The automotive industry has always had grand ambitions for car tyres. While some of the latest developments have been in eco tyre manufacturing, older innovations took drivers’ imaginations by storm. Take a gander through some of the most unusual tyre innovations to try and make it on the market.
The car’s fifth wheel
One of the earliest tyre innovations is one that continues to intrigue people to this day, despite its lack of commercial success. When drivers expressed frustration with parallel parking and cramped parking spaces, tyre manufacturers proposed adding a fifth tyre to the car.
It was in the 1950s that this idea first took hold. In tests, the fifth tyre offered drivers the same benefits the automated parallel parking does today – quick and easy access to spots that might otherwise be troublesome to access.
Originally added to a Cadillac in 1951, the fifth tyre was short-lived. Even so, it can still be spotted on vehicles that have been preserved from the time.
The two-wheel car
If five tyres turned out to be too many, then why not consider cutting back on the number of tyres you need? Alex Tremulis and Thomas Summers decided to experiment with just this idea in 1967, when they produced the Gyro X. Called the “self-balancing car,” the Gyro X used only two tyres to cut down on its drift and size.
Not only did the prototype of the car use less petrol than large vehicles, but it was able to drive at speeds up to 125 miles per hour. It was thanks to the car’s included hydraulic gyroscope that it was able to stay upright, despite the lack of tyres.
Nowadays, you can just barely spot this car’s skeleton in the vehicular tricycles that now take to the road with some consistency. While no longer equipped with the gyroscope, the manufacturing developments in balance and tyre use let Alex Tremulis and Thomas Summers make a name for themselves in the history of tyre innovation.
The glowing tyre
A drive for strange and intriguing aesthetics have driven many creators to imagine new tyre concepts. Such a drive took the manufacturers at Goodyear in the 1960s, when the company, in a newsletter, announced interest in producing a glowing tyre. These tyres, said the company, would be made of Neothane, and the translucent material would let the company dye its rubber unique colours.
The manufacturer planned to line its tyres with light bulbs so they would glow when driven at night. The aim was not only to lend to the beauty of the road at night but also to let drivers control these tyres so that they could be used as turn signals.
Unfortunately, the Neothane tyres never took to the market. In initial tests, they melted when exposed to heavy braking and failed to keep drivers safe when the road was wet. Even so, the idea struck a chord with drivers, and the pictures from the abandoned release continue to circulate.
Tyre socks
Many tyre manufacturers have worked to provide drivers with the means they need to stay safe on icy or rainy roads. One such innovation was designed to replace both winter tyres and the chains that you can use to improve your traction. Known as snow socks, these devices can be wrapped around your tyres. The fabric elastomer is meant to improve your grip while you’re driving from Point A to Point B.
Snow socks have not made their way to international commercial success just yet, like many of the innovations on this list. However, they do pose an alternative to existing tyres meant to keep drivers safe in the winter time. Could future versions of the tyre sock let drivers purchase tyres with the belts on the outside? That depends on the industry.
Shape-shifting tyres
Last but not least, why not experiment with a tyre that doesn’t stay in one shape? Mythbusters may have experimented with the square tyre, but DARPA seems to be making better progress. DARPA tyres begin in the traditional circular shape, but they can evolve while an equipped vehicle is still in motion.
Called the Reconfigurable Wheel Track, this tyre centres on a triangular hub and provides the cars that it can be equipped to with greater traction than a traditional circular tyre. These tyres have yet to take to the commercial market, if only for the intense demands they place on the cars they end up equipped to. Even so, DARPA has expressed interest in partnering with industries looking to improve their vehicles' tactical mobility.
When it comes to the latest automotive technologies, imagination is everything. While some of the older innovations the automotive industry experimented with may never find commercial success, they continue to inspire creators and facilitate new and exciting developments. Future tyres, in turn, may learn from the innovations of the past and continue to make life more interesting for drivers all around the world.