A continental tire or a continental kit is a term used in the United States for an upright externally-mounted spare tire located behind an automobile's trunk, made popular by the Continental Mark Series, which carried a simulated continental tire until 1998.
The term also describes a non-functional bulge stamped into the trunk lid or a cosmetic accessory to the rear of the car giving the impression of a spare tire mount.
The pre-mounted spare tire and wheel combination on early automobiles typically meant an external mounting because motorists would often need to change tires. [1] Automakers often mounted a spare tire, or two, on the rear of the car.
Some cars featured side-mounted spare tires in the fenders behind the front wheels. [2] Automakers also offered side-mounted spare tires as an option. [3] Early European sports cars had their spare tire attached to the back of the automobile since their trunk or storage space was often minimal.
These rear or side mounted spare tires were not described as continental tire. [4]
The development of the enclosed trunk on automobiles meant the spare tire could be placed out of sight. This arrangement used up valuable space for carrying luggage. Manufacturers offered the sidemount option to increase trunk capacity. [5] Some sports cars accommodated the spare tires inside the trunk resulting in a tight fit and it even projected a portion of the tire into the passenger area necessitating a vinyl cover. [6]
Edsel Ford had a special car built after returning from a trip to Europe that would have a "continental look" – including a spare tire mounted on the trunk. [7] The 1939 Lincoln Continental's short trunk with its external rear spare tire mount became a distinctive design. While this was not the first car to either carry its spare above the rear bumper or integrated it into the rear bodywork, it was the first to do it so elegantly and thus this feature became known as a "continental tire" even if the design was found on other brands. [4]
Similar external spare tire placements were added as standard or optional to popular mass-market and also described as a "continental kit", borrowing their name from the production Lincoln Continental. [8] Consumers were also able to have aftermarket "continental kits" installed on almost any vehicle.
There is a legend that Henry Ford II complained that the trunk of his personal Ford Thunderbird did not have room for a set of golf clubs without removing the spare tire. [9] The 1956 Thunderbird had its spare tire mounted outside. However, adding weight behind the rear wheels was said to adversely affect steering and handling. [10] For 1957 the Thunderbird's trunk was stretched 5 inches (127 mm) to allow the spare tire to migrate back inside, although the continental mounting was still optional. [11] This external spare wheel mount became a customizing aftermarket appearance accessory during the 1950s. [12]
In the United States, the external continental tire mounting was a factory option on various types of cars during the 1950s and early 1960s. On some smaller models – such as on the Nash Metropolitan and Jeepster Commando – the continental tire was a standard feature. The two-passenger Nash Metropolitan's rear-mounted spare tire was more convenient because access to the trunk was by folding down the seatback on the early (1954 through 1958) models. [13] The large-sized 1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser was the top-of-the-line model and included what Ford described a "Dream Car Spare Tire Carrier" among its many standard features. [14]
The car's rear bumper was often extended, and the tire had a fabric or metal cover. The bracket for the spare wheel was designed to swing away for access to the trunk. Manufacturers included continental tire mounts for their perceived "distinctiveness" as well as a means to increase luggage space in the trunk, such as on all the 1954 Nash Custom models. [15] [16]
The Jeep DJ was available in a "Surrey Gala" appearance package from 1959 until 1964. [17] Included were a fringed top, seats, and a continental tire mount with a colorful vinyl-coated fabric covers in "candy stripes" of pink, green, or blue to match the car's body colors. [18]
Automotive historians also use this term to describe a nonfunctional circular bulge stamped into the trunk lid to give the impression of a spare tire. [19]
This design feature was popularized by several 1950s Italian-bodied Chrysler concept cars. [19] The trunk lid bulge was later embraced by Chrysler designer Virgil Exner and incorporated on many cars such as the luxury 1957 Imperial as well as mass-market models such as the 1959 Plymouth Belvedere and included on the compact Plymouth Valiant by 1960. [19] [20] [21] Some critics described this bulging styling element on the trunk lid as a "toilet seat." [22]
The Lincoln Continental Mark III in 1969 included a "bump" in its rear deck lid to vaguely substitute the original 1939 Lincoln Continental spare tire design. [4] This distinctive rear design was continued on the Mark series, including the Mark VIII coupe that was produced through 1998. [23]
Contemporary examples of continental kits are sometimes found on old and newer customized automobiles, including late-model Lincoln Continental cars that never included a factory design or option. [24] [25] It has become an accessory that typifies "the spirit" of the 1950s. [26] After-market continental kits are available for customization of 200 different automobile models. [4] Some after-market applications may not enhance the design of the car. [27]
Continental kits and trunk lid add-on spare tire trim were also made popular by the garish pimpmobile era of the 1970s and featured in "Super Fly" movies. [28] [29] Continental kits and simulated spare tires were also featured in some of the transformations done on the Pimp My Ride show.
Continental tires are known as 'fifth wheels' in hip hop slang. For example, in the Houston hip-hop culture, "slabs" feature a rear-mounted wheel that has been "cut in half and enclosed in a fiberglass casing." [30]
Numerous compact sport utility vehicle (SUV) models include an external rear-mounted spare tire from the factory. Accessory spare tire mounts that fit into a car's tow hitch are also available. [31] Recreational vehicles may also have a spare tire on the rear. The wheel and tire combination may be exposed or covered with different materials that may have logos or other designs. These rear spare tire mounts are no longer described as a continental tire. Moreover, manufacturers have improved the packaging to mount spare tires under the car or cargo area floor. [32] The externally rear-mounted tire appears on Jeep Wrangler and Mercedes-Benz G-Class vehicles to facilitate easy access when off-road. [32]
Lincoln Motor Company, or simply Lincoln, is the luxury vehicle division of American automobile manufacturer Ford. Marketed among the top luxury vehicle brands in the United States, Lincoln was positioned closely against its General Motors counterpart Cadillac. The division helped to establish the personal luxury car segment with the 1940 Lincoln Continental.
A convertible or cabriolet is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers.
The Ford Thunderbird is a personal luxury car manufactured and marketed by Ford from model years 1955-2005, across 11 generations. Introduced as a two-seat convertible, the Thunderbird was offered variously as a four-seat hardtop coupe, four-seat convertible, five-seat convertible and hardtop, four-door pillared hardtop sedan, six-passenger hardtop coupe, and five-passenger pillared coupe, with the final generation designed again as a two-seat convertible.
The Continental Mark II is an ultra-luxury coupé that was sold by the Continental Division of Ford for the 1956 and 1957 model years. The first product line of Continental, the Mark II was developed as the worldwide flagship vehicle of Ford Motor Company. Developed as a successor for the 1939–1948 Lincoln Continental, the Mark II derived its nameplate from European manufacturing practice, denoting a second generation of the model family; Ford would later use this nomenclature for the Mark Series of flagship personal luxury cars.
The Continental Mark III is a personal luxury car marketed by Lincoln from 1969–1971 model years. The namesake successor of the 1956–1957 Continental Mark II, the Mark III again served as the flagship vehicle of Ford Motor Company. Offered as a two-door hardtop coupe, the Mark III was noted for its hidden headlights, rear spare-tire trunk bulge recalling the Mark II and its Rolls-Royce styled grille.
Personal luxury car is a North American car classification describing somewhat sporty, sophisticated mass-market coupés that emphasized comfort over performance. The North American manufacturers most often combined engineering, design, and marketing to develop upscale, distinctive "platform sharing" models that became highly profitable.
The Continental Mark IV is a personal luxury car that was marketed by the Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company from the 1972 to 1976 model years. The third generation of the Mark series, the Mark IV grew in size over its Continental Mark III predecessor. As with the previous generation, the Mark IV saw little direct competition in the American marketplace, competing nearly exclusively against the Cadillac Eldorado.
The Lincoln Town Car is a model line of full-size luxury sedans that was marketed by the Lincoln division of the American automaker Ford Motor Company. Deriving its name from a limousine body style, Lincoln marketed the Town Car from 1981 to 2011, with the nameplate previously serving as the flagship trim of the Lincoln Continental. Produced across three generations for thirty model years, the Town Car was marketed directly against luxury sedans from Cadillac and Chrysler.
Mercury Cougar is a nameplate applied to a diverse series of automobiles sold by the Mercury division of Ford from 1967 until 1997 and from 1999 through 2002 model years. While the nameplate is associated with two-door coupes, at various times during its production, the Cougar was also marketed as a convertible, four-door sedan, station wagon, and a hatchback.
The Lincoln Continental is a series of mid-sized and full-sized luxury cars produced between 1939 and 2020 by Lincoln, a division of the American automaker Ford Motor Company. The model line was introduced following the construction of a personal vehicle for Edsel Ford, who commissioned a coachbuilt 1939 Lincoln-Zephyr convertible, developed as a vacation vehicle to attract potential Lincoln buyers. In what would give the model line its name, the exterior was given European "continental" styling elements, including a rear-mounted spare tire.
The Continental Mark V is a personal luxury coupe marketed in North America by the Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company for model years 1977-1979 — as the fourth generation of the Mark series. At 230 inches (5.8 m) in length, it was the longest two-door coupe Ford has marketed.
The Packard Hawk is a model of automobile. It was the sportiest of the four Packard-badged Studebakers produced in 1958, the final year of Packard production.
The Ford Fox platform is an automobile platform that was used by Ford Motor Company. Introduced for compact sedans in the 1978 model year, the Fox architecture was utilized for a wide variety of configurations for Ford and Lincoln-Mercury vehicles. In its original form, the platform was used through the 1993 model year; a substantial redesign of the Ford Mustang extended its life into the 21st century, ending production in 2004. Produced across 26 model years, the Fox platform is the second-longest car architecture ever designed by Ford Motor Company.
The Continental Mark VII, later changed to Lincoln Mark VII, is a rear wheel drive luxury coupe that was produced by Lincoln. Introduced in August 1983 for the 1984 model year, the Continental Mark VII shared its Ford Fox platform with the Ford Thunderbird, Mercury Cougar, and Lincoln Continental. The Fox platform was originally introduced for the 1978 Ford Fairmont and Mercury Zephyr. The same platform was also utilized as the base for the 1982–1987 Lincoln Continental sedan, the Mark VII's four-door companion. Like its predecessor the Continental Mark VI, the Mark VII was manufactured at the Wixom Assembly Plant in Wixom, Michigan through 1992. It was replaced by the Lincoln Mark VIII in 1993.
The trunk or boot of a car is the vehicle's main storage or cargo compartment, often a hatch at the rear of the vehicle. It can also be called a tailgate.
The Continental Mark series is a series of personal luxury cars that was produced by Ford Motor Company. The nomenclature came into use with the Continental Mark II for 1956, which was a successor to the Lincoln Continental of 1939–1948. Following the discontinuation of the Mark II, Ford continued the use of the Mark series on Continental-branded vehicles from 1958 to 1960.
The Henry J is an American automobile built by the Kaiser-Frazer Corporation and named after its chairman, Henry J. Kaiser. Production of six-cylinder models began in their Willow Run factory in Michigan in July 1950, and four-cylinder production started shortly after Labor Day, 1950. The official public introduction was on September 28, 1950. The car was marketed through 1954.
A spare wheel cover or spare tire cover is an accessory that covers the spare wheel mounted on external part of a car or van. On 4x4 vehicles the spare wheel is normally rear mounted and is often printed with a dealer's name or something more fun. Covers can be hard shells or soft vinyl covers. Spare wheel cover protects spare tires from the dirt and the sun's harmful UV rays in areas with many days of sunshine. Spare wheel covers need to be removed once in a while and cleaned.
A spare tire is an additional tire carried in a motor vehicle as a replacement for one that goes flat, has a blowout, or has another emergency. Spare tire is generally a misnomer, as almost all vehicles actually carry an entire wheel with a tire mounted on it as a spare rather than just a tire, as fitting a tire to a wheel would require a motorist to carry additional, specialized equipment. However, some spare tires are not meant to be driven long distances. Space-savers have a maximum speed of around 50 mph (80 km/h).
The first generation of the Ford Thunderbird is a two-seat convertible produced by Ford for the 1955 to 1957 model year, the first 2-seat Ford since 1938. It was developed in response to the 1953 Motorama display at the New York Auto Show, which showed the Chevrolet Corvette. The Corvette in turn was developed in response to the popularity of European sports cars among Americans.
Instead of carrying two or three spare tires, as the early drivers did, today's motorist may drive through the entire life of a set of tires without ever using the spare tire...
The body of this 1932 Nash was built by the Seaman Body Corp. It has dual sidemount spare tires and five louvers on each side of the hood.
This four-door sedan wears dual sidemount spare tires. The option was a rare one and is seldom seen on 1936 Chevrolets.
18 cubic feet in the standard enclosed rear compartment which was originated in cars built by Hudson. In either trunk or compartment models, entire space is usable for luggage when spare tire is carried in a smart side-mount, available at a special low price