McNally: Remember those whitewall tires?
Do you remember when most all of the cars in the 1950s, 60s and 70s had whitewall tires? They really looked good on those cars but the tires were hard to keep clean and would get scuffed when we would hit a curb (but of course I never hit a curb!!) Do you ever wonder what started the craze of white sidewalls on car tires?
Early automobile tires were made entirely of natural white rubber. However, the white rubber did not offer sufficient traction and endurance so carbon black (a material produced by incomplete combustion of heavy petroleum products and vegetable oil) was added to the rubber used for the treads.
Early automobile tires were made entirely of natural white rubber. However, the white rubber did not offer sufficient traction and endurance so carbon black (a material produced by incomplete combustion of heavy petroleum products and vegetable oil) was added to the rubber used for the treads. Using carbon black only in the tread produced two-sided whitewall tires with inner and outer sidewalls of white rubber. Later, entirely black tires became available and the natural white sidewalls were covered with a thin, black colored layer of rubber. To create a white sidewall during manufacturing the tire, a machine would scrape off the thin black layer on one side and the underlying white rubber would be revealed.
The status of the whitewall tires versus blackwall tires was originally the reverse of what it later became. Fully black tires, requiring a greater amount of carbon black and less effort to maintain a clean appearance, were considered the premium tire. Since the black tires first became available, they were commonly fitted on many luxury cars through the 1930s. During the late 1920s, gleaming whitewalls contrasted against darker surroundings were considered a stylish but high maintenance feature. The popularity of whitewalls as an option increased during the 1930s, while automobile streamlining and skirted fenders eventually rendered the two-sided whitewall obsolete.
The availability of whitewall tires was limited in the U.S. due to the supply shortages of raw materials during World War II and the Korean War. Wide whitewall tires reached their peak in popularity in the early 1950s. The 1957 production version of the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham was fitted with whitewalls that were reduced to a one inch wide stripe on the tire sidewall with a black area between this stripe and the wheel rim. The whitewall stripe width began to diminish as an attempt to reduce the perceived height of the wheel and tire. During the 1950s, increasingly lower vehicle heights were in style.
Wide whitewalls generally fell out of favor in the U.S. by the 1962 model year. During the mid-1960s variations on the striped whitewall began to appear; a red/white stripe combination was offered on Thunderbirds and other high-end Fords, and triple white stripe variations were offered on Cadillacs, Lincolns and Imperials. Whitewall tires were a popular option on new cars during the 1950s, 60s and 70s, as well as in the replacement market.
Modern trends toward more minimal styling and large wheels favoring low-profile tires left little room for a whitewall. The Lincoln Town Car continued to be offered with a factory whitewall option — a narrow white stripe — until it also was discontinued in 2010. Today, the whitewall tire is not offered as a factory option by any manufacturer. Since many styles tend to be cyclical, who knows — maybe someday the white sidewall tire will return.
Upcoming event
♦ Nov. 1, 2: 27th Annual Mopars with Big Daddy Garlits at his museum in Ocala. All Mopars are welcome to attend. Visit www.floridamoparassociation.com for the show flyer and registration form.
Ken McNally is a car enthusiast from Citrus County and his Car Corner columns appear twice a month in the Hernando Today. Email him at [email protected] or call (352) 341-1165.
