The Marti Report lists optional E70x14 Wide Oval White Sidewall Tires on my 1968 Cougar. Did these just look like white wall tires and not like the old E70x14 Wide Oval with white letters that I have from in a trunk, that is pictured?
thanks, for a comment from someone in the know.
Keith
I researched this as my car had FR70-14 Wide Oval White Sidewall Tires. The word from the “person in the know” was that it was a whitewall tire, not raised white letter.
Some closeup pictures of from a couple 68 Firestone wide ovals. Hope this helps
Is the Marti Report from an XR7-G? If so the transport tires were E70-14 for the car leaving the Dearborn assembly plant. The XR7-G package listed on the Marti Report included replacing the tires with the FR70-14 BF Goodrich tires that were included as part of the XR7-G package.
If this is not an XR7-G then the photos Jeff provided are correct.
Royce, you may have guessed it, but you were the “person in the know” I mentioned above. I really wanted those FR70-14 RWL tires to be the right ones, too!
It seems the “white sidewall” part of the description is often overlooked. Ford used the “wide oval” description for anything 70 or 60 series, not specifically a particular brand.
“Wide Oval” was the Firestone name used for their 60 and 70 series tires, so it would make sense Ford would use the term too given their close relationship with Firestone through the years. They were indeed available in both white sidewall and white letters as I recall from my youth.
Ford tire descriptions on Marti Reports seem to be widely varied. My 70 says “F70X14 belted traction tires with raised white letters” on one line and then “Goodyear brand name tires” on the next line. They really nailed it down on that one! I’ve still got the 50 yr old spare, and have even driven on it (slowly and carefully)!
It may be that what you say is true for other model years but it was not the case in 1968 model year. If the car was equipped with Firestone tires in 1968 it was a very rare event.
Definitely remember the whitewall, and I have the old spare, not in the car. Originally my car had red line , and whitewall on other side Firestone F70 -14s.Radials are a better ride obviously.
Royce, are the photos Scott posted of the correct, original equipment XR7-G tire?
They match a photo I have in my files - I believe I got this from Tony Tattarelli?
XR7-G OEM tires are BF Goodrich FR70-14 model 770 whitewall tires - not like the one you show or like any of Jeff’s pictures.
Scott your tires are a similar tire but not OEM for a G because they are also not whitewalls.
BF Goodrich Radial 990 ad from late 60’s shows the narrow whitewall version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_ikQNHfQ2c
Thanks for that link Calicat - attack of the 50ft tall woman!
Obviously the G in the ad/showroom poster is a prototype with some funky stuff going on, but it is interesting that if you study the showroom poster you can see that Mercury had a photo retoucher go in and highlight the raised, white “RADIAL” on the tire. So they felt making the tire recognizable was important for the ad, at least at the time the ad and poster were put together.
The ad/poster also has '67 6.5 Litre badges (because the prototype was built from a '67) and the regular Mercury Man center caps instead of the red G center caps.
Yeah, talk about distracted driving! And the driver appeared to peek up her skirt when he passed her as she was standing. 
Just found this old ad for the Firestone Wide Ovals featuring a Cougar!
My BF G Radial was mounted on a Rader wheel in the trunk of that original G I picked up in San Jose a few years back, so I kinda thought maybe it was originally on the car.
