Do They Still Make White Wall Tires? | Yes, But For Classics

Yes, white-sided tires are still sold, mostly for classic restorations, customs, vintage motorcycles, and niche luxury fitments.

White wall tires never vanished. They just slid out of the mainstream. If you ask a chain tire shop for a set for a new commuter car, you may get a blank stare. If you shop with a vintage tire seller, a custom builder, or a brand that still trades on old-school style, you’ll find that the market is alive and well.

That split is the whole story. White walls used to be common on family sedans, coupes, wagons, and big American cruisers. Then styling changed. Lower-profile tires, darker sidewalls, and sportier wheel designs took over. Dirt and curb rash also made white sidewalls a chore for many drivers. So the white wall moved from “normal tire” to “specialty tire.”

Still, demand never flatlined. Restorers want the right period look. Custom builders want that long, low profile only a white band can give a car. Vintage motorcycle owners still buy them. A small luxury niche still likes a dressed-up sidewall, too. So yes, factories still make them. They’re just made for narrower lanes of buyers.

Why White Wall Tires Never Fully Faded

Style is one reason. Authenticity is the bigger one. A 1949 Buick, a 1957 Chevy, a Continental Mark series car, or a classic Harley does not look finished with plain blackwalls. The wheel and tire are part of the car’s face. Get the sidewall wrong, and the whole stance feels off.

There’s also a split inside the whitewall market itself. Some buyers want a wide, period-correct band. Others want a thin stripe that reads more 1960s or 1970s. Some want bias-ply tires for true restoration work. Others want radial construction for easier road manners and longer tread life. That mix keeps production going across more than one type of buyer.

Price plays a part, too. White walls cost more to make and sell in lower volume. That sounds like bad news, yet it also keeps the niche worth serving. Specialty buyers will pay for the right look, the right size, and the right construction. That’s enough to keep catalog pages full even if the average tire rack at a warehouse store has none.

White Wall Tires Still Made Today For Which Vehicles?

The short list starts with classic American cars from the 1930s through the 1970s, then stretches into lowriders, custom cruisers, vintage motorcycles, and a few dressed-up luxury replacements. New cars almost never ship with white walls from the factory now, but owners can still buy them in select sizes if the wheel diameter and load needs line up.

One thing trips up buyers all the time: “whitewall” does not mean one fixed look. A 3-inch band on a 15-inch tire feels totally different from a narrow stripe on a later sedan. So asking “Do they still make white wall tires?” is only step one. Step two is matching the style, width, and construction to the vehicle you’re building.

What Buyers Usually Want

• Factory-style tires for a period restoration
• Radial white walls that keep an old look with easier road behavior
• Wide whites for customs, lowriders, and show cars
• Narrow white stripes for later classics and luxury sedans
• Vintage motorcycle whitewalls in smaller diameters

Specialty sellers still carry a broad size range. A glance at Coker Tire’s whitewall tire catalog shows how wide the remaining market still is, from prewar fitments to postwar cruisers and motorcycle sizes.

Vehicle Or Use	Typical Whitewall Choice	What To Check
Prewar cars	Bias-ply or period-style wide whitewall	Tube needs, tall sidewall height, original wheel width
1940s–1950s American cars	Wide whitewall in bias-ply or radial form	Band width, overall tire diameter, ride preference
1960s full-size cruisers	Medium or narrow white stripe radial	Load rating, wheel diameter, fender clearance
Lowriders and customs	Wide whitewall radial	Sidewall shape, stance, rim fit, scrub risk
Luxury classics	Thin white stripe or styled sidewall	Correct visual era, speed rating, smooth ride
Vintage motorcycles	Small-diameter whitewall tire	Tube or tubeless setup, load range, tread pattern
Daily-driven classics	Radial whitewall	Wet-road manners, highway comfort, stock look
Show-only builds	Wide whitewall with period styling	Cleaning effort, storage, low annual mileage

What The Market Looks Like Right Now

The market is not dead. It’s segmented. The widest selection sits in specialty catalogs, not in mass-market tire shops. Sizes also come and go in batches. That means one part number may be easy to find in spring, then backordered later. If your build needs a rare size, ordering early is smart.

You’ll also notice that white walls tend to cluster around older wheel diameters: 13, 14, 15, and some 16-inch fitments, plus motorcycle sizes. Once you get into big modern diameters and low-profile rubber, the menu shrinks fast. That’s why white walls feel rare on current cars. The styling shift and the size shift happened at the same time.

Construction matters just as much as style. Bias-ply tires bring the right vintage feel and look, yet they can track grooves and feel busier on rough roads. Radials are the easier pick for many drivers who want to actually rack up miles. Some sellers also offer add-on whitewall rings or painted sidewall treatments, but those are not the same as a molded whitewall tire.

Radial Vs Bias-Ply

A lot of buyers get hung up on appearance and forget how the car will drive. If the car sees highway miles, errands, or weekend trips, a radial often makes life simpler. If the build is a judged restoration where original construction matters, bias-ply may fit the brief better. Neither choice is wrong. The right answer depends on whether the car is driven hard, shown often, or parked more than it rolls.

Wide White Vs Narrow Stripe

Band width changes the whole attitude of the car. Wide whites scream late-1940s through mid-1950s style. A thinner stripe fits many later classics better. Put a huge white band on the wrong era, and the car can look dressed in someone else’s clothes. Match the sidewall to the year and body style, not just to what pops in a product photo.

Whitewall Type	Ride And Upkeep	Best Fit
Bias-ply molded whitewall	Most period-correct feel; more road wander; regular cleaning	Show restorations and early classics
Radial molded whitewall	Smoother highway manners; easier day-to-day driving	Driven classics and custom cruisers
Thin white stripe radial	Less visual drama; still needs sidewall care	1960s–1970s cars and luxury-style builds
Add-on whitewall ring	Cheap entry point; fit and durability can vary	Budget projects and temporary styling
Painted sidewall treatment	Pure style move; upkeep is higher; not a true molded whitewall	Show cars with limited road use

How To Buy The Right Set Without Buyer’s Remorse

The first step is not “find a whitewall.” It’s “find the correct tire, then pick the whitewall version.” Get the hard numbers right before you fall for a photo.

• Match the size correctly. Check diameter, section width, and overall height, not just the wheel size.
• Pick the right construction. Bias-ply for factory faithfulness, radial for easier driving.
• Choose the sidewall width on purpose. Wide whites and narrow stripes tell different era stories.
• Check load and speed ratings. A heavy full-size classic can ask more from a tire than a smaller coupe.
• Ask how the whitewall is made. Molded, applied, insert, and painted versions do not wear the same.
• Plan for cleaning. Brake dust, road film, and curb scuffs show up fast on a white sidewall.

If you’re building a driver, don’t get trapped by nostalgia alone. A classic with radial whitewalls can still look right while feeling calmer on modern roads. If you’re chasing concours points, the original-style bias-ply route may be worth the trade-off. Know which lane you’re in before you place the order.

When White Walls Make Sense Today

They make sense when the tire is part of the car’s identity. That includes restored classics, customs with a set visual theme, vintage motorcycles, and a few old-school luxury builds. They make less sense when you’re trying to force retro style onto a car whose wheel wells, brake package, and tire sizes were never built around tall sidewalls.

So, do they still make white wall tires? Yes. You can still buy them new. You just have to shop in the right places and know what kind you need. The old white band is no longer a default choice. It’s a deliberate styling move now, and that’s why the buyers who want it still care enough to keep the market alive.