Radials for all new U.S. cars

Press, 21 January 1982, Page 17

Radials for all new U.S. cars

As this year’s cars roll off United States assembly lines, every model will be fitted with long-wearing, fuel-sav-ing radial tyres as standard equipment. It is the first time since the 1968 model year that one tyre construction has been standard equipment for all American car companies, according to the Goodyear Tvre and Rubber Company.

Prior to 1969 models, the only construction used was bias ply (diagonal), but at that point bias-belted construction began making inroads. In 1970. 86 per cent ol the new cars came equipped with bias-belted tyres, a construction with regular bias (diagonal) body plies and

belts that was popular mostly only in the United States. Radials earned a meagre 1.2 per cent of the new car market that year. In 1974. when American car makers began "tuning" the suspensions of new cars for radials, the big shift to

the steel-belted tyres began as the percentage jumped from 19.2 in 1973 to 43.9 in 1974.

Goodyear's list of new cars shows 82 models on radials. Of the total. 24 models use 330 mm wheels. 30 have 355 mm wheels and 28 are on 381 mm wheels.

Although the reduction in size of cars has led to a similar trend in tyre sizes, a relatively large size — P 205 75R15 — is being used on 13 of this year’s models, the most of any one size. This size is going on the remaining "big” cars like the Olds Toronado and Delta Royale. Chevrolet Impala and Caprice, Lincoln Continental and Chrysler Imperial.