Vintage Tyre Supply Developments

July 7th 2014

STIRLING MOSS, OBE, opened a new tyre store M Stanmore Middlesex last April, where Vintage Tyre Supplies Ltd. now have facilities for stocking 8,000 covers and tubes for veteran, vintage and other old vehicles, which they claim is probably the largest stock of specialised tyres in the World. It all began in 1962, when Lord Montagu of Beaulieu saw that if the antique cars were to continue to be used on the road, supplies of appropriate-size tyres and tubes would need to be maintained. He Nrsuaded Dunlop to make

such tyres and the Vintage Tyre Supply Company was formed to distribute them. For this we must be eternally grateful; MOTOR SPORT has dealt previously with how Fort Dunlop in Birmingham keeps beaded-cdge and other suitable tyres in manufacture. The supply subsidiary began as a small corner shop but now the new stores has been added, together with improved facilities for exporting about 40% of sales, to over 27 different countries, even to behind the Iron Curtain. Not only does VTS hold the sole Dunlop teasthios for vintage-range tyres but it stocks tyres made in New Zealand, France, Switzerland. India. the US of America and Rhodesia, in order to fill-in with sizes which the old Dunlop moulds do not provide. In addition to this full coverage of old-vehicle needs, VTS stock whitewall tyres for Classic American cars and, of course, racing tyres in all the available pre-war sizes. They also have accessories to go with such stock, including five sizes of b., dins to original specification, made specially for them. They can also balance .correctly tyres of the older sizes, with which modern balancing machinery cannot cope, using their Dunlop beam wheel-balancer rebuilt for the purpose. Philip Pollack continues as the active Director, the Company’s 1922 Model-T Ford one-tonner attends many vintage meetings, and the address is: Vintage Tyre Supplies Ltd, 12, Dalston Gardens, Honcypot Lane, Stanmore, Middlesex HA7 1BY, Tel 01-206-0722. —