oeM tyres for modern classics
Vredestein joins Pirelli in catering for Audi quattro’s tyre needs – and tyres for ten other classics are in the pipeline
Vredestein has announced plans for a modern classic tyre range, with Audi’s ‘ur’ quattro the first vehicle it will cater for.
Most quattros were fitted in period with 215/50 R15 tyres, stocks of which have been low for years. Pirelli announced a batch of correctly-sized P700s in January this year and demand quickly exceeded supply.
Vredestein’s new 215/50 R15 Sprint + tyre, to be released next month, was developed in collaboration with former F1 driver, Jochen Mass.
The news has been greeted with enthusiasm by the quattro Owners’ Club. Assistant chairman, Terry Clark, said: ‘Owners were running 205 or 225 section tyres instead; a few were using older tyres to the correct specification. The early lefthand-drive cars used a smaller tyre again [205/60/15] which is more readily available.’
Terry added that no-one in the club had experienced mechanical problems with the smaller or larger tyres – but that 225 section tyres were the best compromise between looks and performance before the Pirelli and Vredestein tyres were launched.
As values of Eighties classics like the quattro rise – and poor examples get scrapped – calls for original specification vehicles are on the increase, driven by the European ‘youngtimer’ movement, which preserves cars 30 years old and younger.
Vintage Tyres’ manager, Ben Field, said: ‘ There’s been nothing new in the correct size [for the quattro] in years. We find that the tyres available in slightly smaller and larger sizes are a compromise in both looks and suitability. We welcome this move from Vredestein to introduce a high-performance tyre for the quattro in a period-appropriate tread pattern.’
A spokesperson for Apollo Vredestein said that specific tyre sizes for modern classic Porsche, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Alfa Romeo models were under consideration ‘by the end of the first half of 2019.’