04/10/2024
Goodyear developed a tire in 1961 using mounted light bulbs in the wheel rim to make them glow in the dark, but never went into production.
It was in the early 1960s, when Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. decided to get their ‘cool’ on. They began developing what the referred to as ”the tire of tomorrow.” Goodyear scientists experimented by developing a translucent model with tiny light bulbs mounted inside the wheel rim.
They poured dyed compounds of Neothane synthetic rubber into special molds and heating molasses-like batches to 250 degrees. With synthetic rubber, they could dye the tires any color. Engineers ended up installing 18 tiny bulbs in each rim to make the wheels would shine in the dark and wiring devices supplied electricity to create a glow.
It was all controlled by the driver with a switch inside the car. The control could make the tires blink individually or together.
