Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Rick]

Thoughts on whitewalls, and their appropriate-ness on a British machine?

RJ
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[peter scott]

They can look fine on cars aimed at hot climates but otherwise they just look crass.

Peter
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1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon

[Ashley]

They were common on Rootes, Ford and Vauxhaull late fifties early sixties as I recall.

[Rick]

I think a thin whitewall can look ok on some cars, such as the P5B, but tyres with a wide white band rarely look good IMO.

RJ
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[kevin2306]

I've got an early pic of my Singer and it had thin white walls then, whilst I don't like the wide stick on type bands I love the thin bands I have on her now.
All down to personal choice In my opinion



Kev

[norustplease]

As you know, I have mixed feelings about whitewalls, and mine are getting a bit shabby now. Would look nicer with a thin white line, as per Kev's Singer.


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1953 Citroen Traction
1964 Volvo PV544
1957 Austin A55 Mk 1
Boring Tucson SUV

[Ellis]

I remember whitewall tyres on what are now classic cars but then contemporary and in daily use and were often seen on Mark 1 and Mk 2 Ford Zephyr/ Zodiacs, PA Cresta and Velox, big Austins but I thought then and still do that they only really suited the Austin A105.

Nash Metropolitans often had them too and were a common sight on Sunbeam Rapiers and Sunbeam Alpines and sometimes seen on early 1960s Hillman Minxes but never on BMC Farinas or FB Victors.

I had a thin whitewall added (burned) on to the tyres of my Triumph Stag in 1988 and at the time I thought they suited the car. I think otherwise 28 years later.

[img][/img]
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Starting Handle Expert

1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet

[ukdave2002]

I'm not a huge whitewall tyre fan.....I think a car must have rear fins to suit a whitewall rim.....

Dave

[mikeC]

I would not choose white-walls for my own cars, but they were certainly fitted to many cars of the 1950s and 1960s - and not just ones with tail fins!

How about these, all from 1958:

[Riley Blue]

I wonder who first thought that putting a white ring round the outside of a tyre was a good idea and why...?
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David

1963 Riley 1.5
1965 Riley 1.5

[mikeC]

I suppose you could ask, who was the person who thought of colouring tyres black!

The earliest tyres were natural rubber, and of course soon showed the dirt, but I suppose the later whitewalls were an attempt to reproduce the same look:

[goneps]

Whitewalls remind me of those ghastly multi-coloured brogue shoes—too spivvy, brash, and showy by far. On that basis they're probably appropriate on Yank tanks, which were not what you'd call models of refined good taste, but personally I wouldn't be seen dead in a ditch with them. Seeing them on pre-war British cars is surely enough to make any man of sensibility shudder.

Richard

[peter scott]

[Rick]

[BigJohn]

I always liked the thin red band on sidewalls of 60's "Muscle cars", but my Old Man wouldn't have them on his Vauxhall Magnum Coupe', even when I offered to use some good quality house paint from the workshop........