Allen Park, Michigan - World's Largest Tire

Allen Park, Michigan - World's Largest Tire

The World's Largest Tire is a symbol of American -- and particularly the Detroit area's -- highway prowess. Roadsideamerica.com Report...

Allen Park, Michigan - World's Largest Tire

Be careful when taking pictures of the World's Largest Tire! A group of friends and I were driving to Detroit and two had never seen the giant tire so we stopped to snap a photo. After taking pictures, about 2 miles up the road we were pulled over by a state police officer. I was driving and I knew I hadn't been speeding so I was curious what was happening. The officer asked to see our cameras and when we showed him my friend's camera that took the picture, he deleted the pictures of the tire. We asked why we couldn't take pictures by the tire and he said it is a security issue. He didn't elaborate but it was enough to scare us. Never again will we stop by a giant tire for a photo op! [Christin, 07/26/2008]

[RA: Government agencies: Please note that our past suggestions to roll over troublesome foreign countries with the Tire were made in jest.]

Allen Park, Michigan - Uniroyal Tire - Hero's Welcome for the Nail

The "nail" taken out of the tire was sold on Ebay. The men who bought it created a special trailer, and customized the SUV that hauls it with all sorts of "Nail Mobile" decals. They drive it in parades. I last saw it in the Piston's Championship Parade where it was dressed up with a giant 'fro and Piston's jersey. [Daryl Richards, 12/21/2004]

Allen Park, Michigan - Uniroyal Tire - Facelift and Big Nail

In 1998 the large Uniroyal Tire in Dearborn Michigan had a complete facelift. Even though Uniroyal doesn't manufacture tires in the area any longer, the company decided it was too good publicity to go to waste. The original tire was a 1964 whitewall bias-ply tire, with a 60's-era hubcap. The tire was remodeled section-by-section (like pie slices) to become a fully modern radial with raised white letters and modern tread. The wheel cover is equally modernized now as well. Also, in 1999, they "punctured" the tire with a large 20-foot nail in the top to advertise their new "nail-guard" technology. [Andrew Flynn, 08/13/2000]

[RA: A 10-foot long, 500-pound nail was indeed driven into the eight-story, 12-ton tire, located in Allen Park along I-94. The tire is an artifact from the 1964-65 New York World's Fair.]

Allen Park, Michigan - Big Uniroyal Tire

The big Uniroyal tire alongside I-94 in suburban Detroit is still there. I don't think the Uniroyal factory is there anymore. I was born in 1964 and raised in Wyandotte, a southern suburb of Detroit, so I was familiar with the Big Tire from an early age. Alongside I-75 going into Detroit from the south is a Marathon Oil refinery. One of the tanks is painted to look like a large baseball, with "Go Tigers" on the front. [Vince Prygoski, 02/22/1997]