[Chrysler300] Blue Streaks, and then there were Blue Streaks

["Wayne Graefen" <wgraefen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

There were Goodyear Blue Streaks and then there were Goodyear Blue Streaks.  Here is what I'm saying.  

The standard original equipment manufacturer's tires for our Chrysler 300 Letter Cars were wide whitewall Goodyear Blue Streaks.  They were a premium tire that was the probably the best passenger car tire available from Goodyear.  But the name is obviously contradictory to the wide whitewall we are looking at.

In about late 1954, as near as I can find reference for, Goodyear introduced the original Blue Streak.  The sidewall of these tires had a painted-on (not vulcanized rubber) blue sidewall approximately 3/8" wide.  It was placed at about the highest point of the sidewall bulge.  Besides the Blue Streak name on the tire, was also the name "Stock Car Special".  My understanding is these were the first tires from a manufacturer originally intended for stock car racing.  And I believe they were the dominant stock car tire up until about 1962.  Now the actual blue line was somewhat thinly painted on and it didn't remain visible long when racing.  If you visit some of the stock car museums however, you will very likely see a set or two or three of these tires on the museum's early cars.  

The prior best stock car tires had been the six ply blackwall types sometimes employed by daily drivers carrying heavy loads or trailering or driving rough rocky roads.  A primo example of these could be found on the Adam '53 New Yorker Pan Am Special which had Goodyear 6 plys that must have been specially chosen as they were heat-embossed with "Road Race Tire" and inflation specs.  Adam has 4 of his original tires still on the car.  Not surprisingly the rear pair are bald!

Not to slight Firestone or perhaps other manufacturers, I'm sure they had competitive tires to Goodyear's offerings.  Kiekhaefer changed from Goodyear to Firestone during the '56 race year.  But I don't know specifically the model name of the Firestone, or other, tires.

Now here is the surprise:  the original blue-line Blue Streak Stock Car Special tires underwent a mold change and became Sports Car Specials and were employed as OEM on the Shelby Cobras.  Shelby sizes for restoration and, if desired, for vintage racing, are still available.  And depending on the racer, race type, and venue, other sizes of the Blue Streak Sports Car Special are STILL being raced.

http://www.bobwoodmantires.com/goodyear/gyvintage.htm   The "G-12" is still the original tread and sidewall design and construction!   I know this because my 300F Special was delivered to Andy Drumm Jr. from Hermann & Wilson Chrysler in Reno, NV, new with a set of 5 blue line Blue Streaks on the car according to Andy's grand son who went with grampa to drive the car back home to Fallon.  And I got three of the tires with the car when I bought it and kept one which is still on display in the trunk.  I am supposing that the tires were installed at the dealership, not at Chrysler.

So my understanding would be that the whitewall Goodyear Blue Streak tires originally on our 300s were a high performance street tire that for marketing purposes was using the line name of the actual bluewall racing tire.

Wayne

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