Once upon a time ... the different colored tire
05/29/2023
Not only the colors of car bodies, but also those of tires have become increasingly monotonous in recent years. Whether small car, sports coupé or luxury car - nowadays the rubber that provides the vital connection to the asphalt is always a dull black. But that has not always been the case. In the sixties in particular, tire customers were offered a blaze of color that is hardly remembered today.
The best-known variation is, of course, the whitewall tire, the contrast of which has diminished over the decades from full sidewall height to a narrow line.
It was a similar story with the red flank decoration, although it was extremely rare in its broad form. It was much more common as a thin ring on US muscle cars of the early years - and all Europeans who emulated them.
Anyone who wanted their American to roll on a cultivated mixture of elegance and sportiness could opt for tires with a gold trim line.
On the other hand, those who were serious about sport and also occasionally practised it on the racetrack could be recognized by a blue line around the rim, often combined with the white name of the tire manufacturer.
At the height of the muscle car era at the end of the sixties, the contrasting colored letters were increasingly seen on road vehicles that fought fierce traffic light duels at night.
However, the internally illuminated tires of the Barris Golden Sahara remained a one-off gimmick. Almost a pity. Especially today, LED technology would make series production much easier.
