Pirelli or Michelin

[Thomas]

Hello,
I have seen that we can get both Pirelli 165HR400 Cinturato or Michelin X 165x400 for the Flaminia.
Which one would you recommend ?
Regards,
Thomas

[Geoff Goldberg]

Have you found the Pirellis recently? They have been invisible for years. The Michelins have been remade, and are available.

Geoff

[thomas]

The Pirellis are listed on this 2 websites located in England
http://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/
http://www.vintagetyres.com/

Thomas

[Huib Geurink]

I would choose the Michelins. No doubt.
Michelin introduced the X tire in 1946. Lancia was the first OEM customer. At that time for the Aprilia. Design engineers and test drivers at Lancia only knew the Michelin X tire for many years.

Even in the late sixties and seventies many (like myself) still specified Michelin tires when they ordered a new Lancia.

In those days the Cinturato's were bad. Very bad.

[Steve Katzman]

Huib,
Can you expound on "...bad. Very bad."? After decades on only Michelin Xs, I've just (as in "yesterday") recieved a set of the "new production" Pirellis, late 2005 production date, made in Turkey. I've been told that these are the better Cinturatos, but time and miles will tell, I suppose.
Steve

[Huib Geurink]

Very bad was about 40 years ago. Don't remember much of the details except that they wore quickly and were impossible to balance correctly. I have no idea really what the quality is today. Funny how reputations stick. Same for Vredestein. Very bad reputation 40 years ago. You would not even put them on a funeral car. Today they seem te make very decent tires.