Also, back then, people didn't drive their cars as much/far as we do today, so 100,000 miles was the entire lifecycle of an average vehicle. People were not as brutal with their vehicles/tires so they lasted quite some time (definitely not 25, let alone 50 years, lol).
Oh, and yeah, moms don't know much about mechanical stuff, so just play along.
Today's products outperform yesteryears products by a long shot. Michelin tires of today are pretty good for the money, and have a 70,000 warranty. You can get better, but it will cost more. Yesteryears tires didn't last 70,000 miles, especially if it took 7 years to get 70,000 out of them. They crack after a while.
I have been driving since 1951. Your mama has a different take on things then I do. If you got 15,000 miles on a tire that was good. A lot of those miles were on rock roads. Cars had to be serviced every 1,000 miles, oil change and chassis lube. Not many had oil filters and the breather on the carburetor was an oil bath type requiring frequent service also. Radio and heater were extra cost items. No A/C, most were stick shift. Only thing good is they were cheap. 57 Chev base model $1,700.00. Cars of today are 100 times better.
Tires on antique cars didn't last long at all. You'd be lucky to get 15,000 miles out of them. Today's tires can last 60,000 to 80,000 miles. It's because of the advances in tire materials and manufacturing techniques.
No, tires didn't last longer way back when. It may be that people drove fewer miles at much slower speeds, so they may actually have kept the tires on the car for 15 to 20 years, but much fewer miles. We drive more now and at much higher speeds than in the 50's. The demands on tires are much, much higher now than then and tires do wear out quickly.
Your mother is right. If you never mount the tire on a wheel they would last 50 years!
My mother always used to tell me that tires lasted longer (50 years 25 years). I don't expect that this is 100% true but I tried to find something on Google about it to support her claim that she has made at least three times when I was curious. Nothing came up. Just old discussions about old cars and mechanical work. I also found a few things talking about how mechanical work was much easier and cars lasted longer ing general then the Cara now that might require you to tale off the entire front end to change a head light and cars that are controlled via chip. So, specifically can anyone tell me the average life span of tires on cars from their original inception to the 1950s and how long they lasted? Also, why can't we create tires that past longer (all rubber) does it have to do with suspension systems on the cars now? Why can't we make a tire that lasts longer?
