Nash Standard Tires
The Nash Standard was part of Nash's effort to offer practical, well-built motoring during the late pre-war period, and the 1930 model sits in an era when American cars were balancing everyday drivability with increasingly modern engineering. For collectors today, the appeal of a 1930 Nash Standard is often its honest design and its place in the transition from earlier touring traditions to more refined closed-car transportation. Tire selection is simpler here than on many multi-year classics because only one size appears in the range, but construction type and intended use still matter. Anyone choosing tires for a Nash Standard should first confirm that the car is still fitted with 19-inch wheels before settling on a replacement.
Nash Standard Tire Size Guide
The Nash Standard uses one tire size across its listed production span: 500-19 for 1930. This is a numeric bias-ply size, where 5.00 indicates the nominal section width in inches and 19 is the wheel diameter in inches. Available products for this fitment use a 19-inch rim, with listed rim widths of 4 inches and 4.00 to 5.00 inches depending on the tire. Both available products are bias-ply designs, so a tube is required. Buyers choosing between them should consider whether they want a general period-style tire or a more specialized performance-oriented pattern.
Nash Standard Tires by Year
The year listing for Nash Standard tires shows which size applies to each production year and gives you a quick way to match the car to the correct fitment. Because this range uses a single 19-inch wheel size, the main check is confirming that the car still carries its correct 19-inch rims. These listings cover a short pre-war production span, so it is wise to verify the car against original vehicle literature or a Nash specialist.
1930 Nash Standard
- 500-19
Best Nash Standard Tires for Sale
Two products from two brands are available for the 500-19 size used on the Nash Standard. Choices in this fitment cover blackwall bias-ply tires, so confirm the 500-19 size and 19-inch rim diameter on the car before selecting.
500-19 Products
These are the available products for 500-19.
Frequently Asked Questions
The FAQ below focuses on the 1930 Nash Standard's single 500-19 fitment, what that size code means, how to choose between available bias-ply options, and what to watch for when maintaining a low-use pre-war collector car.
Size Basics & Fitment
The listed tire size for the Nash Standard is 500-19, and it applies to the 1930 model year in this range. Available products in that size are built for 19-inch rims, with listed rim widths of 4 inches and 4.00 to 5.00 inches depending on the tire chosen. Both current options are bias-ply tires and both are offered in blackwall form.
That makes size identification fairly straightforward, but you should still inspect the actual wheels on the car before making a final choice. A collector car can pick up replacement wheels over the decades, and a tire that matches the listed size still needs to suit the rim width and the intended use of the car.
A 500-19 marking on a Nash Standard tire is a numeric bias-ply size. The 5.00 refers to the tire's nominal section width in inches, and the 19 refers to the wheel diameter in inches. In this Nash Standard fitment, the available tires are bias-ply construction built around that 19-inch rim specification.
For a buyer, that means the code is doing two jobs at once: giving you the approximate width class and the wheel diameter you must match. If your wheel measures 19 inches at the bead seat and falls within the listed rim-width range for the tire you choose, you are in the right place to continue your fitment check.
The Nash Standard fitment listed here uses a 19-inch rim diameter. Both available 500-19 tires are built for 19-inch wheels, and the listed rim widths are 4 inches on one product and 4.00 to 5.00 inches on the other. There is no rim-diameter change within this one-year Nash Standard range.
Rim diameter is the first physical measurement to verify because a tire cannot safely fit the wrong wheel diameter even if the overall proportions look close. Measure the wheel correctly at the bead seat rather than edge to edge, especially if the car has been restored or refitted at some point in its life.
The Nash Standard's listed 500-19 tires are bias-ply products, and a tube is required with this fitment. That is consistent with period practice for a 1930 car using numeric bias-ply construction on 19-inch wheels. Tube condition matters just as much as the outer tire when the car is driven.
When replacing tires on a Nash Standard, treat the tube, flap if applicable, and wheel condition as part of the same system rather than separate items. A fresh outer casing mounted over an aged or damaged tube can still create service problems, so the whole assembly deserves attention during installation.
Buying the Right Tire
For a 1930 Nash Standard, the listed fitment is 500-19. That size should be confirmed against the wheel diameter on the car, the existing tire markings if they are readable, and any surviving factory or restoration records that came with the vehicle. The available tires for this application are built around a 19-inch rim.
A practical check starts with measuring the wheel and looking closely at whether the car still has its original-style rims. If the Nash Standard has changed hands multiple times or has been restored long ago, compare what is on the car with period literature or advice from a Nash club before choosing a final replacement.
Two brands are available in the Nash Standard's 500-19 size: Excelsior and Firestone. The Excelsior option is the Comp H series, while the Firestone option is a Dirt Track Ribbed Front tire. Both are blackwall bias-ply products sized for 19-inch rims.
The real decision is less about the brand name alone and more about the role you expect the tire to play on the car. A Nash Standard intended for restoration display and period appearance may call for one approach, while a specialized ribbed-front pattern suggests a more purpose-driven selection.
The available Nash Standard tires in 500-19 are offered in blackwall sidewall style. Both listed products share that appearance, so there is no whitewall split within this fitment range. That blackwall presentation aligns naturally with many pre-war restoration and preservation goals.
For a buyer focused on authenticity, the sidewall decision is simple because the current fitment choices do not branch into multiple visual styles. The more important distinction is the tire's intended character and tread style, so review the overall look of the car and how you plan to use it before deciding.
The Nash Standard currently has two tire series in 500-19: Excelsior Comp H and Firestone Dirt Track. Both are bias-ply blackwall tires for 19-inch rims, but they represent different product families rather than duplicate versions of the same tire. The Firestone tire is identified as a ribbed front design and carries a performance and racing attribute.
That means series choice should follow the car's mission as much as its measurements. A preserved or restored Nash Standard used for ordinary collector driving may call for a more conventional period-style tire, while a specialized series should be chosen only when its purpose matches the way the car will actually be used.
Maintenance & Longevity
A Nash Standard should be stored in a cool, dry, dark space with the tires kept away from direct sunlight, ozone sources, and standing moisture. Pre-war bias-ply tires can flat-spot and age unevenly when a car sits in one position for long periods. Clean floors, stable temperature, and proper inflation all help preserve the casing and tube.
If the Nash Standard will sit for months at a time, move it slightly from time to time or support it in a way that reduces constant load on one contact patch. Collector owners should also keep oil, solvents, and battery fumes away from the tires because vintage-style rubber compounds and tubes do not benefit from contamination.
Tires on a Nash Standard should be inspected before every drive and more thoroughly several times during the season, even if the car sees limited mileage. On a pre-war car with bias-ply construction and tubes, inspection should include sidewalls, tread, valve stems, visible tube-related issues, and any signs of wheel or bead-seat trouble. A low-mile collector car can still develop age-related problems while parked.
Regular checks matter because deterioration often appears long before the tread looks worn out. If the Nash Standard has been stored through winter or sat untouched for long periods, give it an especially careful review before returning it to road use, and involve a tire professional familiar with vintage fitments when anything looks questionable.
Tires on a Nash Standard should be replaced when they show age cracking, casing distortion, recurring air loss, impact damage, or any structural concern, even if the tread still looks usable. Tread depth alone is not a reliable measure on a lightly driven collector car, particularly with pre-war bias-ply designs and tube-type assemblies. Long service life in storage can be harder on a tire than steady, proper use.
The practical rule is to judge the whole condition of the tire, tube, and wheel assembly rather than waiting for visible tread wear. If there is any doubt about the integrity of a Nash Standard tire, have it evaluated by someone experienced with vintage tires before road use, because age-related failure is the real concern on cars of this era.
Restoration & Authenticity
The listed Nash Standard fitment for 1930 is 500-19, and the currently available products in that size are bias-ply blackwall tires. The available series in this fitment are Excelsior Comp H and Firestone Dirt Track. That establishes the size and general construction family, but a specific factory-delivery tire line can vary by surviving records and period references.
For a restoration, size and overall visual character should come first, then the finer point of which tire family best matches the car's intended presentation. If the Nash Standard is being prepared for marque judging, compare the car against Nash literature, period photographs, and club guidance before deciding how narrowly to interpret originality.
Correct tire fitment can absolutely affect how a Nash Standard is judged and how convincing the restoration appears to knowledgeable enthusiasts. Size, rim compatibility, sidewall style, and construction all shape the car's stance and period impression. On a pre-war automobile, tires are visually prominent enough that the wrong choice can stand out immediately.
From a value standpoint, buyers usually respond well to a Nash Standard that sits properly and wears tires consistent with its era. If the car is headed for formal judging, use Nash club standards and period references as the benchmark, because they can help you decide whether a broadly correct bias-ply tire is sufficient or whether a narrower historical match is expected.
The available Nash Standard tires in 500-19 are blackwall tires, and blackwall is an appropriate restoration direction for a 1930 pre-war car. There is no sidewall-style split within the current fitment choices for this application. That makes the visual decision simpler than on later classics where whitewall width becomes part of the fitment question.
If your goal is a historically sympathetic presentation, blackwall keeps the appearance in step with the era and avoids introducing a style cue that is not part of the current fitment range. Owners building a Nash Standard for concours or high-level preservation should still compare the finished look against period photos and marque guidance.
Safety & Road Use
A properly fitted, properly installed tire in the correct 500-19 size can be suitable for careful public-road use on a Nash Standard, provided the rest of the car is equally sound. Because the available fitments are bias-ply designs for a 1930 automobile, road manners and braking expectations are very different from a modern car. Tire condition is only one part of the safety picture.
Anyone planning to drive a Nash Standard should treat the car as a complete vintage mechanical system, not just a set of fresh tires. Steering, brakes, wheel bearings, tubes, and wheel integrity should all be reviewed before regular use, and driving style should remain conservative even when the tires themselves are new.
Before driving a Nash Standard, check inflation, visible sidewall condition, tread condition, valve stems, lug security, and any signs of rubbing or uneven seating at the rim. Because this fitment uses bias-ply construction with tubes, it is also wise to watch for slow air loss and any wheel issues that could affect tube life. A quick visual walk-around is not enough if the car has been sitting.
The best routine is to combine tire inspection with a broader pre-drive check of the whole chassis. On a Nash Standard that spends much of its life parked, age and storage effects can appear suddenly, so giving the tires and wheels a deliberate inspection before each outing is a sensible habit.
A Nash Standard on period-style 500-19 bias-ply tires should be driven at moderate, conservative speeds that respect both the tire design and the overall capabilities of a 1930 automobile. Even with fresh tires, the car's steering, suspension, and braking system belong to a different era than modern traffic. The appropriate speed is the one that leaves a generous margin for control and stopping distance.
In practical terms, a Nash Standard should be driven in a way that avoids sustained high-speed running, abrupt lane changes, and harsh braking demands. If the car is newly returned to service, build confidence gradually and let the tire behavior, road feel, and mechanical condition of the car guide how much speed is truly appropriate.