The centerlock wheel and hub system was first introduced by Rudge-Whitworth in the early 1900s, for use in automobile wire wheels. Initially called "QD" (for "quickly disconnectable") the basic mechanism for "knock-off" style centerlock hubs was patented by 1908. It was quickly adopted by auto manufacturers and racers. Although Rudge-Whitworth knock off hubs were excluded from the 1908 French Grand Prix due to safety concerns, by 1913 the technology was universally used in Grand Prix automobile racing.