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      12-03-2010, 06:57 AM   #22
HighlandPete
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Quote:
Originally Posted by M3-FAST View Post
No, they weren't - but then family hatchbacks didn't need tyres that could do 140mph for hours on end safely either!

My first car was a late 70's cortina - prob max'd out at just over a ton!

I fitted 185 wide tyres to it and thought they were wide at the time.
I totally agree, tyre technology has moved on and so has 'oversized' wheel widths, which in wet and winter conditions doesn't help the cause one little bit. My Cortina Mk2 GT was running 'wide' wheels like the Lotus Cortina, 165 section on 5.5J rims. Some ran 175 sections on the 5.5J but was viewed as 'over-tyred'. How times have changed.

Even my E12 528 only had 6J rims, compared to the standard 5.5J on the 525 models.

Thinking about it, we did have tyres which were more an all season 'sport' tyre, remember the Dunlop SP Sport? Which looked very much like a current winter tyre, for tread patterns. I used them on the Cortina and Dolomite.

We used to have tyres called "town and country". Typically fitted to the rear of cars like the Morris 1000 Countryman. So was common for a standard tyre on the front and the T & C's on the rear driving wheels. But were used all year round.

HighlandPete
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