The Gatorback Tire
In the early 1980′s Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company outfitted a few high performance cars, namely the Chevrolet Corvette, with their race inspired Gatorback tire. The tire’s and wheel package’s roots were based in formula one racing.
The tire’s design was radically different than most other passenger car tires and was an instant success with enthusiasts. The tire featured a very low profile side wall, large tread blocks for dry traction grip, a very stiff sidewall and a nylon cap over the steel belts to hold the tire together at high speeds. (This nylon cap act very much like a girdle does; it holds the insides of the tire “in” at high speeds.)
The tire received a unique sidewall rating, called a speed rating, and it was designated with a “V”. This “V” meant the tire had been safely tested in the laboratory to stay together at speeds up to 149 mph. Thus, the modern day high performance tire was introduced in America.
This tire was an instant hit. It also found its way on to the rest of the eighties muscle car craze, such as the Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z, the Pontiac Trans-Am and the Ford Mustang. The tires were very costly, even by today’s standards. It was not uncommon for them to cost over $200.00 each. This was an immense price for a tire considering the average tire cost right around $45.00 at the time. Soon, other tire manufacturers followed and began to make high performance tires like the Goodyear Gatorback.
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