English
Adjective
whitewallNoun
- a whitewall tyre / tire
- the spotted flycatcher
Whitewall tires or white sidewall (WSW) tires are
tires having a stripe or
entire sidewall of white rubber. Early automobile tires
were made entirely of natural white rubber, however, the white
rubber did not offer sufficient traction and endurance so carbon black
was added to the rubber used for the treads. Using carbon black
for the tire tread only resulted in tires on which both inner and
outer sidewalls were of white rubber. Later, entirely black tires
became available, the still extant white sidewalls being covered
with a somewhat thin, black colored layer of rubber. Should a black
sidewall tire have been severely scuffed against a curb the
underlying white rubber would be revealed, it is in a similar
manner that raised white letter (RWL) tires are made.
The status of whitewall tires versus blackwall
tires was originally the reverse of what it later became, with
fully black tires requiring a greater amount of carbon black
and less effort to maintain a clean appearance these were
considered the premium tire; since the black tires first became
available they were commonly fitted to many expensive luxury cars
through the 1930s. During the later part of the 1920s gleaming
whitewalls contrasted against darker surroundings were considered a
stylish if high-maintenance bit of "flash", still too flamboyant
for those with conservative tastes however. The popularity of
whitewalls as an option increased during the 1930s, automobile
streamlining and skirted fenders eventually rendered the two-sided
whitewall obsolete. The single-sided whitewall remained a desirable
option through the 1970s, becoming a hallmark of "traditional
luxury" along the way.
Beginning in the early 1950s whitewall width
began to diminish as an attempt to reduce the perceived height of
the wheel/tire, during the decade increasingly lower vehicle
heights were in vogue. Finally in 1957 the production version of
the ultra-exclusive Cadillac
Eldorado Brougham was fitted with whitewalls that were reduced
to a 1" wide stripe floating on the tire sidewall with a black area
between this stripe and the wheel rim. Wide whitewalls generally
fell out of favor in the U.S. by the 1962 model year, they
continued as an option on the Lincoln
Continental for some time thereafter but most common were the
1"-3/4" stripe whitewalls. During the mid-1960s varieties 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. During the 1970s the ostentatious vehicles emerging from
Detroit inspired an increase in whitewall stripe width (1 5/8"
plus) while full-fledged wide whitewalls had made a return within
the pimpmobile
culture.
Although wide whitewalls are virtually
non-existent on modern automobiles, they are still manufactured in
original bias-ply or radial form by specialty outlets and/or
classic car restoration companies such as Diamond Back Classics,
Coker
Tire, Lucas Classic Tires, and Vogue Tyre Company. Some companies
manufacture wide whitewall inserts - the Portawall inserts are
usually sold through VW Beetle
restoration companies. (Port-A-Walls should not be used with radial
tires due to the flexing of the sidewall that creates friction and
rubbing between the port-a-wall and the tire )
Modern trends toward more minimal styling, and
large rims favoring low-profile tires leave little room for a
whitewall. With the introduction of the new "retro"-styled
Ford Thunderbird, Chrysler
PT Cruiser, and Chevrolet
HHR, whitewalls may again become popular; they continue as an
available factory option on the Lincoln
Town Car.
Gallery
Other cars with whitewall tires:Cadillac
Series 62 convertible Saab
93