Pierce Arrow Deluxe Tires

Pierce Arrow Deluxe uses two listed tire sizes for 1935: 700-17 and 750-17. Both sizes are built for 17-inch rims, but they are not the same overall fitment because 700-17 is the narrower nominal size and 750-17 is the wider nominal size. Product offerings for 700-17 center on passenger-car bias-ply tires, while 750-17 includes both passenger-car bias-ply choices and heavier-duty truck-type bias-ply tires.

The practical step is to verify the size already mounted on the car, then compare the wheel width and the intended use of the vehicle. A concours restoration, a touring car, and a large-bodied car that needs the larger listed size may all point in different directions even though both sizes share the same 17-inch rim diameter.

On a Pierce Arrow Deluxe, 700-17 is a numeric bias-ply size. The 700 portion identifies a nominal 7.00-inch section width, and the 17 after the dash is the rim diameter in inches. The listed 700-17 products are all bias-ply tires for 17-inch rims, with rim width guidance generally around 3.5 to 4 inches depending on the specific tire.

That decoding matters because modern buyers sometimes focus only on the 17-inch wheel diameter and overlook the width difference between 700-17 and 750-17. If your Pierce Arrow Deluxe currently carries 700-17, keep the same size unless you have solid evidence that the car was meant to use the larger option.

A 1935 Pierce Arrow Deluxe can show both 700-17 and 750-17 because the model year included more than one fitment within the Deluxe range. The split is not caused by a rim diameter change, since both listed sizes use 17-inch rims, and it is not a radial-versus-bias choice because all available products are bias-ply. The difference is best treated as a configuration, body, or trim-level variation within the same year.

That means year alone is not enough to choose the right tire for a 1935 Pierce Arrow Deluxe. Check the existing wheel and tire size, compare wheel width where possible, and use original literature, restoration photos, or a Pierce-Arrow specialist to confirm whether your car belongs on 700-17 or 750-17.

Pierce Arrow Deluxe tires in the listed 700-17 and 750-17 sizes are bias-ply tires, and these pre-war fitments should be treated as tube-type applications. That applies to the passenger-car offerings and to the heavier-duty 750-17 truck-type tires as well. Tube fitment is part of the traditional construction used on cars of this era and size.

Inner tubes need to match both the tire size and the wheel condition, so the wheel should be clean, smooth, and suitable for tube use before mounting. On a pre-war luxury car like Pierce Arrow Deluxe, proper tube, flap, and rim inspection can make as much difference to reliable service as the tire itself.

The most reliable way to confirm the correct tire size for a 1935 Pierce Arrow Deluxe is to start with the size already fitted, then verify it against the wheel and the car's specific configuration. The two listed choices are 700-17 and 750-17, both on 17-inch rims, so the question is which nominal width belongs on your car rather than which wheel diameter it uses. Looking only at the model year is not enough.

Check the sidewall markings on any existing tire, measure the wheel width if the car is apart, and compare the result with restoration records or original literature. If the car has been altered over time, keep in mind that a replacement wheel set may point you toward a different size than what Pierce Arrow Deluxe originally carried.

Pierce Arrow Deluxe tire offerings include blackwall, wide whitewall, and double-whitewall sidewall styles. Those styles appear across the listed 700-17 and 750-17 passenger-car bias-ply products, while the heavier-duty 750-17 truck-type tires are shown in blackwall form. That gives owners a choice between a more restrained appearance and a more formal luxury-era presentation.

For a restoration-minded Pierce Arrow Deluxe, the right sidewall style depends on the look you are trying to recreate and the type of body on the car. Blackwalls often suit a more understated presentation, while whitewalls or double whitewalls can better match the visual character many owners want from a senior pre-war American luxury automobile.

Pierce Arrow Deluxe tires in the listed sizes are available from Firestone, Ensign, BFGoodrich, Tornel, and STA. Firestone and BFGoodrich cover the passenger-car side with period-style bias-ply offerings, Ensign appears in 700-17, and Tornel and STA appear in heavier-duty 750-17 applications. Each brand sits within a specific series and intended use rather than simply duplicating every other option.

Brand choice should follow the size and use case first, then appearance and series preference second. If your Pierce Arrow Deluxe is a restoration or touring car, you will likely focus on the passenger-car bias-ply lines, while the heavier-duty 750-17 options should be evaluated carefully against the actual wheel and intended service.

Pierce Arrow Deluxe tires appear in several distinct series: Firestone Balloon, Ensign B5, Silvertown Classic Bias Ply, Tornel Classic Truck, and STA Super Transport. Firestone Balloon, Ensign B5, and Silvertown Classic Bias Ply are passenger-car style bias-ply offerings, while Tornel Classic Truck and STA Super Transport sit in the heavier-duty 750-17 category. The series differences are tied to intended service, appearance options, load characteristics, and wheel-width range.

That matters most in 750-17, where not every tire is aimed at the same kind of vehicle use. A Pierce Arrow Deluxe restored for authentic road manners usually calls for a passenger-car type series, while a truck-oriented 750-17 should only be considered after confirming that the wheel width and the vehicle's needs truly match that heavier-duty design.

A Pierce Arrow Deluxe should be stored in a cool, dry, dark space with the tires protected from sunlight, ozone sources, moisture, and petroleum contamination. Tire pressures should be kept appropriate for the mounted tires, and the car should not sit for long periods on soft or underinflated bias-ply casings. Clean floors and stable temperatures help preserve both rubber and tube condition.

Because Pierce Arrow Deluxe is a heavy pre-war luxury car, storage practices matter more than they do on a lighter collector vehicle. If the car will sit for extended periods, move it occasionally or support it in a way that reduces flat-spotting and sidewall strain, then recheck inflation before the next outing.

Tires on a Pierce Arrow Deluxe should be inspected before each drive and given a more thorough check at regular intervals even if the car sees very little road use. Look for sidewall cracking, tread separation, impact damage, valve stem deterioration, uneven wear, and signs that the tube or rim may be affecting the casing. On a pre-war bias-ply setup, small issues can become significant quickly.

Frequent inspection is especially important if the car is shown more than driven, since low annual mileage can hide age-related deterioration. A specialist familiar with older bias-ply tires can also check wheel condition, bead seating, and whether the tire still matches the way the Pierce Arrow Deluxe is being used today.

Pierce Arrow Deluxe tires should be replaced when age, cracking, hardening, casing distortion, repeated air loss, or other structural concerns appear, even if the tread still looks deep. Collector tires often age out long before they wear out, and that is especially true on large pre-war cars that spend long periods parked. Visible tread alone is not a reliable guide to serviceability.

The safest approach is to judge replacement by age, condition, and inspection history rather than by mileage. If a Pierce Arrow Deluxe carries older tires of uncertain service history, have them evaluated by a specialist before continued road use and do the same for any spare that may appear unused but has been aging for years.

Pierce Arrow Deluxe is associated here with 700-17 and 750-17 fitments, both in bias-ply construction and with period-appropriate passenger-car series such as Firestone Balloon, Ensign B5, and Silvertown Classic Bias Ply. Those sizes and series reflect the style of tire appropriate to a 1935 pre-war luxury car, but they do not reduce every Pierce Arrow Deluxe to one universal original specification. More than one correct-looking route may exist within the year.

For an accurate restoration, match the tire size and sidewall treatment to the individual car rather than the model name alone. Original sales material, factory literature, surviving unrestored examples, and Pierce-Arrow club expertise are the best ways to decide whether your Pierce Arrow Deluxe should wear 700-17 or 750-17 and which visual treatment is most authentic.

Correct tire fitment can absolutely affect how a Pierce Arrow Deluxe is judged and how seriously the restoration is taken. Size, overall stance, sidewall style, and the basic type of tire all influence whether the car presents as an authentic pre-war luxury automobile or as a car wearing a merely convenient substitute. Even small departures can change the visual balance of a senior classic.

That does not mean every Pierce Arrow Deluxe must be restored for concours use, but it does mean the tire choice should match the goal of the car. If the car is being prepared for formal judging, use marque-club guidance and period reference material to settle both the correct size and the appropriate sidewall appearance.

Pierce Arrow Deluxe tire offerings include blackwall, wide whitewall, and double-whitewall styles, all within the general visual language of the pre-war era. Any one of those can be more or less appropriate depending on the body style, the way the car was delivered, and the restoration standard being pursued. The right answer is not simply a matter of personal taste when authenticity is the goal.

A careful restoration should treat sidewall style as part of the car's overall period presentation, not as an afterthought. If you are aiming for strong historical accuracy on a Pierce Arrow Deluxe, compare your chosen sidewall treatment with period photography, marque references, and surviving original examples before making the final call.

A Pierce Arrow Deluxe can be driven on public roads with properly selected, correctly mounted, well-maintained bias-ply tires that match the car's wheel and intended use. Safety depends on far more than the size stamped on the sidewall, because wheel condition, tube quality, inflation, steering condition, braking performance, and overall vehicle setup all matter on a heavy 1935 automobile. The passenger-car style 700-17 and 750-17 tires are different in purpose from the heavier-duty 750-17 truck-type options.

Road use should be approached with respect for pre-war handling and braking limits rather than modern expectations. Before any regular driving, make sure the Pierce Arrow Deluxe has been inspected as a complete mechanical system, and choose a tire type that suits how the car will actually be used instead of choosing only by appearance.

Before driving a Pierce Arrow Deluxe, check tire pressure, visible sidewall condition, tread condition, valve stems, and any signs of tube-related air loss or wheel issues. Confirm that all four tires are the same intended fitment for the car, that the spare is serviceable, and that there is no rubbing or unusual lean once the car is on the ground. On a pre-war luxury car, those checks should be part of every outing.

Beyond the tires, inspect the rest of the chassis with equal care. A Pierce Arrow Deluxe should have its steering, brakes, suspension, and wheel fasteners reviewed regularly, because even the correct tire cannot make up for mechanical issues in a large, heavy automobile from the mid-1930s.

A Pierce Arrow Deluxe on period-style bias-ply tires should be driven at conservative speeds that respect the limitations of pre-war tire construction and the car's overall mechanical design. Even when the tires are new production in the correct vintage style, they do not behave like modern high-speed radials, and the chassis was engineered around a very different standard of road use. Smooth, moderate touring is the right frame of mind.

The practical rule is to let the condition of the car, the road surface, and the type of tire guide your pace rather than trying to match modern traffic behavior. If your Pierce Arrow Deluxe is newly restored or recently returned to service, begin with shorter drives at modest speeds until the full vehicle and tire setup have proven themselves.