Wider, flatter - the Pirelli P7
04/07/2021
The Pirelli P7 was probably one of the first tires that really caught the eye of a young sports car fan back then. It was usually very wide and had a significantly lower sidewall in relation to the carcass height than other tires. Its pattern was unique, and the treadless center section was particularly striking.
It was in 1975 that we first read about this new tire in Germany, e.g. in the magazine "auto motor und sport":
Series 50 tires from Veith-Pirelli: After Series 70 tires had become widespread and Series 60 radial tires were already being used as standard (Porsche Carrera and turbo), it was to be expected that the trend towards a lower cross-section would continue. Veith-Pirelli was the first company to introduce a 50 series radial tire. The Veith Pirelli P 7, billed as a 'high performance comfort tire', is constructed with two layers of steel and two layers of nylon belts according to a proven pattern. Visually, the newcomer looks more like a racing tire than a normal belted tire. "
From then on, the tire made its way and was also heavily advertised, as can be seen, for example, in a double-page advertisement from 1978. And yes, it looked really good on a Lamborghini Countach or a Porsche 930 Turbo ...
P.S. Today, 50-series tires are completely normal even on the blandest everyday car ...
