Goodyear Polyglas tire
Encyclopedia
The Goodyear Polyglas tire is a trademark of Goodyear
. It was the name of a bias belted tire introduced in 1967 which generally had a wider tread than most other tires on the market at the time and used belts made of fiberglass. They initially were an original equipment tire on late 1960s muscle cars such as the Pontiac GTO, Dodge Charger R/T, Ford Mustang Mach I, Chevrolet Camaro Z-28 and many others along with comparable tires from various competitors such as the Firestone
Wide-Ovals. The Goodyear Polyglas and comparable bias-belted tires began appearing as standard or optional equipment on many 1969-model passenger cars and nearly all 1970 to 1974 models. The most common version of the Polyglas found on muscle car
s of that era was the Polyglas GT, which was one of the first commercially available raised white lettered tires on the market. Other versions of the Polyglas lineup were offered as blackwall or whitewall tires.
The Polyglas tire and its competitors were soon replaced by steel belted radials
as original equipment tires around 1975. The Goodyear Polyglas (and Firestone Wide Oval) tires are still manufactured for owners of period cars. Many of these tires featured the distinctive "redlines" that were popular on high performance cars at the time, and characterized the first Hot Wheels
toy cars by Mattel
.
movie featuring Barry Newman
, the white 1970 Dodge Challenger driven by the protagonist uses Goodyear Polyglas GT tires. Also in the 1973 country song "Lord, Mr. Ford
" performed by Jerry Reed
, he refers to a "metal monster with Polyglas wheels".
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling. Goodyear manufactures tires for automobiles, commercial trucks, light trucks, SUVs, race cars, airplanes, farm equipment and heavy earth-mover machinery....
. It was the name of a bias belted tire introduced in 1967 which generally had a wider tread than most other tires on the market at the time and used belts made of fiberglass. They initially were an original equipment tire on late 1960s muscle cars such as the Pontiac GTO, Dodge Charger R/T, Ford Mustang Mach I, Chevrolet Camaro Z-28 and many others along with comparable tires from various competitors such as the Firestone
Firestone Tire and Rubber Company
The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company is an American tire company founded by Harvey Firestone in 1900 to supply pneumatic tires for wagons, buggies, and other forms of wheeled transportation common in the era. Firestone soon saw the huge potential for marketing tires for automobiles. The company...
Wide-Ovals. The Goodyear Polyglas and comparable bias-belted tires began appearing as standard or optional equipment on many 1969-model passenger cars and nearly all 1970 to 1974 models. The most common version of the Polyglas found on muscle car
Muscle car
Muscle car is a term used to refer to a variety of high-performance automobiles. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines muscle cars as "any of a group of American-made 2-door sports coupes with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving." Usually, a large V8 engine is fitted in a...
s of that era was the Polyglas GT, which was one of the first commercially available raised white lettered tires on the market. Other versions of the Polyglas lineup were offered as blackwall or whitewall tires.
The Polyglas tire and its competitors were soon replaced by steel belted radials
Radial tire
A radial tire is a particular design of automotive tire . In this design, the cord plies are arranged at 90 degrees to the direction of travel, or radially ....
as original equipment tires around 1975. The Goodyear Polyglas (and Firestone Wide Oval) tires are still manufactured for owners of period cars. Many of these tires featured the distinctive "redlines" that were popular on high performance cars at the time, and characterized the first Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels is a brand of die cast toy car, introduced by American toymaker Mattel in 1968. It was the primary competitor of Matchbox until 1996, when Mattel acquired rights to the Matchbox brand from Tyco.-Models:...
toy cars by Mattel
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
.
Popular culture
These tires were seen on film in 1977 in Disney's "Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo" on the car Herbie. And in the original Vanishing PointVanishing Point
Vanishing Point is a 1971 American action-road movie directed by Richard C. Sarafian; starring Barry Newman, Cleavon Little, and Dean Jagger....
movie featuring Barry Newman
Barry Newman
Barry Foster Newman is an American film, television, and stage actor, famous for his interpretation of Kowalski in the movie Vanishing Point. He has been nominated for a Golden Globe and Emmy awards.- Life and career :...
, the white 1970 Dodge Challenger driven by the protagonist uses Goodyear Polyglas GT tires. Also in the 1973 country song "Lord, Mr. Ford
Lord, Mr. Ford
"Lord, Mr. Ford" is the title of a song written by Dick Feller and recorded by Jerry Reed. It was released in May 1973 as the only single from the album of the same name, Lord, Mr. Ford. The single was Jerry Reed's second of three No. 1's on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. "Lord, Mr...
" performed by Jerry Reed
Jerry Reed
Jerry Reed Hubbard , known professionally as Jerry Reed, was an American country music singer, innovative guitarist, songwriter, and actor who appeared in more than a dozen films...
, he refers to a "metal monster with Polyglas wheels".