Tires for Classic Cars

Do you have a classic car? Or even an older car that’s not quite classic yet? If so, you might be concerned about your tires matching your vehicle’s style. Just like historical clothing, the little details can really bring a look together, so having period correct tires (or at least ones designed to look period correct) can really make a classic car pop!

Does this mean you have to search around and spend a fortune for tires from the 50s? Not necessarily. And to be honest, it’s probably not a great idea even if you only mount them to show the car. While there are inner tubes (and some older tires even require them), you still don’t want your tire falling apart on you. Not to mention, the really old tires can look deteriorated. Having old, crummy looking tires can really mess with the aesthetic, especially if you’re showing your car. So let’s take a look at what you can do to make your classic car look its best...

Option 1: Actual Period Tires (for Show)

If you’re buying old tires primarily for show, and you’re dead set on it, you could very well opt for getting older period tires. The most important thing to do, if this is your option, is to make sure the tires you get are still in good condition. If you just put them on for looks (to drive into place at a car show or around a concours) this could be a plausible option for you. However, you probably wouldn’t want to drive them on the highway! Tires that are that old can be dry rotted and brittle, and they can separate while driving, especially given the heat generated at modern highway speeds.

Another reason you want to take special care of these tires (and not risk damaging them with everyday driving) is that they can be hard to find. The older it is, the harder it’ll be to come by. And there’s no guarantee you’ll find what you’re looking for or how long it’ll last. Availability is the major downside to this option, as you just have to keep your eye out and grab them as they come up.

Option 2: Authentic-Looking Modern Tires (for Street)

So maybe you have some show tires but you want to drive around town, or maybe you’d rather drive it to shows than pack it in a trailer. You did a lot of hard work restoring that ‘60s Mustang, it makes sense you’d wanna show it off! So what do you do? If everyday driving is what you’re looking for, you might consider modern cosmetic performance tires. They tend to look the part of vintage tires, with the appropriate profile and various white lettering and wall styles, but they reap the benefits of modern design and rubber compounds. They’re also a lot easier to find, both new and used.

Because they’re modern tires, it’s likely that they’ll perform better than the tires your classic car rolled off the line with! They often have a moderate performance speed rating, like S (112 mph) or T (118 mph), so they’re great for everyday and highway driving.

You could also have a modern tire made to look vintage. Some companies will take the older-style white, red, or blue striped sidewalls and vulcanize them onto new radial tires. (Diamond Back Classic Radials is one of these companies). As with performance tires, the tread remains modern and will give away the game. But from the side, it’ll have that classic look. Because they’re modern tires, you can do your everyday driving without problems, but you may lose some points if you have them on at shows.

If you think this is the option for you, check out our Touring tires and High Performance tires.

Option 3: Modern Vintage Tires (for Show and Street)

What if you want a tire that you can drive on but is period correct on more than just the side? Well, there are actually several companies that manufacture new tires in the styles of the ‘30s, ‘40s, or ‘50s. Some of them will even manufacture early 1900s style tires. Typically the whitewalls are wide and the shoulders don’t wrap around the edges. Think of them as modern radial tires dressed in vintage clothes. They’re safe, fast, and stable but match your classic car look all around. Some companies will even fix up the original molds to manufacture new tires!

Coker Tire is one of these. They manufacture a range of sizes using reconditioned Firestone Deluxe Champion molds. These bias-ply tires were ubiquitous on American cars in the 1940s and 1950s, and their thick whitewall is instantly recognizable. Coker’s similar BF Goodrich Silverstone tires (also bias ply) can fit cars back to the early 1900s.

Coker also manufactures bias/belted Firestone Wide Oval tires, or what you’d typically see on the 1960s and early 1970s muscle cars and pony cars. If you want something more modern for your muscle car, Coker also makes BF Goodrich Radial T/As from reconditioned molds.

Universal Vintage Tire Co also sells new tires, from several different companies, that are made to fit classic or vintage vehicles. Some are made on reconditioned molds (like the bias/belted Goodyear Polyglas tires) while others use specially made molds to fit the ’50s and ’60s performance cars. They also have lines for imports and antiques.

As you can see, this type of tire is readily available, and you have a lot of options to choose from in terms of style! Most companies will make models with various whitewall widths, letter styles, stripes, and tread widths. These are a great option if you really want to stay period correct but also drive your vehicle safely.

While there are specialty sites you can go to for these modern vintage tires, on our website you can check out brands like Firestone and BFGoodrich, who are still making versions of their vintage models! I’d also recommend checking out Vogue Tyre, who make classic, luxury tires famous for their gold and white stripe, and popular in vintage car circles.

Now that you know your options, you can go out and find the best fit for you and your vintage vehicle!