Original Tires

[Richstang]

The Goodyear Memo stated the reduction of the letters from 1 3/4" down to 3/4".

I don't believe the memo mention 1 3/4 .  I have heard the large letters refer to as 1" tall in the reality the large letters are closer to 1 1/4.

I'm not saying those dimensions are correct, but they are noted in the Oct 6 1966 memo.

For clarity you might want to post a copy of the memo.

Both prototypes, the Lime Gold GT350 and the Candy Red GT500, wore blackwalls tires in the September (Sid Avery photographer) photoshoto. The letters visible are "GOODYEAR" with "SPEEDWAY" on the opposite side. At the time this tire memo was typed (October 6th) only four base units for SA had been built at San Jose. All in Dark Moss Green. Two a week prior in late September and two days before. I have to wonder if CS saw at least 2 of these units and was not thrilled, thus the memo was written. Notice it also mentions adding "350" opposite the "GOODYEAR". I don't think that change ever happened...

Thanks for posting this example of how we have to take meaning out of a document that has some obvious mistakes based on the evidence.

I think the "mistakes" were probably expectations from the SA side of the issue. I doubt they had any cars at LAX by Oct 6th to review. (I can't believe Ford would have delivered the two September built cars by themselves. Even adding the two cars built a day or two before the memo in October would not fill a typical Ford transporter, as we saw with the 65-66 deliveries to Venice.) Without a car to measure, the dimensions given for the letter sizes are very specific. They might have been the planned sizes.

The "approximate 230 units" is another very specific number that must have come from somewhere. The timing of those 230 cars built in Sept and Oct is not out of line, even though it took much longer to reach that point.

The expectation from SA to change the lettering on the opposite side of GOODYEAR to "350" sounds like a marketing approach to add another identifier to the car. Since SA would be paying for the mold changes anyway why not ask, especially with CS's relationship to Goodyear.

I know this is speculation on my part, but I can't be to far off here.

[BGlover67]

Why did they go back to large lettered Speedways in 68?  Was it because CS wasn't calling the shots as much and Ford let Goodyear get the better (larger) advertising?

[Richstang]

Why did they go back to large lettered Speedways in 68?  Was it because CS wasn't calling the shots as much and Ford let Goodyear get the better (larger) advertising?

Good question Brian.
I also wonder if the '68 large letter Goodyears were the exact same size as the '67's?
(Since the molds had been changed to small letters...maybe Goodyear kept the '67 large lettered tooling inserts?)

[shelbydoug]

They both were getting complaints because the letters were molded in and subject to curb rash very easily.

I don't have any documentation one way or the other but I suspect that Shelbly thought part of the problem was the larger letters were more subject to the issue?

Whatever it was, the large letter tires seemed to set the standard and disappeared seemingly as soon as they appeared?

I can't think of any other US production car that got them other then the early 67 Shelbys? They certainly seemed to help set the character/public persona of the 67's, some of which were being used as pace cars at the big races.

With the introduction of the new GT500, they helped create almost a feeding frenzy in the automotive press?

Certainly other companies like Firestone hated the idea since it kind of forced them into them also.

Whatever the nature of the tire was in actual performance, the raised white letters was one of the largest developments in the marketing of tires probably ever. As a result, you can't eliminate the effect that they had on advertising and marketing. That can be pretty fickle so that is the most likely answer, i.e., the swing back and forth of the "marketing team's" decisions?

[JD]

Maybe Shelby (even though he was a Goodyear racing tire dealer) didn't like the fact that the large letter Goodyear was too readable - it wasn't a GOODYEAR car it was a Shelby!

[honker]

thought this might be of interest regards the discussion in the other thread "did Goodyear have a vintage "Sports" tire  concerning

large & small letter tires

The Goodyear Memo stated the reduction of the letters from 1 3/4" down to 3/4".

I don't believe the memo mention 1 3/4 .  I have heard the large letters refer to as 1" tall in the reality the large letters are closer to 1 1/4.

I'm not saying those dimensions are correct, but they are noted in the Oct 6 1966 memo.

For clarity you might want to post a copy of the memo.

Both prototypes, the Lime Gold GT350 and the Candy Red GT500, wore blackwalls tires in the September (Sid Avery photographer) photoshoto. The letters visible are "GOODYEAR" with "SPEEDWAY" on the opposite side. At the time this tire memo was typed (October 6th) only four base units for SA had been built at San Jose. All in Dark Moss Green. Two a week prior in late September and two days before. I have to wonder if CS saw at least 2 of these units and was not thrilled, thus the memo was written. Notice it also mentions adding "350" opposite the "GOODYEAR". I don't think that change ever happened...

Thanks for posting this example of how we have to take meaning out of a document that has some obvious mistakes based on the evidence.

I think the "mistakes" were probably expectations from the SA side of the issue. I doubt they had any cars at LAX by Oct 6th to review. (I can't believe Ford would have delivered the two September built cars by themselves. Even adding the two cars built a day or two before the memo in October would not fill a typical Ford transporter, as we saw with the 65-66 deliveries to Venice.) Without a car to measure, the dimensions given for the letter sizes are very specific. They might have been the planned sizes.

The "approximate 230 units" is another very specific number that must have come from somewhere. The timing of those 230 cars built in Sept and Oct is not out of line, even though it took much longer to reach that point.

The expectation from SA to change the lettering on the opposite side of GOODYEAR to "350" sounds like a marketing approach to add another identifier to the car. Since SA would be paying for the mold changes anyway why not ask, especially with CS's relationship to Goodyear.

I know this is speculation on my part, but I can't be to far off here.