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In the early1920's whitewall tyres were often chosen by automobile manufacturers as they were cheaper to make than the totally black tyre that we are accustomed to seeing on modern vehicles. The reason for this is that black carbon had to be added to the natural white rubber to provide additional strength to the tyre. Therefore, at that time the all-black tyre would have been considered a luxury and they were predominantly placed upon the more expensive automobile Marques of the time.

During the later part of the 1920's and early 1930's in the US particularly, the white wall tyre became almost like a distinctive badge with some of the country's most prized cars of the time, which was to include certain models of the Ford Thunderbird made around that era.

The popularity of the whitewall tyre gradually faded during the late 1930's and early 1940's and the position of the black and white wall tyre reversed, with the latter becoming the exception rather than the norm. Due to this development the white wall tyre soon became a rarity rather than a common sight. Today, tyres with white walls are in the main a historical automobile phenomenon, which is perhaps more pertinent to US automobiles rather than elsewhere. They are no longer an appearance-enhancing component that car manufacturers use to differentiate their models from other makes.

However, as the white wall tyres were a feature on some early makes and models of automobiles, as previously noted, there is still a market for them within the antique car collector's fraternity. The question is, are the white wall tyres necessary for an antique car and do they look any better than the stronger all-black tyre?

To answer this point one has to think about authenticity. In reality, the attractiveness of white wall tyres on an antique car should be measured in the same way as other aspects of the vehicle, namely its originality when compared with specifications. If you own an antique car, which had white wall tyres fitted as standard in its original manufacture, then maintaining this tradition not only adds to the appearance, it also confirms its authenticity. The added advantage of this is that it will improve the cars value as well, as would be the case with the American Thunderbird for example. The reverse of this is likely to be the case if white walls are added to the tyres of cars that did not have them as part of the original specification.

Thus one can conclude that white wall tyres only look better, and add value and authenticity, on antique cars that were originally designed to sport these types of tyres.

Learn more about this author, Paul Lines.
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