205 HR 15 Tyres - Cinturato HS 528

205 HR 15 Cinturato HS 528 Tyre on a Lamborghini 350 GT (Borrani) Wheel
There was a period back in the mid-1960s when Pirelli made an H-rated 205 HR 15 Cinturato HS 528. We recently stumbled across this tyre when we were asked to get a set of Borrani Wheels rebuilt from an early Lamborghini 350GT. We believe this to be the original equipment tyre, taken from the spare wheel.
Cinturato HS 528
This 205 HR 15 Cinturato HS 528 is a continuation of the more familiar PIRELLI CINTURATO ™ CA67. However, the 528 demonstrates a “double-fret” version of the CA67 tread pattern. The Cinturato HS 528 tyre was only in production for a very short period and was made in only a few sizes.
Back in this period, tread designs were identified with an incremental numerical code, from which the commercial name was usually derived: 367 became CN67/CA67, 572 was CN72; this one, 528, didn’t make it to an official name but was surely derived from the original “single-fret” Cinturato for wider sizes (the first Cinturato was 165 R400; 205 was quite wide back then!).

205 HR 15 Cinturato HS 528 (Left) and 205 VR 15 PIRELLI CINTURATO CN72 (Right)
205 HR 15
In 1964, Pirelli developed the PIRELLI CINTURATO ™ CN72. The CN72 enabled Pirelli to make 205-section tyres that could withstand the enormous power of the fabulous V12-engined sports cars of the 1960s. In short, Pirelli produced this 205 HR 15 Cinturato HS 528 for only a brief period before it was made obsolete by the introduction of the 205 VR 15 PIRELLI CINTURATO CN72.
In 1964, many top-end sports cars switched tyres from either 185VR16 PIRELLI CINTURATO CA67 or 185 VR 15 PIRELLI CINTURATO CA67 to fitting either 205 VR 15 Cinturato CN72 or 205 VR14 PIRELLI CINTURATO CN72. Aston Martin moved the Aston Martin DB6 from 6.70 VR 15 Avon crossply tyres to the 205 VR 15 Cinturato CN72 when it transitioned to the DB6 MK2, a fitment carried on in the DBS. The following cars adopted the new massive 205-section Cinturato CN72 in the 1960s as original equipment.

Aston Martin DB6 on 205 VR 15 PIRELLI CINTURATO CN72 Tyres
205 VR 15 PIRELLI CINTURATO CN72
- DB6 MK2, DBS,
- 410, 411, 412,
- 330 America, 330 GT 2+2, 330 America, 500 Superfast, 365 GT 2+2, 365 California,
- Rivolta, Grifo, Fidia,
- 350GT, 400GT, Islero, Espada, Miura,
- 5000GT, 4200, Quattroporte, Mistral, Mexico, Ghibli, Sebring,
Aston Martin
Bristol
Ferrari
ISO
Lamborghini
Maserati

Ferrari 330 GTC on 205 VR14 Tyres
205 VR14 PIRELLI CINTURATO CN72

Ferrari 275 GTB on 205 VR14 Tyres
210 VR 14 PIRELLI CINTURATO CN72
To make things confusing, when first producing these enormous radial tyres, Pirelli broke away from what has now become a standardized tyre naming tradition with the size always ending in a 5, to call these tyres a 210 VR 14 Cinturato CN72 instead of 205 VR 14. In Pirelli’s defense, radial tyre naming had not at the time become standardized, so this break from the norm could be expected, and did not last very long.
The good news is that Pirelli is honoring their history and making these important historic tyres again to an exceptional standard, with a carcass that complements the chassis set of these top-end cars from a short period, from 1964 through to the end of the 1960s.
