5.50-16 PIRELLI STELLA BIANCA

PIRELLI STELLA BIANCA Vintage Tires

The PIRELLI STELLA BIANCA was introduced in 1927. It quickly became a favourite among high-performance car owners due to its durable construction, high-spec capabilities and effective tread design. Luxury car brands like BMW, Frazer Nash, and Maserati adopted it as their tire of choice, helping it maintain a leading position in the sports car market from the late 1920s all the way through to the 1950s.

The STELLA BIANCA held its status as a top sports car tire for over 25 years—a testament to its design and performance. This longevity demonstrates how ahead of its time the STELLA BIANCA was, and why it remains the go-to vintage tire today!

PIRELLI STELLA BIANCA Design

The STELLA BIANCA has a number of innovative design features, including a straight-sided bead shape, a cord carcass fabric, and a much lower inflation pressure than previous tires. The tread is made up of trapezoid-shaped blocks connected by sturdy bridges.

All of this combined to create a highly durable tire, offering previously unseen levels of directional stability and strength when travelling at high-speeds, ideal for the faster cars of its day.

5.50-16 Vintage Tires

For many years, owners of powerful and prestigious vintage and classic cars like the BMW 327, 328, Frazer Nash BMW, Bristol 400, 404, Maserati 250F, and Jowett Jupiter have faced a significant challenge: finding high-quality tires in their (5.50-16) size. They often had to either change their wheels and tires or settle for subpar budget classic tires, or modern tires; neither of which could withstand the power and forces generated by these remarkable old vehicles.

The reintroduction of the STELLA BIANCA in the 5.50-16 size means that these historic vehicles again have access to a premium, period-correct tire made by a major tire manufacturer.

5.50-16 STELLA BIANCA - Racing

Renowned for its performance and dependability, the Stella Bianca was widely used on prestigious sports cars and even Formula One racing up to the 1950s. Its legacy includes use in iconic cars like the pre-1960 Ferrari 250 Series, fitting the 5.50-16 PIRELLI STELLA BIANCA to the front and 6.00-16 PIRELLI STELLA BIANCA to the rear.

The STELLA BIANCA replaced standard tires with a slower speed rating, meaningfully improving performance and allowing the car achieve its full potential. With its V speed rating (max 149 mph), classic British sports cars such as the Aston Martin DB4 could replace their standard H-rated tires and notably improved their performance.

Do Crossply Tires Need Inner Tubes?

The 5.50-16 PIRELLI STELLA BIANCA differs from typical crossply tires, because it is tubeless. Inner tubes are not required for the tire to properly function. Most cars from the 1920s to 1950s however fitted tube-type wheels that require innertubes to keep the tire under pressure. To drive a car tubeless, both tubeless tires and tubeless wheels are needed.

Modern car wheels are tubeless, but classic and vintage cars with 5.50-16 tires are far more likely to have tube-type wheels. The Michelin 16E Inner Tube is the best inner tube for the 5.50-16 STELLA BIANCA.

The Best Crossply Vintage Tires?

New STELLA BIANCA tires are created with better quality modern rubber compounds and meet current safety regulations, increasing the safety, sustainability and efficiency, while making considerable improvements to wet use. While the rubber is new and improved, the original construction methods have been painstakingly reproduced. The result is an tire perfectly suited to classic and vintage performance cars, with greatly improved safety and performance from the modern materials used.

What is The Best Crossply Tire?

The 5.50-16 PIRELLI STELLA BIANCA is the best 5.50-16 crossply vintage tire for classic and vintage cars. Its outstanding performance and reliability make it the preferred option for enthusiasts wanting to maintain the authenticity and functionality of their classic and vintage cars.