Paris, Milan, London,…..Detroit?

Detroit is not a city normally associated with high fashion, but this week designers have flocked to the city to show off their latest accessories. Cameras have greedily snapped glamorous models strutting their stuff for the first time, and no expense has been spared in making this year’s new fashions look as desirable as possible.

Of course we’re talking about the North American International Auto Show, and the models being shown off are the automotive industry’s latest offerings and concept vehicles. But amidst the glamour of the Detroit show even the humble tyre has not been overlooked or made to feel homely.

“Auto shows are an opportunity to prove that tyres can be fashionable, too,” said Paul Maxwell, one of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company’s principal designers. “While they provide functional capabilities such as carrying the vehicle load, gripping ability in all kinds of weather, and traction for starting and stopping, tyres actually can complement the vehicle’s appearance.”

Like an automotive Giorgio Armani, Maxwell uses high profile shows to exhibit cutting-edge designs. “At an auto show, you’ll find all sorts of tyres,” he explains. “Like the auto makers displaying their products on the show floor, we use a blend of true production tyres along with some concept designs. In many cases, our ‘footwear’ helps complete the overall look of a vehicle, just like a pair of good shoes adds to the style package of a well-tailored suit.”
Goodyear’s previous one-of-a-kind concept tyres include a ‘Snakeskin’ tyre produced for a Dodge concept car, and the flamboyant “Bat” tyre that graced the Batmobile used in the high-budget movies.

But Maxwell concedes that there is more to concept tyres than just flaunting outrageous designs. He admits that “concept tyre development is important, because it allows us to contribute to automotive design trends that soon may be coming down the road. Communication between the automaker and tyremaker is paramount to keeping image and messages consistent through design.”