The first tyres recorded in history were bands of iron placed on wooden wheels and used on carts and wagons. The discovery of rubber changed things significantly. In the mid-1800s the very first tyres using rubber were manufactured. They were constructed very simply, with the rubber on each tyre helping to carry the weight entirely.
The air filled, or pneumatic tyre, was not introduced until around 1845. This new type of tyre worked by allowing all of the air inside of it to absorb the shock from the road. It was invented and patented by R W Thomson.
His design consisted of many thin inflated tubes located inside of a leather cover. These tubes allowed the tyre to take more than one small puncture. But even with this revolutionary new breakthrough, the older, solid rubber type of tyre was still considered to be a favorite amongst the public.
In 1888, a man by the name of John Boyd Dunlop reinvented the pneumatic tyre whilst he was trying to improve his son's bicycle. The tyre that Dunlop was working with did not gain popularity with the public initially, just like Thomson's.
However, after a bike race - held in Belfast - was won by a rider won using his tyres more people began to take notice of pneumatic tyres, as well as the many benefits that they could offer them.
It wasn't until 1895 that the pneumatic tyre was first seen on cars. This tyre was created by Andre and Edouard Michelin. Also around this time, legislation was put into effect to discourage the use of the solid rubber tyres. This put pressure on all manufacturers of tyres to meet the new legislation, as well as the demands of their clients.
And so the age of the pneumatic tyre was put into effect.
Most car tyres remained unchanged throughout the 1920s and 30s, that was until Michelin came up with the steel-belted radial tyres in 1948. This was a brand new type of pneumatic tyre that promised a much longer life span - thanks to the ply cords that were located inside.
These cords radiated from a 90 degree angle within the wheel rim. This new form of wheel also meant that they had less rolling resistance which helped to increase the overall mileage of a car.
The only drawback to these tyres was that they required a completely different suspension system on a vehicle.
The brand new radial tyres were a huge success outside of the United States with many companies in Italy, France, Japan and Germany starting to produce them in large quantities.
However in the United States more American car manufacturers were concerned about the costs involved in redesigning the cars - in order for them to be compatible with the new radial tyres. They instead decided to stick with the older bias ply versions for the time being.
Later on in the 1970s the US began to see a much higher demand for more economical cars; it was at this point that the car manufacturers began designing their cars to be used with this newer and more eco-friendly form of tyre.
Having been invented just over 165 years ago, the rubber tyre is used on almost every car. This article documents the history of tyre - displaying how it has developed over time.