Development
The pre-mounted spare tire and wheel combination on early automobiles typically meant an external mounting. Early European sports cars had their spare tire attached on the back of the automobile since their trunk or storage space was often very small.
The development of the enclosed trunk on automobiles meant the spare tire could be placed out of sight, but this arrangement used up valuable space for carrying luggage. Edsel Ford had a special car built after returning from a trip to Europe that would have a "continental look" – including a spare tire mounted on the trunk. The 1939 Lincoln Continental's short trunk with its external rear spare tire mount became a distinctive design. While this was not the first car to either carry its spare above the rear bumper or integrated into the rear bodywork, it was the first to do it so elegantly and thus this feature became known as a "Continental tire" even if the design was found on other brands.
Similar spare tire placements added to more prosaic automobiles were also described as a "Continental kit", borrowing their name from the production Lincoln Continental.
There is a legend that Henry Ford II complained that the trunk of his personal Ford Thunderbird did not have room for a set of golf clubs without removing the spare tire. The 1956 Thunderbird had its spare tire mounted outside. However, adding weight behind the rear wheels was said to adversely affect steering and handling. For 1957 the Thunderbird's trunk was stretched 5 inches (127 mm) to allow the spare tire to migrate back inside, although the Continental mounting was still optional. This external spare wheel mount became a customizing aftermarket appearance accessory during the 1950s.
Read more about this topic: Continental Tire
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