A proper period sports car tyre in the size 145HR13

[Mazzini]

I've bought a few sets of tyres from Longstone and I would just like to say that Mike R is a real pleasure to deal with, if it weren't for him I would have gone elsewhere.

[Quart Meg Miles]

Hi Dougal

I have seen in your web that Michelin is selling the 145HR13.
What do you recommend for an Elan S3 with minilite wheels (13x5)?
The Pirelli is to thin for this wheel. Which is better 145 or 155?

Cheers

I would go for the 155 on a 5" rim, both are about 1/2" wider so are a good match.

[dougal cawley]

Hi

i am a big fan of both the Pirelli Cinturato (which yes at one point was called cintura). these are a 1952 tyre that didn't really surface very publically untill the early 1960s because people were still sticking with the cheapo crossply. however in Europe with the higher crusiing speeds on thei motorways the radials gave great advantages.

Pirelli currently make a 145HR13 Cinturrato CA67. which i think will be the most fun on an ealy Elan, nimble and progressive, i think you will find the handling great fun. Hopefully next year i should get a 155R13 Cinturato CA67, and then hopefully a 165HR13 which should be a CN36 whivch is a later 1968 tread pattern.

this web page should show the new tyres as they are priduced https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/classi ... /elan.html

Michelin do now also make a 145HR13 XAS. I love XAS tyres. They were developed in 1965 in conjunction with the Citroen DS to improve its directional stability on dual carriageways where it wandered somewhat. But they are also very much a sports car tyre.

Michelin also currently make a 155HR13 XAS & 165HR13 XAS. both great tyres.

I fitted XAS to my old Daimler V8 saloon and they were lovely. I fit Cinturato CA67 to my Elite and they are fantastic. You can just throw itinto a corner. However you can with an Elite, its not just about how gorgeous they look they are fabulous to drive as well.

if it was the Dunlop SP 41 that the elan fitted i think i have managed to attach a picture of one. hey are very much different to the SP Sport Aquajet that they produce today, (which i think came out in 1968). the Cinturato and XAS were better in the day, and i still think they are today. i have to say i am more of a Michelin and Pirelli man.

[Quart Meg Miles]

The SP41 (as photographed above) was a good tyre right up to the time I wore it out on my previous car (avatar) but I naturally fitted the Sport on the Elan in 1969 and thought them fantastic. It had been on Cinturatos, which were fine, but as the chassis was broken perhaps it wasn't a fair comparison!

[dougal cawley]

The SP41 (as photographed above) was a good tyre right up to the time I wore it out on my previous car (avatar) but I naturally fitted the Sport on the Elan in 1969 and thought them fantastic. It had been on Cinturatos, which were fine, but as the chassis was broken perhaps it wasn't a fair comparison!

You should only do tyre tests in the same enviroment, other wise it is not relavent.

To be fair test you should brake the chassis again.

That way you can see what both tyres handle like on a broken chasiss.

i have just made a film testing the structural properties of my old caravan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-omzIesBnM&t=7s It was stronger than i thought.

I have also done a very scientific tyre test on snow studs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxx1Zn- ... ZSWsg0qkkh

I hope you find them informative. it does concern me when making these scientific films that we might portray an overly corporate image.