When Firestone introduced the “gold stripe” racing tire in the late 1960s it basically made everything else used for dry asphalt racing obsolete. The tire was the first real “slick” racing tire designed to withstand the rigors of races like the Indy 500, the Can-Am series, and stock car racing. 

The “gold stripe” name had been around since the 1950s as Firestone’s performance tire, fitting all different manner or street and race cars, but the one that most racing history dorks remember is the slick that changed asphalt oval and road racing in a lot of ways. The tires were available in widths not previously known, up to 18-inches wide. Those were nick named “steamrollers” by racers of the day.

This all leads us to an amazingly expensive and interesting sale item on RacingJunk.com. We found a guy advertising 20-40, “asphalt oval indy gold stripe and others call for sizes.” The tires were reportedly purchased from Parnelli Jones in the 1970s and then placed into storage. 

With all of the craze around nostalgia racing of all genres and types, there would probably be a market for these tires (mostly on the resto side as racing on 40 year old rubber would not be the best idea).The seller knows that no one is making them anymore, you really cannot find them (we tired to get a price reference), and that nostalgia nuts want their stuff to be “just right”. These tires would do that. Assuming he has 40, the man has placed a $6250 bounty…per tire!

Is this price worth it? Can an accurate number be put on unobtanium? Would you buy them if you had the scratch?

RacingJunk Find:$250,000 worth of vintage Firestones