Anyone use Retro tyres?

[akku]

There is a tyre brand called Retro which seems to be doing "my kind of rubber" and also at "my kind of price" - a range of radial tyres with black walls, white walls or white letters for less than £100 a corner...

I can't find out anything about them, "retro" being a really poor thing to search on because it brings up lots of stuff which is not Retro the brand....

Anyone used them?

[adam73bgt]

Like this?



Not seen them before but they seem to be a Nankang tyre branded "Retro"

[ChasR]

A few folks have. Citroen Classics seem to say these are not as good as a Michelin, but better than the other offerings, including Vredestein Sprint Classics. They even sell them on their site, and they tend to be picky about what they sell to be fair.

Nankang offered them out around 7 years ago under their own branding, and then created the 'retro' brand you see now.

Are they going to be as good as a fresh Michelin or Pirelli Cinturato? Probably not, as one user here would say. But it's going to have the look and be better than most things out there I'd imagine and for the cost too.

[akku]

Yup those are the ones. Thats the first time I saw the Nangkang logo and the Retro logo on the same pic. I suspected they may be the backer of this brand but Google wasn't clear. Neither is anyone selling them like MyTyres or whoever.

[ChasR]

Sept 20, 2024 19:03:37 GMT akku said:

Yup those are the ones. Thats the first time I saw the Nangkang logo and the Retro logo on the same pic. I suspected they may be the backer of this brand but Google wasn't clear. Neither is anyone selling them like MyTyres or whoever.

MyTyres used to sell them under the 'Retro Classic' banner, and when they were Nankangs, but that was some time ago. I suppose if there are Minimum Order Quantities etc. to be adhered to, so as to get the cost right, it may not have worked out for MyTyres to sell them.

TBH, I'm "normally" quite fussy on tyres but if it was a cheap and reasonable retro with some shot tyres on it, I'd give them a shot.

[akku]

Sept 21, 2024 7:24:03 GMT ChasR said:

Sept 20, 2024 19:03:37 GMT akku said:

Yup those are the ones. Thats the first time I saw the Nangkang logo and the Retro logo on the same pic. I suspected they may be the backer of this brand but Google wasn't clear. Neither is anyone selling them like MyTyres or whoever.

MyTyres used to sell them under the 'Retro Classic' banner, and when they were Nankangs, but that was some time ago. I suppose if there are Minimum Order Quantities etc. to be adhered to, so as to get the cost right, it may not have worked out for MyTyres to sell them.

To be clear. MyTyres sells the Retro ones not the Nangkang ones, but if the Retro ones are just the Nangkang ones with a different branding on the sidewall and a fancy* orange logo then fair does.

[rodharris83]

Here's the link if anyone is interetsed....

www.mytyres.co.uk/Vintage-tyres.html


Seem to do a few.

[Davey]

BE careful with branded "Retro" Tyres.

A lot of them are old moulds that have been sold to UK based manufacturers who are using the brand names under license.

The Pirelli and Michelin are prime examples and are UK made by one manufacturer.

This is not speculation, this is a fact. I manage a tyre company that specialises in niche tyres and there are many very good reason we do not list any of these.

Edit: If you need anything specific, let me know and I can have a look around, I have accounts with most of the major manufacturers and can source pretty much anything.

If you want old tyres in a rush I wouldn't go to anyone other than Vintage Tyres...

2nd Edit: I cannot buy the "Retro" Nankangs directly from Nankang, they don't list them. Which screams danger.

[ChasR]

Sept 26, 2024 10:31:39 GMT Davey said:

BE careful with branded "Retro" Tyres.

A lot of them are old moulds that have been sold to UK based manufacturers who are using the brand names under license.

The Pirelli and Michelin are prime examples and are UK made by one manufacturer.

This is not speculation, this is a fact. I manage a tyre company that specialises in niche tyres and there are many very good reason we do not list any of these.

Edit: If you need anything specific, let me know and I can have a look around, I have accounts with most of the major manufacturers and can source pretty much anything.

If you want old tyres in a rush I wouldn't go to anyone other than Vintage Tyres...

2nd Edit: I cannot buy the "Retro" Nankangs directly from Nankang, they don't list them. Which screams danger.

This is interesting.

I take the 'branded' tyres are made by a company either beginning with a V or an L? I was under the impression they were 'uprated' tyres since they used modern materials. I'm aware that just because both come out of the same factory, the tyres themselves may differ, working in manufacturing myself.

It's even more interesting about the Nankang aspect. According to Citroen Classics, they are both one of the same. They normally tend to get facts right, but I suppose they are probably buying their tyres via a third party, which may be where the confusion comes in, unless they and a few others have an agreement to buy them direct from Nankang.

I do know of the Nankang rep for the UK, so I may ask him the next time he pops to the local meet near me.

citroenclassics.wordpress.com/2014/06/25/new-budget-tyre-for-d-models/

shop.citroenclassics.co.uk/retro-tyre-18580r15-93h-1698-p.asp

It's interesting about the tyres however. I know of a few folks with quick Reliant SS1s, running reasonable power, courtesty of Nissan CA18DET lumps, which they compete with

One of them had Kumho V70As on there of either a medium or soft compound. A certain known retro tyre chap, apparently told him that his tyres were awful for track work, and he should instead get some Pirelli Cinturatoes. While I agree the Pirellis 'may' break away a little more progressively than the Kumhos, I'd had said the Kumhos myself were the winner for track work hands down, having tried a set on my M3, and compared them to other 'track tyres (Toyo R888s and Nankang NS-2Rs, and the Kumhos were the best out of those IMHO).

I mean, I doubt BMW would have fitted them onto the R56 GP1 cars if they thought they were awful, in track preparation spec.

[akku]

Sept 26, 2024 10:31:39 GMT Davey said:

BE careful with branded "Retro" Tyres.

A lot of them are old moulds that have been sold to UK based manufacturers who are using the brand names under license.

The Pirelli and Michelin are prime examples and are UK made by one manufacturer.

Again I get confused when you mean Retro the tyre brand or retro as in tyres in traditional sizes for older cars in general?

I have heard lots of bad about the reissued / repro tyres typically pitching to the wide-white crowd. Whitewalls turning yellow, tyres going out of round, etc etc and at £400+ per corner, I understand why folks are unhappy.

I'm not a brand snob, I just want the right size of tyre which will stay round, stay together, and stay the colour its supposed to be. Also I don't want to pay more than £100 a corner in a 215/70x14 whitewall

My daily is running some eastern european brand I have never heard of. They came on a set of wheels I got and they are fine.

I'm not a racing driver and my tyres generally age out before they wear out.

[generallee]

Is it the whitewall bit you are struggling with?
You could probably get van tyres in that size for under 100 a corner. Our old Merc runs 215r14C, and a big Yank land yacht I could imagine weighs similar.
I can't remember what profile they are, maybe closer to 80 than 70.

[akku]

Sept 28, 2024 8:22:46 GMT generallee said:

Is it the whitewall bit you are struggling with?
You could probably get van tyres in that size for under 100 a corner. Our old Merc runs 215r14C, and a big Yank land yacht I could imagine weighs similar.
I can't remember what profile they are, maybe closer to 80 than 70.

I'm not really struggling, there's a selection of blackwalls (mostly unknown brands), which I could get whitewalled, and there's Retro offers a whitewall, which I what I fancied. I'm not a fan of C tyres on cars, I have 2 doing just that right now and they are harsh.

[Davey]

Sept 27, 2024 19:27:43 GMT akku said:

Sept 26, 2024 10:31:39 GMT Davey said:

BE careful with branded "Retro" Tyres.

A lot of them are old moulds that have been sold to UK based manufacturers who are using the brand names under license.

The Pirelli and Michelin are prime examples and are UK made by one manufacturer.

Again I get confused when you mean Retro the tyre brand or retro as in tyres in traditional sizes for older cars in general?

I have heard lots of bad about the reissued / repro tyres typically pitching to the wide-white crowd. Whitewalls turning yellow, tyres going out of round, etc etc and at £400+ per corner, I understand why folks are unhappy.

I'm not a brand snob, I just want the right size of tyre which will stay round, stay together, and stay the colour its supposed to be. Also I don't want to pay more than £100 a corner in a 215/70x14 whitewall

My daily is running some eastern european brand I have never heard of. They came on a set of wheels I got and they are fine.

I'm not a racing driver and my tyres generally age out before they wear out.

Anything being sold as a repro of an older pattern like the Pirelli, they have the moulds and use the branding but are not Pirelli etc. You can buy NOS tyres from Vintage tyres quite readily but you need to accept the fact that they will be old.

Budget tyres in general are of such a superior quality now compared to 30 years ago its insane. The factories are so advanced it is a hard sell to push a Michelin over a European budget brand. Even the Chinese factories are pushing out some great tyres now. India are a very big player in recent years and are really pushing the sector.

Its quite difficult to now find a budget tyre that is dangerously poor quality.

[Davey]

Sept 27, 2024 15:13:38 GMT ChasR said:

Sept 26, 2024 10:31:39 GMT Davey said:

BE careful with branded "Retro" Tyres.

A lot of them are old moulds that have been sold to UK based manufacturers who are using the brand names under license.

The Pirelli and Michelin are prime examples and are UK made by one manufacturer.

This is not speculation, this is a fact. I manage a tyre company that specialises in niche tyres and there are many very good reason we do not list any of these.

Edit: If you need anything specific, let me know and I can have a look around, I have accounts with most of the major manufacturers and can source pretty much anything.

If you want old tyres in a rush I wouldn't go to anyone other than Vintage Tyres...

2nd Edit: I cannot buy the "Retro" Nankangs directly from Nankang, they don't list them. Which screams danger.

This is interesting.

I take the 'branded' tyres are made by a company either beginning with a V or an L? I was under the impression they were 'uprated' tyres since they used modern materials. I'm aware that just because both come out of the same factory, the tyres themselves may differ, working in manufacturing myself.

It's even more interesting about the Nankang aspect. According to Citroen Classics, they are both one of the same. They normally tend to get facts right, but I suppose they are probably buying their tyres via a third party, which may be where the confusion comes in, unless they and a few others have an agreement to buy them direct from Nankang.

I do know of the Nankang rep for the UK, so I may ask him the next time he pops to the local meet near me.

citroenclassics.wordpress.com/2014/06/25/new-budget-tyre-for-d-models/

shop.citroenclassics.co.uk/retro-tyre-18580r15-93h-1698-p.asp

It's interesting about the tyres however. I know of a few folks with quick Reliant SS1s, running reasonable power, courtesty of Nissan CA18DET lumps, which they compete with

One of them had Kumho V70As on there of either a medium or soft compound. A certain known retro tyre chap, apparently told him that his tyres were awful for track work, and he should instead get some Pirelli Cinturatoes. While I agree the Pirellis 'may' break away a little more progressively than the Kumhos, I'd had said the Kumhos myself were the winner for track work hands down, having tried a set on my M3, and compared them to other 'track tyres (Toyo R888s and Nankang NS-2Rs, and the Kumhos were the best out of those IMHO).

I mean, I doubt BMW would have fitted them onto the R56 GP1 cars if they thought they were awful, in track preparation spec.

The company beginning with L are the particular concern... They claim to use modern materials but the patterns and casings don't suit the modern rubber and cause all kinds of issues. Also being manufactured by companies that specialise in remoulds also raises some flags with me, I don't have issues with remoulds but the technology required is markedly different.

The Nankang may be available direct through some weird channels but I can see all of their current UK open stock and they aren't part of it.

I currently run Kumho PS71's on the 1 series, find them hard to beat quality wise let alone price and trust me when I say, i have been exposed to and used pretty much every OE option on the market... I am a tedious bore when it comes to tyres.

[akku]

I'd rather run a new budget tyre than an old "branded" tyre.

That position has changed markedly since I started driving, back then I would have said the opposite. I used to buy used branded tyres then. As Davey mentions, the quality seems to have changed a lot since then... But rubber still ages in sunlight...

[Davey]

Sept 30, 2024 11:08:16 GMT akku said:

I'd rather run a new budget tyre than an old "branded" tyre.

That position has changed markedly since I started driving, back then I would have said the opposite. I used to buy used branded tyres then. As Davey mentions, the quality seems to have changed a lot since then... But rubber still ages in sunlight...

UV and lack of use are 2 big killers.

[adam73bgt]

Sept 30, 2024 10:16:38 GMT Davey said:

Anything being sold as a repro of an older pattern like the Pirelli, they have the moulds and use the branding but are not Pirelli etc. You can buy NOS tyres from Vintage tyres quite readily but you need to accept the fact that they will be old.

I'm curious now as Michelin and Pirelli both seem to show classic tyres on their official websites so are you saying its not them making them?

Are they farming out the manufacturing work to someone else?

Or are there other companies making unofficial reproductions of old designs alongside the official efforts from the original brands?

[ChasR]

Sept 30, 2024 13:28:40 GMT adam73bgt said:

Sept 30, 2024 10:16:38 GMT Davey said:

Anything being sold as a repro of an older pattern like the Pirelli, they have the moulds and use the branding but are not Pirelli etc. You can buy NOS tyres from Vintage tyres quite readily but you need to accept the fact that they will be old.

I'm curious now as Michelin and Pirelli both seem to show classic tyres on their official websites so are you saying its not them making them?

Are they farming out the manufacturing work to someone else?

Or are there other companies making unofficial reproductions of old designs alongside the official efforts from the original brands?

Blockley from memory tried to copy a Dunlop design, but marketed it as Blockleys, which got them into hot water with Dunlop.

www.blockleytyre.com/articles/conflict-with-dunlop

I don't know who makes the Firestones for Model A Fords, but they are meant to be the only tyres available.

I 'think' the 2CV and maybe the DS tyres are still made by Michelin.

[ChasR]

Sept 30, 2024 10:22:25 GMT Davey said:

[The company beginning with L are the particular concern... They claim to use modern materials but the patterns and casings don't suit the modern rubber and cause all kinds of issues. Also being manufactured by companies that specialise in remoulds also raises some flags with me, I don't have issues with remoulds but the technology required is markedly different.

The Nankang may be available direct through some weird channels but I can see all of their current UK open stock and they aren't part of it.

I currently run Kumho PS71's on the 1 series, find them hard to beat quality wise let alone price and trust me when I say, i have been exposed to and used pretty much every OE option on the market... I am a tedious bore when it comes to tyres.

This may indeed become a little boring, but it's always good to hear some perspective.

It would be interesting to hear what issues it would cause. I know the chap in question has said only the Michelins and Pirellis have a good carcass compared to the cheaper tyres, which flies in the face of what is said above. It wouldn't surprise me however if it was the case that things aren't as they seem.

I tried mid-range stuff on a load of cars in the past, when I did big miles (my dad and I used to do 10k a month, so alot of things became familiar), and bar a couple of tyres, I couldn't get on with them and sometimes even partially sold cars due to them, and even my sister, a non tyre-snob non-car person could tell the difference between Landsails and Goodyear F1 A3s, and berated my dad and I for sticking with the Landsails to 'wear' them out ; to her, it seemed mad to save a 'little' when you can make a car drive alot nicer with decent rubber, but I can hear the other side of the argument, at times.


That's not to say none have satisfied me (Kumho V70As were fantastic, and the Nexen NBlue, if the poor wear can be lived with on the latter).

But even the Premium stuff can come undone. the PS4Ss did on the M3, but that may partially have been down to me .

[Davey]

Sept 30, 2024 13:28:40 GMT adam73bgt said:

Sept 30, 2024 10:16:38 GMT Davey said:

Anything being sold as a repro of an older pattern like the Pirelli, they have the moulds and use the branding but are not Pirelli etc. You can buy NOS tyres from Vintage tyres quite readily but you need to accept the fact that they will be old.

I'm curious now as Michelin and Pirelli both seem to show classic tyres on their official websites so are you saying its not them making them?

Are they farming out the manufacturing work to someone else?

Or are there other companies making unofficial reproductions of old designs alongside the official efforts from the original brands?

I am under the understanding that the majority are made by the below and similar entities. Pirelli and Michelin factories are working at pretty much capacity all the time for their new ranges so the niche, low volume stuff goes elsewhere. You will note the Pirelli also listed.

www.longstonetyres.co.uk/michelin-classic-tyres/xzx.html?srsltid=AfmBOoo4nQd4sziTqqE6tsD79rvN-hhAuvoWtjR7Xl7J6beItO_kfKr7

Going to be careful what I say regarding certain companies as I have an industry reputation to somewhat preserve.