Companies outside the Chevrolet Motor Division have always produced replacement parts for the aftermarket industry. Manufacturers often begin reproducing non-original parts very soon after a new vehicle is introduced.
A problem occurs on decorative trim such as hub caps. Here, Chevrolet (and other manufacturers), display their logo to attract positive attention. To reproduce a Chevrolet hub cap, non-GM companies have at times altered the bow tie logo. In this way, they avoid legal fees by GM and market a hub cap that was close to the original. Their hope is that most people would not notice the small changes plus the offer protector from rust by exposing wheel studs and lug nuts. These caps were usually produced in the 1930's ' 40's and marketed through auto parts stores or by mail order at a fraction of the cost from a licensed dealer.
In today's world, these caps have become very rare as few collectors use them on their vehicles. GM has now given approval for reproducing these obsolete correct logo caps and most collectors want the real thing. The few remaining 'counterfeit' caps have a place on your garage wall with their unique history.
