EU TYRE LABELLING - Why our tyres are exempt

This month the new EU law regarding tyre labelling comes into force.  However, any tyre designed for a car introduced before the 1st of October 1990 is EXEMPT - and this includes the vast majority of our range.  Motorcycle tyres are also exempt.  So please remember when you order tyres that they will not have an EU tyre label attached, and there is no requirement for them to do so.

The new law means certain car tyres will have to carry a label which details its results in rolling resistance, wet grip braking and noise level.  The label does not include the many other factors which you should take into consideration when choosing tyres.  These include:

• Dry handling: Not on label
• Dry grip (straight line): Not on label
• Dry grip (circles/cornering): Not on label
• Wet handling: Not on label
• Wet grip (circles/cornering): Not on label
• Resistance to aquaplaning (straight/curved): Not on label
• High-speed stability: Not on label
• Interior noise: Not on label
• Tread wear: Not on label 
• Authenticity: Not on Label 
• Appropriate speed and load rating: Not on Label
• Appropriate fitment: Not on Label

At Vintage Tyres we have years of experience in supplying tyres for all sorts of vehicles, and our highly knowledgable staff are able to advise you on the best choice of tyre for your vehicle and its intended use, taking into account all the factors which will play a part.  So if you need help choosing tyres, the best thing to do is to give us a call on +44 (0)1590 612261 or email sales@vintagetyres.com and let us advise you.

The Latest Vintage Tyres Newsletter

Our latest newzletter has recently been sent; if you are not currently on our mailing list you can see it here: Vintage Tyres Winter 2012 Newsletter.

The newsletter has a roundup of news from Vintage Tyres - everything from new tyres and our new website, to the latest show news and Paul's Ford Capri, which you see pictured here with his daughter Chloe!
If you want to keep up to date with all the latest information and offers from Vintage Tyres, then please sign up at the bottom of our homepage www.vintagetyres.com.

Happy New Year - Vintage Tyres celebrate our 50th Year

Happy New Year from Vintage Tyres! This is an important year for us, as we celebrate our 50^th anniversary. Vintage Tyres was the first company in the world ever set up to be dedicated to supplying tyres for older and specialist vehicles. This is what we have been about from the start, and we are still on the same mission today! It is amazing to think that many of the cars and motorcycles we now supply tyres for were not even in existence when the company was formed! Some other notable events from 1962 include:

• Graham Hill won the F1 world championship in a BRM
• Marilyn Monroe died
• The Rolling Stones were formed
• John Glen orbits the earth
• MG launch the MGB, and Triumph the Spitfire

To celebrate this milestone, we will be running events and special offers throughout the year, so keep your eyes on www.vintagetyres.com, www.twitter.com/vintagetyre and this blog to be informed.

One event the planning is already well underway for is the Vintage Tyres New Forest Classic Car Run. This will be held on the 13^th of May 2012, in cooperation with Southampton Magna Rotary Club, and is open to all cars and light commercial vehicles registered before 1976. Taking in much of the beautiful countryside around our base at Beaulieu, it will be an event not to be missed, and will raise money for several charities including CLIC Sargent, for children with cancer. Please email us on sales@vintagetyres.com to find out more.

We hope 2012 is as eventful and interesting for all our customers as it will be for us!

The Vintage Tyre Dilemma - When to reintroduce tyres! by Chris

As a company dedicated to providing authentic- and whenever possible original- products, we are regularly approached by customers eager to find that rare and elusive tyre, such as the original Lotus Elan Dunlop SP Sport or the metric tyre fitted to some of the later Jaguar XJ range. Luckily in most cases we can supply it off the shelf or at the very least have a good alternative, however there are some rare times when a solution simply doesn’t exist, and that’s when our dilemma kicks in - should we commission new production? We’ve been here many times before and will undoubtedly visit many times in the future, our successes are fitted to classic cars and bikes all over the world, from the original 1948 Landrover tyre, to the tiny 8” tyre used on WW2 Corgi Paratrooper bikes so we are no strangers to the problem.

Our current dilemma is the Dunlop SP44 “Weathermaster”; in particular the small 10” diameter tyre that was offered by Dunlop in the 70’s for rally Minis, originally in a 145R10 and later in the larger 165/70R10. That’s the first problem- if were going to get it made, which size? Tyre moulds and specialist tyre building equipment can easily set you back £20k so it’s important to get it right. How many could we actually sell? The conversation usually goes something like this…..”I’m looking for the original Dunlop tyre for my 1905 Alldays and Onions, oh! You haven’t got one in stock? I am surprised; can you get them made? I’m sure you’d sell thousands of them!”

This is really when the work starts, letters, editorials, advertisement and endless research all with the aim of assessing the demand, and of course the correct specification, because it’s unlikely that a mould drawing still exists. But with time and a well polished crystal ball a true picture will emerge, and then all that remains is the job of persuading a mainstream manufacturer that it will be worth their while making the commitment for perhaps 250 tyres,

So if you’re interested in Dunlop SP 44’s please let us know, we’d love to hear from you. It is our mission to maintain the most complete range of classic tyres in the world, so if there is anything you are in need of get in contact. If there is a demand, we may be able to have it made! Our number is 0044 1590 612261, or email us on sales@vintagetyres.com.

Its Classic Tyre Safety Season at Vintage Tyres!

We have launched a major campaign this spring in order to raise awareness of classic car tyre safety.
The issue was brought to a head when we analysed tyres recently replaced in our fitting bays and discovered that more than half the tyres removed were over 30 years old! Many also contained tubes of a similar age.

Following several reported incidents of fatalities related to the use of old tyres, the British Association of Rubber Manufacturers stated that “If a tyre is six years old and unused it should not be put into service; and in ideal conditions a tyre has a maximum lifespan of ten years.”
Old unused tyres can of course look like new - particularly if they are described as such; however the degrading process will continue unseen and once fitted the dynamic input often leads to sidewall cracking, delamination and ultimately catastrophic failure. Whilst a lot of the tyres in our survey appeared to be sound and some even had good tread depth, the performance of older tyres in terms of braking, grip and wet weather performance - or simply the ability to cope with the heat and stresses generated by running a tyre - is dangerously reduced.
As part of the campaign, we are carrying out free tyre inspections at our base in Beaulieu, open to any owners of classic vehicles. Our tyre experts will check the general tyre condition as well as the all important age of the tyre; and we will also be happy to fit and balance for free any tyres that need replacing.
For more information visit www.vintagetyres.com, email sales@vintagetyres.com or call Paul in our workshop on 01590 612261.
If you can’t get to Beaulieu for your free tyre inspection, we have also produced a leaflet covering classic tyre safety, which we will be happy to send you free of charge.

CAMAC tyres are back!

Vintage Tyres are pleased to announce that we are now exclusive distributors of the Camac range of classic crossply and radial tyres. This will be good news for many 50s, 60s and 70s classic car owners who will remember fitting them to their Beetles, Minis, Cortinas, Anglias and many many more.

The Portuguese factory ceased all production back in 2008, but following major restructuring last year, resumed limited tyre production. As you would expect from a European tyre manufacturer all tyres comply with current EC requirements and are now available exclusively from Vintage Tyre Supplies.

The range includes everything from 560-15 tyres; the original tyres for VW Beetles and lots of other European cars which have been hard to find in recent years; right up to 900-16 (900x16) Nato Pattern tyres, suitable for Forward Control/101 Land Rovers!

The range includes……

In Crossply; 520-10, 550-12, 520-13, 560-13, 590-13, 640-13, 725-13, 560-15, 670-15, 600-16, 700-16 and 900-16

And in Radial……

145R10, 165/70R10, 135R12, 145R14, 185HR14, 195/70HR14, 205/70HR14.

Contact us now to find out more!

Vintage and Classic Tyres - Where are they made?

Chris, our MD, recently visited one of the world’s latest tyre factories. The hi-tech factory you see pictured here produces 15,000 tyres a day of all types, from motorcycle tyres, through crossply car tyres to high performance radials. The processes are computer controlled and the factory is laid out in the most ergonomic way to produce tyres efficiently – which is why it is over half a kilometre long! So where in the world would you find the latest tyre producing technology? In this case, Thailand!

Producing a tyre is a much more complex operation than most people assume; the old myth of pouring liquid rubber into a mould and popping out tyres every few minutes like wellington boots couldn’t be further from the truth. Tyres are assembled normally from about 20 different sub components all precisely positioned and guided by laser beams. Steel, Rayon, Nylon, Kevlar and some 30 different types of rubber can all go into just one tyre. It is amazing to think that all this technology and effort, and components shipped from the four corners of the globe go into the tyres on our classic cars!

When Vintage Tyres started 50 years ago, all the tyres we supplied were British made. Dunlop and Avon for example still produce their entire classic ranges in the original factories here in England and incredibly in many cases still in the original moulds. The difference in the tyres you buy today is that they are able to include all the advances in rubber compounding and technology in their classic designs. Even some Waymaster tyres are still made in the UK.

With the completion of our brand new “high tech” factory, we are confident having many of our Waymaster range produced for us in the Far East. Their lower manufacturing costs combined with rapid development in tyre production techniques have enabled the availability of quality tyres at a cost effective price.

Of Course many major manufacturers still produce classic tyres locally – Avon, Michelin, Dunlop, Pirelli and Vredestein all have factories in Europe. However, it is interesting to know that even in small volume classic ranges, production is common overseas in order to keep costs low; Ensign, Blockley, Excelsior, Waymaster and even Michelin all produce tyres in the far east.

So does it matter where your tyres are made? Well these days we as classic car owners are fortunate to have such a choice open to us. We are lucky that major manufacturer still continue to make small production runs of authentic tyres. The good news is that now it can also be less expensive to have good quality tyres on our cars.

Pictured here is a Riley fitted with Dunlop Triple Studs - the original triple stud tyre, and still made in England!