Uniroyal Laredo

[Russ S.]

Gentlemen, Is a Uniroyal Laredo the same tire as a US Royal Laredo? Thanks

[Larry M.]

Re: Uniroyal Laredo

Gentlemen, Is a Uniroyal Laredo the same tire as a US Royal Laredo? Thanks

Pretty much so. US Royal became Uniroyal sometime during the 1960-1970 time period...........so a US Royal Laredo would be an older tire than a Uniroyal Laredo. This is important for originality and judging, but otherwise these two tires should be fairly equal.

Larry

[Wayne M.]

Re: Uniroyal Laredo

...........so a US Royal Laredo would be an older tire than a Uniroyal Laredo....

Correct --- and going by a US Royal (but not Laredo; not from a Corvette) that I have, it must be sometime in latter half of calendar 1965 or even later for the name change [because I believe that the 7.75 size was new for 1965 MY]. Replaces 6.70 x 15. The '65 TIM&JG calls for US Royal.

[Jack H.]

Re: Uniroyal Laredo

From their website:

"In 1961 United States Rubber Company changed their name to Uniroyal Inc."

[Larry M.]

Re: Uniroyal Laredo

From their website:

"In 1961 United States Rubber Company changed their name to Uniroyal Inc."

Agree. But it was a few years later (I believe) that they began using the Uniroyal name on their tires.

Same/similar website says this (Uniroyal) tire branding began around 1966.

Larry

[Dick W.]

Re: Uniroyal Laredo

Agree. But it was a few years later (I believe) that they began using the Uniroyal name on their tires.

Same/similar website says this (Uniroyal) tire branding began around 1966.

Larry

I know it was after 1964 before the name change took place, I have photos of a Corvette that I owned that had US Royal Master tires on it.

[Stuart F.]

Re: Uniroyal Laredo

I have a brand new 1963 U. S. Royal 6.70x15 blackwall tire in my spare tire tub of my 63 Vette. It's aged a bit, but it still looks the part of a tire that has yet to see the pavement. I would drop the tub cover down to get more specifics if someone needed them.

Stu Fox

[Jim W.]

Re: Uniroyal Laredo

An article in VETTE Magazine from April, 1990 featured the collection of vintage Corvette tires of K.D. James, a well known NCRS member at the time. The article states "Sometime in 1967, the large U.S. Royal label was changed to Uniroyal, as the company finally did incorporate its new name on the side of its Corvette tire". I had an April '67 coupe with its original Uniroyal spare but exactly when the Uniroyal label first appeared - who knows.

[Russ S.]

Re: Uniroyal Laredo

So from all this info I gather that a tire that says Uniroyal Laredo on it would be incorrect for a 66 model.Thanks all

[Terry M.]

Re: Uniroyal Laredo

My 67 Corvette with a build date of November 1966 has an original US Royal 7.75 5/8 inch whitewall in the spare tire carrier.

[David D.]

Re: Uniroyal Laredo

So from all this info I gather that a tire that says Uniroyal Laredo on it would be incorrect for a 66 model.Thanks all

All, The Laredo "Rain Tire" , 4 ply rated, 2 ply tire was definitely used in March of 1966. I am not absolutely positive, but I believe it was labeled "Uniroyal" on the sidewall. BWDIK. Dave

[John H.]

Re: Uniroyal Laredo

U.S. Royal tires had a terrible reputation in the 60's, and some new car buyers simply wouldn't accept the car if it had U.S. Royal tires on it.

Sales quietly addressed this issue by adding a line that said "Akron Tires Only" below the boxes on the Broadcast Copy that printed out in the plant when a customer told the dealer he wouldn't accept U.S. Royal tires; U.S. Royal was the only tire manufacturer that wasn't headquartered in Akron, Ohio (they were in Detroit).

[Chuck B.]

Re: Uniroyal Laredo

My 1966 January convertible had a never on the ground U S Royal Laredo tire in the tub when I bought in in 1987. It had replacement four ply rated two ply Firestones on the ground. A fellow K.C. chapter member was trying to accumulate a set of non-dot Larado tires for his 67. He traded me a never on the ground non-dot Firestone for my tire and we were both happy until he discovered that his tires should say Uniroyal Laredo not U S Royal Laredo.

[Mark D.]

Re: Uniroyal Laredo

Even the C3 Uniroyal Tiger Paw tires had a small 'US Royal' embossing on them.