Tyres – tire (American English) or tyre (British English) have come a long way, from being carved out of stones to the modern day, sophisticated soft compound slicks meant to tackle the most challenging circuits in the world.
So how did tyres evolve from Fred Flintstone’s leg propelled car to providing traction to Lewis Hamilton’s 900 hp W07? At Motoroids, we have crafted this special series to educate our readers about tyres, in association with tyre specialists Apollo Tyres. Come, take a walk with us through the history of tyres and witness the changes it has undergone in its story of more than 170 years. And no, we were not serious about Fred Flintstone’s car. Here is an infographic depicting the history of tyre development as a timeline:
For those of you on a slower internet connection, here’s the timeline in the text format
1844 – Charles Goodyear invents vulcanized rubber
Pre 1847 – Tyres were bands of leather, then iron, and later steel,
placed on wooden wheels
1847 – First patent for a standard pneumatic tyre appears
1888 – First practical pneumatic tyre made
1890 – CK Welsh patents the design of a wheel rim
1895 – Pneumatic tyres used on an automobile for the very first time
but the attempt isn’t successful
1903 – P.W. Litchfield patents the first tubeless tyre
1904 – Mountable rims were introduced. Frank Seiberling also invents
grooved tyres which offer improved traction
1905 – Frank Seiberling invents tread tyre for improved traction
1910 – Carbon black added to rubber to improve the life of tyres
1911 – Philip Strauss makes the first successful automobile tyre, had air filled inner tube
1920 – Synthetic rubbers invented
1923 – Balloon tyre invented
1937 – Invention of the first synthetic rubber tyres, Chemigum patented
1940 – Fuel saving tyres developed
1946 – Radial tyre construction patented
1947 – Tubeless tyre invented
1949 – Radial tyre invented
1967 – Combination of fiberglass belt to bias-ply tyre results in bias-belt tyre
1968 – American Magazine Consumer Reports acknowledges the superiority
of radial construction
1979 – Run-flat tyre developed
So that was our inaugural installment of this series aimed at educating you about everything you need to know about these indispensable components of two- and four wheelers. In our next issue in the series, we will talk about the broad classification of car tyres and their respective applications. In the meantime, do share this story with your car enthusiast fans.
Apollo Tyres Ltd is an international tyre manufacturer and the leading tyre brand in India. It is built around the core principles of creating stakeholder value through reliability in its products and dependability in its relationships. The company markets its products under its two global brands – Apollo and Vredestein, and its products are available in over 100 countries through a vast network of branded, exclusive and multi-product outlets. The product portfolio of the company includes the entire range of passenger car, SUV, MUV, light truck, truck-bus, two-wheeler, agriculture, industrial, specialty, bicycle and off-the-road tyres, and retreading material and tyres.
For the latest updates on Apollo Tyres products and innovations, you can follow the brand on the following platforms