Pirelli has responded to requests from classic car owners and even manufacturers like Ferrari and is now making traditional crossply tyres again for owners wanting the original look and feel – but with some advantages of modern technology!

It is bringing back the revered Stella Bianca (White Star) name which was first introduced in 1927 and went on to become Pirelli’s longest-lived tread pattern.

Today’s version looks identical but has a mix of modern technology and classical construction inside. The compounds are contemporary but deciding to return to crossply construction after more than half a century of radial tyres posed a challenge for its Izmit factory in Turkey, where Pirelli’s motorsport and Collezione tyres are made, as they effectively had to re-learn the techniques of the past.

The tread pattern of the new Pirelli Stella Bianca is identical to that of the original. The sidewall markings as well as the Pirelli logo of the time are also recreated perfectly and the size chosen is the most common size for classic sports cars – the 6.00-16 – while the tread echoes that of the original Corsa variant.

Despite being first made in the 1920s, the Stella Bianca was so far ahead of its time that it was still being fitted to cars such as the Ferrari 166 or Jaguar XK120 in the 1950s.