815 - 15 Tyres
815 - 15
- 815X15 was a crossply tyre fitted to some of the UKs best cars from 1965 until about 1973.
- Currently there are no 815-15 tyres manufactured that we are aware of.
- The radial alternative to 815 – 15 cross ply tyres is 205R15.
- The Aston Martin DB6 and DBS6 fitted either 8.15X15 crossply or 205R15 Pirelli Cinturato CN72.
- We would suggest fitting the Cinturato CN72 to your Aston Martin today as there is not another option with as high speed rating.
- If you have wire wheels, or wheels without a safety hump we suggest fitting Michelin 15/17H13 inner tubes.
Alternatives to 815 - 15 Tyres
815 - 15 Inner Tubes
8.15 - 15
Some of the 6 cylinder Aston Martin DBS came fitted with 8.15-15 Crossply tyres. However if you could afford it the discerning DBS owner would ask for radial tyres at which point Aston would fit the 205VR15 Pirelli Cinturato CN72.There is a conception that the David Brown Aston Martin cars fitted Avon tyres. However radial tyres were taking centre stage in the 1950s and by the 1960s all the European sports car manufacturers were fitting radial tyres and the best of them were fitting Pirelli Cinturato.
Avon were much later in their development of radial tyres than Pirelli with its ground braking Cinturato.In 1964 Pirelli too radial tyres a step further and developed the technology to build a radial tyre with a 205mm section, that was able to withstand the power of a Ferrari 500 Superfast, a Maserati Mistral, A Bizzarini or a Lamborghini Muira. In their droves these super car manufacturers moved from fitting 185 section Pirelli Cinturato CA67 to fitting the new super high tech 205VR15 Cinturato CN72. Aston martin were a little late to the party. It wasn’t until the series 2 DB6 that they fitted the 205VR16 Pirelli Cinturato CN72 or a crossply 815-15 tyre. Then of course the first DBS also fitted 205VR15 Pirelli Cinturato or the 815X15 Avon Turbo Speed, which sadly is no longer produced today.
Avon do also make a radial alternative to the 815X15. That being their 205VR15 Textile, However worth noting that the Avon only manages a V speed rating where the Pirelli attains a W speed rating. However nicely the Pirelli has 205 VR 15 written on the side wall so it still looks the way it did back in the 1960s and early 1970s.
In period Rolls Royce would have simply fitted a 8.15X15 Crossply tyre. There isn’t a crossply tyre available in the size 815 – 15 anymore. We would suggest fitting the 205VR15 Pirelli Cinturato CN72 as that was what would have been fitted as a radial alternative in t he day. It wasn’t until much later that Avon produced their 205VR15 Avon Textile which is the other alternative tyre in that size, we would still recommend the Pirelli. Also worth considering that by 1973 Rolls Royce moved away from 8.15-15 crossply tyres and started fitting radial tyres as standard. For these later Rolls Royce cars we would recommend the 235/70R15 Michelin XVS.