Michelin "X" tyres for fuel economy

A convincing demonstration

The Michelin Tyre Company Ltd. has been holding a series of demonstrations in various parts of the country to endorse their claim that their steel-braced “X” tyres conserve fuel as well as lasting longer and giving better adhesion than other makers’ textile tyres.

We attended one of these demonstrations, at St. Albans, in which comparative tests were made before a large gathering of dealers and Press reporters with three different makes of diesel commercial vehicles and three different makes of cars.

Each vehicle was provided with a detachable tank, these tanks being weighed before and after each run, in order to assess how much fuel had been consumed. Two vehicles of identical make and type were driven in convoy over a standard road route, two runs being made, the tyres being changed between runs, so that one driver and one vehicle ran both on “X” tyres and on tyres fitted as standard by the makers. The result of both runs was averaged and thus no one vehicle or driver could gain an advantage for Michelin over his fellow driver or paired vehicle.

The routes ranged from 123.4 to 158 miles, no restriction was placed on speed, but the “X” shod vehicle always followed its companion as this was thought to be less favourable to fuel economy than leading a convoy.

The vehicles used were either hired for the occasion or were staff-owned. Tyres were carefully inflated to recommended pressures. The demonstration was staged without a hitch by the Michelin Public Relations Department, guests being able to view proceedings on a number of closed-circuit TV sets installed by Marconi, televised with Taylor-Hobson “Vartitol III” cameras, the excellent commentary being undertaken by Rodney Crouch. One test had to be cancelled because one of the Dodge 7-tonners came to rest somewhere on its 61.7-mile circuit with a broken fuel-injector pipe, and these vehicles therefore dodged the demo. Of the others, the Bedford tippers. achieved 18.07 mpg on Michelin “X” tyres, 15:82 mpg on other non-metallic tyres over a total of 131 miles. In every case there was an appreciable fuel saving by fitting Michelin “X” tyres. The results can he summarised as follows, and Michelin have every right to be proud of the outcome.

It will be seen that in every case Michelin “X” tyres gave a worthwhile fuel saving over the other makes of covers. Naturally, in what is unique because it is a demonstration involving other manufacturers’ products, Michelin tactfully refer to these as “the other tyres.” But no-one can stop you looking, so we can state that, reading downwards in the table above, the “other tyres” were, respectively, Goodyear, Firestone, Goodyear, Dunlop Gold Seal and Goodyear.

The fuel used was Shell petrol and Shell Diesoline. In thus inviting knowledgeable guests to witness these “live” demonstrations and look into every aspect of the tests Michelin display complete faith in their steel-braced “X” tyres. -WB.