600-16 Stella Bianca made by Pirelli at the request of Ferrari

Hi

I have just had a lorry turn up from Pirelli that looked like this



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there were loads of tyres in it that looked like this

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And i think loads of pre 1960 Ferrari fitted this tyre. which is why Ferrari asked Pirelli to make it again

Buy them here https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/tyres/600-16/600x16-pirelli-stella-bianca.html

 

here is the official Pirelli press release https://press.pirelli.com/pirellis-stella-bianca-is-back-the-tyre-that-revolutionised-the-industry/

 

We now have them in stock! https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/tyres/600-16/600-16-pirelli-stella-bianca.html

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If you bought one today, you would get this one.

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There were a few pre production tyres that were a bit different. but after a testing session this was the best design

 

For me i need a 3500Gt Maserati, then i can wonder about getting some tyres for it.

However it is a funny thing, some time ago i got involved with the Maser club, because they were upset because the 185VR16 Pirelli Cinturato was not available, and there wasn't anything as good enough as an alternative. So they did a load of testing and found the Michelin 600-16 Pilote Sport to be fantastic, which it still is.

things have changed since then https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/classic-car-tyres/maserati/3500gt.html#page=2 there are now 3 perfect tyres

We still have the 600WR16 Michelin Pilot X. https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/classic-car-tyres/maserati/3500gt/600r16-michelin-pilot-x.html

Pirelli have made new batches of 185VR16 Pirelli Cinturato https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/classic-car-tyres/maserati/3500gt/185vr16-pirelli-cinturato-ca67.html which is of course the radial tyre of choice.

And now there is the period crossply Pirelli Stella Bianca https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/classic-car-tyres/maserati/3500gt/600-16-pirelli-stella-bianca.html

 

I have seen them at the race track, and people loved them. there is now some front options for racijg cars as well with a 500/525-16 and a 550-16 as well

https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/pirelli-collezione/stella-bianca.html

I have had one guy with an XK Jag saying they were too stiff, and then when we discussed tyre pressure it turned out he was running them 10psi too high.

We haven't had anyone say they don't like them, and had plenty of people saying they love them. However i would say that wouldn't I? Its me thats flogging them.

What i would say is that the tyre pressure for these crossply tyres would be less than the equivalent radial

I would also say a crossply would be exepected to give considerably less mileage than a radial. maybe as much as half the mileage of a radial.

 

my pleasure

Very difficult to say. i would say start a bit lower than the Dunlop Racing tyre pressures and find your way. Testing is of course the answer. The Stella Bianca carcass is quite a bit stiffer.

We have had a customer with a Morgan who is amazed by the improved rolling resistence of the Stella Bianca on his car. He says it is noticable how much less throttle he has to give the car to maintain the same cruising speed and he has noticed it being dramatically more fuel efficient. Both these features are of course improved rolling resistence.

I must point out at this point that he is comparing them to the AVON Tourist Tyre, which is a road tyre, It a high quality early post war tyre, I'm not sure how much consideration they had toward rolling resistence and they certainly didn't have the benefits of computer modeling immediately post war.

I think ride quality will be something you will have to work with by adjusting your tyre pressures. quite a nice Sunday job. make your self a cup of tea, faff with the tyre presures, take it for a drive, adjust the tyre pressures up or down depending on what it felt like, have anothe drive, have another faff, maybe another cup of tea. then maybe take it for another drive to the pub with your tyre pressure guage and have another faff.

The problem with testing as a pre war car driver specially, when it comes to chain driven over powered stupidness like my racing car, there is a fine line between running a car in and wearing a car out, but i think a bit of tyre pressure testing in a 50s Ferrari would be a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

I have no doubt that the Stella Bianca will make a much better road tyre than a Dunlop Racing Tyre. the ride quality will be fine after you have chosen the right tyre pressure. the carcass is just better, i has so much more structure, and if you do accidentally rub it on the side of a curb you have plenty of protection. The comound is a performance road compound. Dunlops 204 race compound is perfect for vintage racing, not too much grip, beautifully progressive and reasonably durable, lets not forget that historic racing is budget racing so these Dunlop Racing tyres are designed to level a playing feild, while lasting reasonably well. Then as a road car tyre the thing that i think really will be great news is the wet performance opf the Stella should be dramatically better thant the Dulop Racing.

Oh and the Stella Bianca is actually period. that R5 pattern was developed in 1958 Through out the the late 1940s and the 1950s the Dunlop Racing tyres looked like this.

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The Stella Bianca tyre innitailly came out in the very late 1920s and they stook with the same name for a while. even though they totally changed the tread pattern wich they fine tuned through out the 1930 with Alfa Romeo and it was still going for sometime post war and through out the 1950s check out the cool old film on here

https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/pirelli-collezione/stella-bianca.html