Vintage Car Tyres

Beaded Edge Tyres

Prior to 1924, in the veteran and vintage automobile period, the majority of European manufacturers fitted wheels for use with beaded edge vintage tyres, and some car manufacturers continued to do so after this date. Beaded edge veteran and vintage car tyres have large circumferential ridges of hard rubber (beads) running round the inside circumference of the side wall. These beads fit into the hook (clinch) of the vintage car wheel rim. A minimum tyre pressure of 60psi is needed to push the beads into the clincher of the rim and keep them in place. The most common cause of a beaded edge tyre failure is lack of pressure allowing the tyre to detach itself. Beaded edge tyres can only be used with a beaded edge wheel rim.

The split-rim was very popular with vintage American car manufacturers such as Packard, Dodge and Buick and was also used on Rolls Royce Silver Ghosts built in the U.S.A. From prior to World War One until the late 20's this style of rim enabled manufacturers to utilise and gain experience of wired-on vintage tyres before the general acceptance of the well-base rim. The split-rim incorporates a rim which is detachable from a wooden wheel. The rim is cut through, and when removed from the wheel, can be drawn inside itself reducing its circumference and allowing the tyre to be removed and refitted. These rims have various locking mechanisms which prevent the rim collapsing during normal use. Lucas are now making an excellent range of straight sided vintage tyres.

When using Split rim wheels on your historic automobile, you need to fit inner tubes and flaps. If you select your tyre on our Straight Sided Vintage Tyres page, view the product and it should offer you the correct inner tubes and flaps.

Another style of vintage rim that was very popular with the early American car market ,and into the mid twenties some European manufacturers. The straight-sided rim has a detachable flange on one side, when this is removed the tyre can be slipped on to the rim and the flange replaced. This style of rim can still be found on some heavy goods vehicles today.

If your old car has straight sided wheels and tyres, then you need fit inner tubes and flaps. On our straight sided tyres page, if you select a tyre of your size on that product page it will offer you the correct flaps and inner tubes.

The bead of the tyre must be pushed into the well (See diagram on the right) before the rest of the tyre can be worked over the flange, this allowed for a tyre with wire beads to be mounted and demounted easily from a wheel. The technique for the fitment of these tyres is similar to that of a standard bicycle tyre. This type of rim became commonplace on cars in the mid 1920's, but it was originally conceived for bicycles.

Michelin, aware of the concerns over tyres detaching themselves, pursued the design of a rim with a well for only half its circumference. However as the well-base wheel proved its integrity and its design was refined the Bibendum rim was discontinued. Tyre dimensions for these Bibendum rims are predominantly given in metric terms rather than the more commonplace imperial measurements used for well-base wheels. So the pre ward millimetric Bibendum tyres cannot be fitted to the more common place imperial well based wheels (and vice versa).

Click here to see the available range of cross ply vintage tyres

The cross-ply vintage tyre is made up of superimposed layers of textile cord running at alternate angles from bead to bead. With this design the sidewalls and tread are not differentiated and this gives the tyre structure great rigidity. With a cross-ply the maximum width and the height of the tyre above the rim are approximately equal. This relationship is known as the aspect ratio and with cross-ply tyres is approximately 100%, giving the cross-ply tyre its unique "tall" appearance.

Click here to see the available range of radial Classic tyres

The beauty of the radial design is that it separates the functions of the sidewall and crown of the tyre, allowing greater vertical flexibility whilst ensuring that there is still as much surface in contact with the road as possible. In radial classic tyres the sidewall has a one or two layers of textile cord giving good flexibility, and the tread is made rigid by combining the casing layer with two (or more) layers of steel cord bracing plies. Both these factors give the radial classic tyre excellent road holding capabilities and a longer life span when compared to vintage cross-ply tyres.

It is well worth noting that although radial tyre technology has developed over the years, fitting a proper period radial tyre such as a Pirelli Cinturato or a Michelin XAS will make a classic car handle better than it would fitting modern tyres that are developed to be fitted to a very different chassis design, and work in a different environment.

Understanding tire markings is essential to selecting suitable tires for your car. Let's interpret tire size using the updated example: 225/50 R16 92Y.

Tire Width (225): This number represents the width of the tire measured in millimetres. A tire width of 225 mm typically provides improved grip due to its broader surface area.

Aspect Ratio (50): The aspect ratio indicates the height of the tire's sidewall as a percentage of its width. An aspect ratio of 50% results in a relatively shorter sidewall, offering better handling characteristics but potentially sacrificing comfort.

Construction Type (R): The "R" signifies radial construction, the most prevalent tire design. Radial tires are favoured for their durability and comfortable driving experience.

Rim Diameter (16): This measurement shows the wheel diameter that the tire fits, expressed in inches. Here, the tire is suited for 16-inch wheels.

Load Index (92): This number indicates the maximum weight that each tire can safely support. A load index of 92 corresponds to a carrying capacity of up to 630 kg per tire.

Speed Rating (Y): The speed rating denotes the tire's maximum safe speed capability. The letter "Y" corresponds to a top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph).