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda: US$410,000 in 1999; US$3.36 million in 2014, the appreciation due to (1) the supply & demand curve and (2) the largess of the US Federal Reserve. For those wanting "the look", reproduction stainless steel dogdishes are available for US$258.00 (set of four).
Despite the result, the green Daytona’s result wasn’t even the highest price a Chrysler product had achieved at auction, that mark set in Seattle in 2014 when one of the five four-speed manual 1971 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda convertibles (there were another seven automatics) sold US$3.78 million. While the outcome of such a rarity was not indicative of broader market trends (although there have been stellar performances for classic Mercedes-Benz and pre-1973 Ferraris), it did illustrate the effect of the increase in the global money supply in the wake of the GFC (Global Financial Crisis, 2008-2012) when central banks essentially not only “replaced” much of money the rich had lost gambling but gave them a healthy bonus as well. The Hemi ‘Cuda in December 1999 had (albeit in its original, un-restored state sold at auction for US$410,000 so the successful US$3.36 million bid 14 years on was an increase of more than 800%, the sort of RoI (return on investment) which would once have impressed even Richard "Dick" Fuld (b 1946), chairman & CEO of Lehman Brothers (1850-2008). Time however will tell if the money spent in 2014 was a good investment because when another four-speed 1971 Hemi ‘Cuda convertible was offered for auction in 2021, despite predictions it would go for as much as US$6.5 million, it was passed-in at US$4.8 million without reaching the reserve. The car was fitted with Chrysler’s “Rallye” wheels rather than the steelie/dogdish combo but this was not thought to be of any significance.
Mecum Auctions catalogue image of 1971 four-speed Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda convertible with 15" Rallye wheels. Passed in on a high-bid of US$4.8 million, it'll be interesting to see if, when next offered, steelies & dogdishes are fitted.
