Classic, Muscle & Retro Car Tires

Car enthusiasts know that tires are critical to a vehicle’s overall appearance, and nowhere is it more important to have tires with the right look than when restoring a collector car. Details matter in a restoration, and if you want a car made before the 1970s to look 100% correct you need bias-ply tires. We offer these tires with all of the vehicle appropriate sidewalls, including blackwalls, wide whitewalls, redlines, and raised white letters. But if you want classic looks with modern performance and ride quality, we also carry radial tires in comparable sizes with the same timeless sidewall styles.

The cords in a bias-ply tire run diagonal to the bead, and the layers of cord crisscross as they overlap one another, forming a very rigid structure. Bias-ply tires have a narrow tread, with a sharply defined corner where the tread meets the shoulder. Many bias-ply tires have regular indentations in the shoulder, which gives the edge of the tire a “piecrust” look. Bias-ply tires also have a characteristic sidewall bulge that stems from commonly being mounted on narrow rims. All of these features combine for a desirable appearance and that classic bias-ply profile.

However, that look comes with performance that is somewhat subpar by modern standards. The more rigid construction of a bias-ply tire results in a tire that is less flexible and delivers a harsher ride. This rigidity can also cause a vehicle to “wander” as the tires react to imperfections in the road like bumps, joints and ruts. The narrow tread on bias-ply tires also means less contact with the road surface and less than optimal traction and stability during acceleration, turning, and braking. Of course, all of these characteristics are why radials ultimately replaced bias-ply tires. But if authentic looks are of paramount importance for your collector car and you don’t mind the vintage handling that goes with their vintage appearance, our classic bias-ply tires are for you.

Many owners of classic and muscle cars get as much pleasure from driving them as they do showing them, and when they do show their cars, they’re generally not subjected to concours judging where everything must be 100% original. Our modern classic radial tires are perfect for these cars. Radial tires have cords that are positioned perpendicular to the bead, for a structure that is more flexible and a profile that is more rounded. This construction provides a smoother ride and holds the road better so the vehicle doesn’t wander over rough roads, and puts more tread on the road for traction. Many drivers have experienced a revelation when driving their classic with radials for the first time, enjoying the comfortable ride, less wheel spin under acceleration, and enhanced cornering and braking feel.

Years ago, when drivers first started fitting radials to their classic and muscle cars they loved the superior performance but had to put up with looks that didn’t go with the car – blackwalls or narrow whitewalls were generally all that were available from a tire dealer. But thanks to our classic radial tires today you get the best of both worlds – modern performance and the classic sidewall appearance that’s right for your car. Our radials are available with whitewalls in various widths, redlines, goldlines, and raised white letters. Plus, some come embossed with famous tire names of the past like BF Goodrich Silvertown and Firestone Wide Oval. The rounded profile is the only giveaway to these tires’ radial construction, but for select applications you can even eliminate that.

Bias Look Radials take the concept of “best of both worlds” to a new level. They combine internal radial construction with the external appearance of a bias ply, complete with that familiar bias ply profile - sidewall bulge, narrow tread, and piecrust shoulder. Bias Look Radials are available for 13”, 14”, and 15” wheels, in blackwalls and with whitewalls in a range of wide widths. Our selection of classic tires includes much more than just bias ply and radial tires for classic cars from the 1950s and 60s and muscle cars. We also offer authentic tires for older antique cars from the 20s, 30s, and 40s, tires designed for fitment on European classic cars, vintage motorcycle tires, and tires for military vehicles and classic trucks.