In the early 1980’s Goodyear Tire prepared a few high performance cars, mostly the Chevrolet Corvette. The tire’s roots were based in formula four racing. The tire’s design was different than most passenger automobile tires and was an overnight victory with devotees of the race automobile. The tire featured a low profile side wall, massive tread blocks for nice dry traction grip, a stiff sidewall and a nylon cap over the steel belts to hold the tire together at high speeds. The tire received a matchless sidewall rating and it was designated with a “V” which meant the tire had been safely tested in the laboratory to stay together at speeds as high as 149 mph. This is the first time the high performance tire was made in The united states.
This tire was an instant hit and were also expensive, 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 thinking about the average tire cost around $45.00 at the time.
