Roberto Braam
Whitewall or White Sidewall tires
Whitewall tires or white sidewall tires are tires having a stripe or entire sidewall of white rubber.
Early automobile tires were made of pure natural rubber with various chemicals mixed into the tread compounds to make them wear better. The best of these was zinc oxide, a pure white substance that increased traction and also made the entire tire white. However, the white rubber did not offer sufficient endurance, so carbon black was added to the rubber and greatly increasing tread life. Using carbon black only in the tread produced tires with inner and outer sidewalls of white rubber. Later, entirely black tires became available, the still extant white sidewalls being covered with a somewhat thin, black colored layer of rubber.
Groede, Zeeuws-vlaanderen, The Netherlands
Whitewall or White Sidewall tires
Whitewall tires or white sidewall tires are tires having a stripe or entire sidewall of white rubber.
Early automobile tires were made of pure natural rubber with various chemicals mixed into the tread compounds to make them wear better. The best of these was zinc oxide, a pure white substance that increased traction and also made the entire tire white. However, the white rubber did not offer sufficient endurance, so carbon black was added to the rubber and greatly increasing tread life. Using carbon black only in the tread produced tires with inner and outer sidewalls of white rubber. Later, entirely black tires became available, the still extant white sidewalls being covered with a somewhat thin, black colored layer of rubber.
Groede, Zeeuws-vlaanderen, The Netherlands