White letter tires
By: America's Tire
White letter tires were born out of early tire production history: white walls and molded lettering. Though not as common today, there are still many lines of tires sporting this distinctive style, often designated in their model number as RWL (Raised White Lettering).
BEFORE WHITE LETTERS: WHITE WALLS
Many early tire designs used rubber compounds that increased traction by adding zinc oxide. This chemical addition also happened to turn the rubber of the tires white.
Later, carbon was added to further improve traction performance. The carbon turned the rubber of the tire black. As this was initially only added to the tread, it created a two-tone tire: black tread against a white sidewall.
Over time the designs changed for structural, performance and aesthetic reasons and less and less of the sidewall retained the white portion. Ultimately it diminished to simple decoration.
White walls are rare in modern tires. Unless they’re designed specifically as a throwback product for classic cars, they usually just feature a very thin stripe on any tires that sport them.
RAISED LETTER SIDEWALLS
Raised letters on a tire’s sidewall are part of the mold by which the tire is produced. Model numbers and tire specifications must be included there and usually without fanfare. However, some tire manufacturers highlight their logo and model names to draw attention, like any well known logo.
White Letter Car Tires
White letter tires were created by combining raised text on the white sidewall and covering the lower portions with black rubber. This became a standard for racing tires so that manufacturers could boldly advertise their product while adding competitive flair.
White letter car tires were instantly attractive to early hot rodders as an easy way to show off their customized ride and demonstrate its ability to perform. These tire designs then became standard equipment on Detroit’s muscle cars of the 60s and 70s to signify they were designed for speed and power.
Other additives blended into the white portion could make letters in other colors to further set tires apart. The Goodyear logo pops in their signature yellow, a standout feature at the time.
Some manufacturers went with a more subdued look: letters simply outlined in white. This is still common today and is usually designated with a model number with OWL (Outlined White Lettering).
White letters on truck tires
White letter tires were already standard for muscle cars and hot rods by the late 70s and early 80s. Larger truck tires were introduced and as they had lots of sidewall room, they were perfect for raised white letters.
Goodyear took advantage of that space early when they christened the Wrangler family of tires. A number of the Wrangler tires have sported options for white letters or outlined white letters ever since.
White Letter Tires Today
Tastes and wheel designs have changed and so white letter tires are not as common for performance cars as they once were. The overall aesthetic has moved to larger wheels and lower-profile tires, leaving little room for display for logos and model names.
However, many classic vehicles are still on the road and tires are available to replicate their period look. Several manufacturers offer white letter tires to complete the vintage design of a classic muscle car. These include:
Not surprisingly, many tires for trucks still proudly display white letter sidewalls. Since they have the room, they are able to offer space to advertise brands and models. You can see this on the following truck tires:
- BFGoodrich All Terrain T/A KO2
- Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT
- General Grabber ATX
- Mickey Thompson Deegan 38 All Terrain
- Uniroyal Laredo Cross Country
If your preferred tire doesn’t have white lettering as an option, don’t despair. There are paints, stickers and decals to help you modify standard, black wall tires. For the most part, this type of decoration is essentially harmless to your tires. However, America's Tire always recommends not modifying your tires to ensure you’re getting the best possible performance as designed by the tire manufacturer and not voiding any associated warranties.
The right performance and perfect look at America's Tire
Modern tires don’t need to rely on whitewalls or raised lettering to make themselves distinct and aesthetically pleasing. We love when form follows function, such as aggressive looking all-terrain treads for an off-road Jeep or sleek low-profile UHP tires for a supercar. We even made a list of our favorite tire sidewall designs.
With modern technology at their disposal, every tire manufacturer has the opportunity to make tires with a look that matches their performance. The set that exceeds your expectations is available at America's Tire at the best possible price.
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