It is often the smallest things that can make or break a classic car. One of these details is the tyres fitted to a classic, and not just if they have sufficient tread to be legal and hold air. Period correct tyres are now an important element of the look and driving feel of a car and one that buyers, sellers and owners are increasingly aware of.
When a car has had a great deal of money spent on its restoration or recommissioning, it’s pointless to then fit tyres that don’t look right or undermine its driving dynamics. Ben Field, Managing Director of Vintage Tyres, said: ‘In the past eight to ten years, we’ve definitely noticed that classic car drivers are more savvy about what tyres are used on their car. There is a shift towards using the right tyres for the make, model and age of the car as this is a fundamental part of how we interact with it.’
Ben Field, Managing Director of Vintage Tyres
With much of the appeal of a classic car to most buyers being its difference to modern cars, first impressions matter as much as driving impressions. When a customer walks into a showroom or auction sale room, a car sitting properly on the correct profile of tyre will be more of a draw than one that isn’t. The right tread pattern also adds to the allure of a car.
Ben Field added: ‘Another reason for a classic car trader to fit the right period style of tyres to a car is it makes the car more marketable. If a buyer spots the car is on the wrong rubber, it can make them wonder what else has not been done properly on the car, even if it has been restored and maintained to the highest level.’
Choosing a new tyre that fits the age and style of a classic car is easier than ever thanks to the remanufacturing work being carried out. This has helped provide tyres for many of the most popular classics, as well as rarer machines, so they don’t have to compromise with modern tyres. Ben commented: ‘When we produce tyres, we use modern but appropriate compounds for the tyre. A compound that’s too grippy for a given product, for example, can totally upset the driving characteristics. We are also seeing many cars from the 1980s and ’90s come into the classic market and they are being better served with suitable tyres rather than just using what’s on the shelf at the local tyre fitter.’
The right tyre compound is important for whatever classic car you drive
