Michelin MXV 185HR14 90H Whitewall

[mdsalemi]

In the most recent issue of Mercedes Enthusiast magazine, there's a back cover ad for Longstone Classic Tyres from UK noting the availability of this tyre tire in white wall.
Anybody have these yet? Anyone with experience with the normal version of this?

[Shvegel]

Safet Krupic in Bosnia does some really high end restorations.  He has been putting them on his cars for years and he loves them.  Still not available in the US through normal channels.  I believe it is listed as the MXV-P WW.

[Alex D]

The Board of Directors had looked into possibly coordinating a group buy of Michelin MXV WW for our North American members awhile back. The issue is that Michelin is no longer making WW and all the Michelin WW's are in a warehouses and distribution centers all over Europe at least that's what we were told back then.  It would have cost around $600 per tire to import, plus additional shipping from a central US location.  At that time the board felt that at $600 per tire plus additional shipping it would not be prudent to pursue.

[JPMOSE]

Alex… Are they new old stock? Only suggesting this because she said they’re sitting in a warehouse. I’d be concerned about using aged tires. I was sure disappointed when I couldn’t get white walls anymore from Michelin!

[mdsalemi]

...The issue is that Michelin is no longer making WW...

This was a brand new ad for Longstone Tyres, and the headline at the top says "NEW! MXV 185R14 now manufactured by Michelin with a whitewall"...  That doesn't sound like a bunch of NOS tires in a warehouse to me.

Perhaps we can get one of our UK members (maybe one who has purchased from Longstone prior) to get to the bottom of this. Since a lot of Michelin tires are made in Mexico I would find it curious if these were only available in UK/Europe...

[russelljones48]

Mike,

Several comments and a question - is your car here yet?  PM me if it is.

Here's a pic of my whitewalls.  I have a post elsewhere on these but it was the best I could do and find a few months ago.  My wife wants WW's and I wanted a decent performance tire (tyre).  The are General Altimas - not necessarily a prestigious brand but they rated quite well with Consumer Reports for overall handling.  I then used glue-on whitewalls which, as you can see, aren't perfect but she (and therefore I) am happy

[RAY]

I have these Michelin tyres with a 20mm whitewall, brand new, bought a set of 5 quite recently.  £236 each + tax. Great tires. No idea where they are actually made.

Best

Ray

[mdsalemi]

I've heard back from Coker, and Tire Rack. Neither knows anything about this "new" -ish tire in WW.
So perhaps it won't be available in the USA.

Just as an FYI, with WW being more popular in USA (and disdained frequently in Europe), and probably half the world's Pagodas (and similarly situated MB using that tire size, from the '60s etc.) in the USA, this doesn't make much sense on the part of Michelin...

[mercakungen]

I got a set of MXV tires with 20 mm white walls a few weeks ago. They are made in Serbia (DOT 0620). I sent them back because I was looking for MXV-P tires.
I bought a set MXV-P tires from MOR (Germany). 199 eur/pc and these are also made in Serbia (DOT 3220).

[Alex D]

The information I got about Michelin no longer making white walls was 3 years ago, since then maybe they had a change of heart or somebody in the marketing department realized there is a market for high quality white walls and they decided to keep making them. 

[mdsalemi]

The information I got about Michelin no longer making white walls was 3 years ago, since then maybe they had a change of heart or somebody in the marketing department realized there is a market for high quality white walls and they decided to keep making them.

It's most likely that these will not be available in the USA. If Coker and Tire Rack's buyers cannot get them, well, that's it for now.

[Mike Hughes]

Longstone Tyres only lists MXV-P black walls on their web-site.

[mdsalemi]

Longstone Tyres only lists MXV-P black walls on their web-site.

https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/185r14-michelin-mxv-whitewall.html

[Mike Hughes]

Thanks Michael!  I see you searched by tire size, which seems to make all the difference.  When one searches by make "Mercedes" the Longstone site only directs one to the black wall!

[mdsalemi]

Thanks Michael!  I see you searched by tire size, which seems to make all the difference.  When one searches by make "Mercedes" the Longstone site only directs one to the black wall!

It's kind of peculiarly buried in the website, and for some reason the naming acronyms are not being followed. The P as in MXV-P stands for "protection"--the heavy-duty kerbing rib on the outer sidewall of the tire. It LOOKS like this kerbing rib as they call it, is just below the tread, where the tread and sidewall meet. It looks like both this WW, which doesn't carry the -P suffix, and the MXV-P blackwall tire have the same kerbing rib. The WW tire is noted as "185R14" with an H speed rating, which would make it, technically, 185HR14.

At least on the Longstone website, these Michelins are considerably more expensive than domestically sourced (USA) Coker Phoenix, or Vredestein Sprint Classics.

[rbouch8828]

Hello Michael,

I went on the Lomngstone website and they seem to be willing and set up to sell and ship the Michelins to the US. The price in dollars for 5 tires is $1,624. They say shipping time to the US is 6-10 days. I have sent them an email asking for shipping costs.

RB

[rbouch8828]

Michael,

Here's the good news! Longstone replied that shipping to the US is FREE!!! They ship by DHL and they said that it usually takes 7-10 days, which is a little bit different than what their website said.

Tom Homan at Longstone is the person who contacted me.

Best,
Roland

[mdsalemi]

Here's the good news! Longstone replied that shipping to the US is FREE!!! They ship by DHL...

Well, that's pretty astounding news. I will need new tires when my car returns at some point--the Coker Phoenix, though only about 20,000 miles on them with lots of tread, are past their expiration date...and it shows. The grip isn't there any longer and the wet-road adhesion is compromised.

[Neil Thompson]

Longstone are well respected vintage tyre suppliers in the UK, I have had more than one set of MXVs off them and  would say they suit our cars perfectly although, as said previously, white walls are not as popular in the UK. Having said that if they are advertising white walls, chances are they will have them, might be worth contacting them

Neil

[Harry]

Hello,

I do find other tire manufacturers such as Hancook (on Tire Rack and other sources) that offer the 195 75/14 in whitewall for a much better price.  I typically run Michelin Pilots on my CLS 550 but I wouldn't be discouraged from another brand on the 230SL.

Thoughts?
Harry

[Pawel66]

I use these Hankooks. I also saw some very favourable opinions on those tires here on the Forum in similar threads. Verdestein and Hankooks are "positive dicoveries" during recent years.

[Jonny B]

I and a good friend of mine are using the Hankooks. No issues at all.

[JPMOSE]

A installed Hancocks as well and am very pleased.  I would love Michelin tires but only drive about 500-700 miles a year.  Plus, I have three other cars to worry about as well!