185-16 Tyres
185 - 16 Tyres Video
185/80 - 16
- Standard inner tube for 185-16 tyres: Michelin 16F Offset Valve tube.
- Heavily reinforced inner tube for 185 – 16 classic car tyres: Michelin 16F Offset Valve Reinforced Tube.
- Rim tape (for Wire Wheel) for 185 - 16: Rim Tape 13" - 17".
- 185 - 16 can also be described as: 185 R 16, 185 x 16, 185/80 R 16 or 185/80 x 16.
- 185-16 tyres were OE on the best sports cars of the 1950s; Ferrari 250, Maserati 3500GT, BMW 507 etc.
- Many of these cars fitted 185 VR 16 Pirelli Cinturato, which we would still suggest is the best classic 185-16 tyre for a sportscar.
- 185-16 is the radial equivalent to a 6.00-16 crossply tyre.
- Many Vintage Sportscars that fitted 6.00 – 16 tyres such as Aston Martin DB4 offered 185 VR 16 Pirelli Cinturato as a radial alternative.
- 185 – 16 tyres are also ideal radial alternatives to other cars like XK120, XN140, XK150, Riley RM, Alfa Romeo 1900, etc.
Classic 185-16 Tyres
Alternatives to 185-16 Tyres
185-16 Inner Tubes
185-16 is the radial alternative to 600-16 tyres
This picture demonstrates the difference between proper period radial tyres and modern equivalents. It also demonstrates the benefits it will have on the steering and handling of a classic car by fitting a proper classic radial alternative.
- The tyre second from the right is a 6.00H16 Avon TurboSpeed. A genuine period performance crossply tyre of the day.
- On its right, the 185VR16 Pirelli Cinturato CA67; tall and thin, high performance radial tyre the perfect tyre for 50s and 1960s sports cars. The best handling radial for a 1950s sports car.
- 3rd from the right is 185VR16 Avon TurboSteel. A wholly modern tyre only came into production in the 1960. Too small in diameter, and far too fat in foot print. Great for track days.
- 4th from the right. 185SR16 Michelin X. you can see it is dimensionally spot on. Period look and we all know about Michelins build quality. Light steering with radial stability and grip.
- 5th from the right 185HR16 Vredestein Sprint Classic. Bit smaller in diameter, Too wide, completely modern tyre, and looks it.
- Far left is the radial 6.00WR16 Michelin Pilot X. A great very high performance tyre designed to look like a period crossply. Great on a Maserati or Ferrari.
185 – 16 inner tubes
We suggest fitting Michelin 16 F RET inner tubes in 185-16 classic car tyres.
The tyre size 185 – 16 is predominantly a tyre size for cars of the 1950s or early 1960s. In these heady days a lot of these cars fitted wire wheels. All of which should fit inner tubes. We are aware there are wire wheels out there that claim to be tubeless. However in our experience we have seen too many of these tubeless wire wheels fail to trust them. There were some classic cars that had pressed steel wheels that fitted 185-16 tyres. However again this is predominantly in the 1950s and before the development of the tubeless wheel rim, again we recommend an inner tube.
Hope fully this short film we have made about What is a tubeless wheel will clear up any questions you might have about weather or not to fit an inner tube in the wheels of your classic car.