corky coker
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December 15, 2022
Corky Coker's collection of antique motorcycles is one of the finest in the world, and it's housed inside the Coker Museum in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee. Corky's collection of cars, trucks and motorcycles features a great variety of our product lines, which covers a huge span of collector vehicles. In this article, we wanted to focus specifically on motorcycles, as the Coker Museum is packed with incredible motorcycles, dating back to the 1900's. From the earliest two-wheel machines to more civilized motorcycles of the 1950s and 1960s, this collection has iconic motorcycles, such as Harley Davidson, Indian, Excelsior, Thor, and more! The collection is diverse, with a mixture of beautiful restorations, true barn finds and bikes with legitimate racing history.
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November 21, 2017Chattanooga Cruise In Toy Drive 2017 -- The joy of helping others is something brings a smile to our faces, and it's a pretty common thread in the collector vehicle community. These old cars aren't necessary expenditures, so car people can spare a few bucks to help others. We wanted to give back to the community by hosting an annual toy drive event right here at our facility. Given the success of our Chattanooga Cruise In events, we knew this would be a great opportunity to get folks together and gather up some toys and donations for the local chapter Toys for Tots foundation. As with any November car event, the weather forecast was pretty iffy. In fact, there was a 90 percent chance of rain for Saturday, November 18th, which obviously affected the turnout of cars, but we still had more than 100 cars and trucks participate in the Chattanooga Cruise In Toy Drive. Thankfully, the rain held off long enough for us to have a great day on the streets of Chattanooga, watching the pile of toys
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September 18, 2017And just like that, the 2017 Coker Tire Challenge is in the books! We traveled the back roads of Tennessee and Alabama with a little bit of Georgia thrown in the mix, and safely returned for the finish at our facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee. While there were plenty of challenges, crossing the finish line made all of the blood, sweat and tears worth it! Corky Coker, Wade Kawasaki and Jeff Stumb welcomed the racers in, while John Classen gave them time sheets and the scoring team tabulated the scores. The Rookie winners, the Top 5 overall leaders and the Bill Coker Spirit of the Event award winners were announced after the drivers, navigators and support crews ate a wonderful meal catered by Shuford's Smokehouse. With racers from as far away as Oregon, Michigan, Massachusetts, Texas, and even a team from Japan, we just love the dedication within the vintage rally community. We certainly enjoyed having them here in the Scenic City, and we'd like to congratulate Jody Knowles and Beth Gentry
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June 14, 2017We love getting phone calls and emails from our happy customers. It's one of the most rewarding parts of our job, besides knowing that we're keeping collector vehicles on the road with high quality tires and wheels. Lately, we've gotten quite a few pictures of cars and trucks that are now wearing a set of our tires, and we wanted to pass them along to you. Buying authentic tires for a collector vehicle can be a tough decision. Even within our product ranges, there are typically a few choices for any given make or model, so having some expert guidance goes a long way. That's why our team of Sales Representatives are waiting for your call--we can help with tire fitment, brand selection and additional accessories to make your collector vehicle really stand out. We realize that tires and wheels are expensive, and you don't want to take a chance with that type of investment. Listed below are just a few of our most recent customer
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December 22, 2016McKee Foods is best known for its Little Debbie snack cakes, and it's truly a pleasure to share real estate here in the Tennessee Valley with such an excellent company. They are located just up the road from us in Collegedale, Tennessee, and we recently struck a deal with them to display a very special car in our museum. It is a 1928 Whippet 6, a low-priced sedan that was manufactured by Willys-Overland for only a few years. Although it is quite rare to see a Whippet these days, they were not all that desirable in comparison to the Ford Model A of the same era. McKee Foods founder, O.D. McKee bought a 1928 Whippet sedan in 1931 to serve as a delivery vehicle for his bakery. He removed the rear seat and sold 5-cent snack cakes out of the back of the sedan. Fast forward nearly 30 years and McKee Foods is approaching its major turning point, when O.D. McKee's son, Ellsworth, created the "family pack" of Little Debbie snack cakes. As the company continued to succeed and grow, O.D. wanted to
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November 01, 2016The Firestone Wide Oval Radial tire is something we've been dreaming about for years. We're muscle car guys and we're tire guys, so we've always wanted to mix authentic looks with the ride, safety and tread life of a modern radial. Coker Tire is proud to announce the brand new Firestone Wide Oval Radial, a product that uses Firestone heritage and radial construction to create the ultimate muscle car tire! These tires are now available and shipping from our Chattanooga, Tennessee and City of Industry, California locations, as well as our worldwide distributors. This is an exciting new product for us and we think you'll agree that it's time to put a new set of Firestone Wide Oval Radials on your muscle car! Along with the new product launch, we're also celebrating 50 years of the Firestone Wide Oval. As the muscle car era exploded in the mid-to-late '60s, the horsepower levels went sky high and that meant the
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May 31, 2016The Indy 500--no other automobile racing event has been more prestigious, or more treacherous. The evolution of automobile racing, and the automobile itself can be credited to the buzz that surrounds the Indy 500 and the drive to win the biggest race of them all. And to think, 40 teams entered the race in 1911, all driving cars that you may have never heard of--National, Knox, Westcott and many others. The Marmon Wasp and its driver, Ray Harroun claimed the first Indy 500 victory, and this car still resides in Speedway, Indiana. Several years ago, Corky Coker and his crew at Honest Charley built a replica of the famed Indy racer, so it has been quite a popular display piece since it was finished and debuted at the 2011 Indy 500. And though the 2011 event was technically the 100th anniversary of the Indy 500, we had to wait until 2016 to see the 100th running, due to the pause in racing caused by the World Wars (two year pause for
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May 03, 2016On May 1, 2016, Corky Coker visited Anderson, Indiana to pay tribute to a racing legend, Ray Harroun. The town of Anderson debuted a memorial marker for Ray Harroun, and Corky Coker was invited to the event to be a part of the festivities. Corky has a great love for vintage racing, and owns the most authentic Marmon Wasp replica in the world. The Marmon Wasp is typically on display in our showroom here in Chattanooga, Tennessee, but it made a special trip to honor Mr. Ray Harroun for his achievements. Corky dressed in period correct attire, and drove the Marmon Wasp replica around the area, spreading smiles all around. Enjoy some of our pictures, and continue reading to learn more about the man who took Indy by storm in 1911. [products] Although Ray Harroun was born in Pennsylvania, his legacy is in Indiana, where he later lived, and made history as the first winner of the Indy 500, way back in 1911. Ray Harroun was a pioneer, and there is no doubt he left his mark as a champion racecar
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April 22, 2016Long before Mike Wolfe took the TV world by storm with History Channel's "American Pickers" program, he was a wheeler and dealer of anything old. We know another guy who dabbles in vintage goods, especially ones that have wheels (or more specifically...tires). Mike and Corky have been friends for quite some time, and they share a great interest in vintage motorcycles. Mike also has a thing for old cars, and recently acquired a 1936 Ford panel truck. The Flathead V8 powered truck had received some hot rod modifications, but the aftermarket parts just didn't seem to jive. After a phone call with Corky to express his concerns, the boys struck up a deal to bring the truck to Chattanooga and give it the Coker and Honest Charley treatment. The goal was to make it GO faster, STOP sooner and make it a little more fun to slide behind the wheel and go for a ride. [products]
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April 05, 2016Every year, we hope that our annual cruise in and open house, known as the Chattanooga Cruise In, continues to grow. Last year, it was huge, and for 2016, we wanted it to be bigger and better! We secured additional parking areas for our participants, and even those efforts were blown away with the record turnout. We had an estimated 2,000 cars, trucks and motorcycles on hand, and upward of 15,000 spectators throughout the day. It was an absolute blast, as we saw every type of car imaginable, and saw plenty of vehicles sporting our tires and wheels! In addition to the tremendous amount of vehicles on display, Chattanooga Cruise In participants could watch the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow engine build teams do battle in a National Qualifying event for its year-long series. Back by popular demand was the "blemished tire sale", which offered discounted prices on blemished tires. We just love seeing folks carrying tires down the street, and we saw a lot of that on Saturday, April 2nd. The crowd was
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January 15, 2016Corky was recently invited to participate in the Vero International Festival of Historic Motoring in Dunedin, New Zealand as the Grand Marshall. The rally this year has over 600 cars separated into three groups, Veterans (1919 and before), Vintage (1919 to WWII), and then all post war vehicles. This is truly an outstanding opportunity, and Corky took advantage of it with his son Cameron Coker, who shared these great photos from their New Zealand trip. [products] [caption id="attachment_7192" align="alignleft" width="780"] Arriving at the airport by the esteemed leadership of the VCC. Mark and Nikola Wilkenson, John Coomber (Immediate past president), Diane Quarrie (Current president), Corky, Cameron[/caption] [caption id="attachment_7194" align="alignleft" width="780"]
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November 05, 2015Wow, what a day! We started early with the annual SEMA Prayer Breakfast, in which our own Corky Coker was the special speaker. He shared a great message of his career path and his walk with God. After breakfast, we high-tailed it to a press conference on Wade Kawasaki's 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge, which rolls on a set of our Firestone Wide Oval raised white letter tires. We made our way around the North Hall and Central Hall to meet up with some of our sponsored builders. We checked in with 40Cal Customs at the Red Kap booth to see how the "Red Kap Rocket" build was going, and stopped for a quick chat. It was a super busy day, which culminated at the Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) Awards Reception and a few hours of photo and video editing to condense all this cool stuff into something you can enjoy! We'll be brining you feature articles, as well as feature videos of our sponsored builders, so stay tuned to the blog and our other social media outlets for closer looks at some of the coolest cars, trucks and motorcycles at SEMA 2015!
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September 22, 2015The term return on investment might be a little overused these days. Sometimes though, the real ROI isnt exactly about the numbers on the ledger, but more about making a difference when the opportunity presents itself. Last year, young Carson Magee contacted us with an unusual request. While its pretty common for us to receive all sorts of donation requests, Carsons was pretty straight forward and it got our attention. Carson has diabetes and is actively promoting research and funding for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation to find a cure. He participates in 5Ks and such on his unicycle. His unique style and passion for the cause was immediately clear. Carson has a pretty good grasp of marketing already, and knew that his attention getting unicycle 5Ks would be a fun way to spice up his fundraising efforts. It just so happens that Coker Cycle Company builds two different models of Unicycles with huge 36
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September 20, 2015Boy, these three-day rallies sure seem to fly by, and the 10th annual Coker Tire Challenge is in the books. The 2015 event was a great success, with awesome weather and very few break-downs. The Sunday route is always a short one, and it ends right here at Coker Tire with a warm welcome from the Coker Tire staff. We also enjoyed a hosted BBQ lunch from Shuford's Smokehouse, and a great awards ceremony where we crowned the top contenders from Coker Tire Challenge 2015. Congrats to David Reeder and Sawyer Stone on their victory! Enjoy our photos from today!
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September 19, 2015The Saturday portion of the Coker Tire Challenge 2015 event is always a full day of rallying, and this year, we headed East toward the mountains. We followed the Ocoee River briefly, and then peeled off on Highway 30 for a beautiful drive through varying elevations with lots of twists and turns. From there, we motored north for a pit stop in Etowah, and then got back on the clock for some intense rallying. With lunch in Cleveland, Tennessee (only a short distance away from Chattanooga) we had a very technical course that eventually led us back to Coker Tire, where the racers got their scores for the day. The weather was absolutely perfect, and the scenery couldn't have been better. Check out some of our favorite photos from today's action!
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September 19, 2015It's that time of year again! The third weekend of September is always a time to reunite with all of our Great Race buddies, even though we've only been apart for a couple months. The Coker Tire Challenge 2015 event is a three-day rally with lots of great scenery here in the Tri-State (Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama) area. It's a bunch of fun, and it's not a two-week commitment like the Great Race so it's much easier for local car guys and gals to participate. The competition is a big challenge, but the most fun aspect of the event is being able to spend the weekend behind the wheel of a vintage car. Friday's route sent us into Georgia, where we snaked through the beautiful back roads until we found ourselves in Dalton, Georgia for lunch. Then we doubled back onto some of the same routes to make our way to an hosted dinner at Corky Coker's house in Wildwood, Georgia. He recently finished a huge renovation, and invited all of his rallying friends to check it out. The impressive entertainment area was filled with Coker Tire Challenge participants, who are celebrating the event's 10th anniversary. Enjoy our Friday coverage and click HERE for Saturday coverage, and HERE for Sunday coverage!
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July 29, 2015It feels like we just got settled back into the office after a long two-week adventure on the Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty, but we're already getting close to our own personal vintage car rally, the Coker Tire Challenge! It's a three-day rally that is based here in Chattanooga, Tennessee. You can find information about it on the Coker Tire Challenge website, and you can click here to sign up for this year's event. It's much more affordable than the Great Race, and it's a little more relaxed, so it's a lot of fun without a major commitment. Join us from September 17-20th, 2015 for the 10th annual Coker Tire Challenge! Keep reading to see a few pictures from last year's event.
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April 28, 2015We've worked pretty hard to encourage our customers to get out and drive their collector cars, and events like the Coker Tire Tour to the Mitty provide even more inspiration. There might be an ulterior motive hidden in there (to sell more tires, or in this case Sports Car Tires). The Mitty is a road race for vintage cars, and it's held at Road Atlanta, which is a couple hours away from our headquarters here in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This year, we partnered with Classic Motorsports Magazine to create a driving experience like no other--a trip through some of the most beautiful scenery and twisty back roads with a final destination of the Mitty. With more than 50 cars participating, it was a big hit, and we're hoping to do more of these driving events in the future.
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March 12, 2015Emotions are at an all time high on the grounds of Coker Tire and Honest Charley on this cloudy day in March. We started the day by putting the final touches on a 1912 Thomas Flyer, and revealing it to the car's new owner. You see, this Thomas Flyer was our founder, Harold Coker's last project car, before he passed away suddenly in November of last year. It was a long way from being finished at the time of his passing, but Corky Coker encouraged the guys at Honest Charley to complete it in time for the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance coming up this weekend. The car was passed down to Corky's brother, David Coker, who saw the finished product for the first time this morning. Lill Coker was also on hand for the reveal, and it's safe to say there wasn't a dry eye in the house when the Coker's saw the tag that Howard Horn hand-lettered to finish off the build. Keep reading for a touching video of the reveal and a bunch of pictures of Harold's Last One.
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March 12, 2015If you've followed Coker Tire for very long, then you know we are HUGE advocates for getting out and putting plenty of miles on your collector vehicle. We're proud to announce a new excuse to get in and go for a drive--the Coker Tire Tour to the Classic Motorsports Mitty. If you've never heard of "the Mitty", it's a road racing event held at Road Atlanta and it's geared toward vintage cars. We're planning an awesome ride from our facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee to the awesome Braselton, Georgia-based race track. The trip will include twisty back roads, delicious food and a finish destination that will offer lots of fun. It all starts with a "Cars and Coffee" type event here at Coker on Friday, April 24th. Then, we travel to beautiful Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge, Georgia, and finally navigate the back roads to Road Atlanta, where a BBQ dinner will be waiting for us at the Mitty. Your ticket includes
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March 03, 2015Among the incredible and explosive growth in technology and opportunity in Chattanooga, the Tennessee Small Business Development Center continues to nurture and stimulate new businesses and young entrepreneurs. Nowhere is their work on display more prominently than in the scenic city, as innovative and exciting new businesses appear on every corner, many of which have benefited from the efforts of TSBDC. The "Talk of the Town!" CEO Speaker Series was created by TSBDC to encourage young entrepreneurs and local business through the stories of successful entrepreneurs who started small and have grown their businesses into major corporations. In the fifth installment of their CEO speaker Series, Corky Coker talks about some of the events and challenges that came along while growing from a local tire store in the late 1950s, into an international icon in the automotive restoration industry today.
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February 24, 2015Coker Tire Company has been a huge supporter of the Great Race for many years, and continues to be a sponsor of the event each year. The Great Race promotes DRIVING old cars, and that's what we're all about. We're excited to announce that the Great Race has expanded its format to include the Great American Tour for this year's course on historic Route 66. And while the Great Race is geared toward competition, with $150,000 up for grabs, the event organizers decided to offer a more laid back option for car enthusiasts who wanted more of a tour and less of a race. The result is the Hemmings Motor News Great American Tour presented by Hagerty, an epic journey on historic Route 66 to see all the sights of The Mother Road.
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November 16, 2014[caption id="attachment_5687" align="aligncenter" width="740"] Corky Coker, Coker Group President Wade Kawasaki and Harold Coker at The Tire Industry Association Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony November 3, 2014.[/caption] It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Harold Coker. Harold is loved and respected across our community and throughout the collector car community the world over. His passion for collector cars and people have influenced so many over the years, and while we are saddened to lose him, we rejoice that he is now at the throne of our God in heaven surrounded by angels. Continue to lift the entire Coker family up in your thoughts and prayers as we all mourn the loss of this great man. [caption id="attachment_5681" align="aligncenter" width="740"]
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November 07, 2014We spent another day on our feet at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. We walked the aisles, spoke with customers, and enjoyed the networking opportunities that only the SEMA Show can provide. We continue to find vehicles with Coker Tire products in use, so we snapped a few pictures to share with you here. Tonight was the annual SEMA Awards Banquet, which is the highlight of the event, where the best of the best come together for a great dinner and a great ceremony. Check out our photo highlights from today!
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November 05, 2014It's always cool when the younger generation gets involved in the automotive world. Wyotech plays a huge role in getting kids into old cars, and it educates young folks to prepare them for real world jobs in the automotive industry. One particular project that was built at Wyotech is a beautiful Ford F-100 pickup that was featured on the "Chop, Cut, Rebuild" TV show. Built by students, the truck is detailed nicely and features lots of custom touches that make it a real show stopper. Our favorite part??? Of course, the tires....and wheels! The Wyotech F-100 rolls on a set of our 17x8-inch Artillery chrome-plated wheels, and American Classic 235/55R17 whitewall radials. This thing is awesome, so check out a few photos of it, and look forward to a video feature to hit our YouTube Channel soon!
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November 05, 2014Leading up to the SEMA Show, we always get the inside scoop on killer project cars. We had the opportunity to be a part of a very cool build that is on display in the Ford booth in Hot Rod Alley. The Ford booth is always a destination booth, and this year, there are a bunch of new-for-2015 Mustangs on hand with many custom treatments. The Watson Racing prepared Mustang has a drag racing theme, making north of 700 horsepower, thanks to a supercharged 5.0-liter engine. Our involvement with the project car was a set of M&H Racemaster DOT-approved drag radials, sized at 185/55R17 and 325/45R17. These tires will stick to the drag strip, and they're legal for the street, so it was the perfect combination for the new Mustang. Also, the huge brakes on these cars require at least a 17-inch wheel, so our M&H product line had 'em covered with radial tires for 17-inch front runner wheels, and sticky drag radials out back. Check it out!
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November 05, 2014The SEMA Show is the biggest automotive event of the year. It's a trade show with thousands of vendors, and thousands of awesome cars, trucks and motorcycles on display. Folks from around the world attend the event to show off new products, and increase sales for their businesses. It's a huge opportunity for everyone involved, and we're glad to have a big presence at the show. We have an indoor booth in Hot Rod Alley (booth number 22775), and we have a tractor trailer rig in the Silver Lot outside. This year, we debuted a brand new booth design, which has a vintage gas station theme.
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October 16, 2014Every year, we attend about 50 events across the country, but one stands out as "the big one" for us. The AACA Hershey Region Fall Meet is its official name, but we just refer to it as Hershey. Every year, we send thousands of tires and a van load of employees to serve our Northeastern customers. It's one of our biggest shows of the year, because there are so many people there to buy parts for their project car, truck motorcycle, etc. Oh, and there is also a great selection of cars on display. This year was no different, and we had a blast during our entire two week stretch of Carlisle and Hershey. Take a look at some of our favorite photos from Hershey and be sure to join us next year! Wherever you live, it's worth the trip!
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September 25, 2014Click here to check out videos from past Coker Tire Challenge Events and also subscribe to our YouTube Channel while you're at it!
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September 24, 2014Last year we met Scott Jones, the man behind Noise Cycles in Santa Ana, California. He uses our tires on most of his custom motorcycle builds, and he seeks inspiration for his own builds thorugh vintage racing bikes and old motorcycles in general. With that in mind, we told Scott that any time he had an excuse to be in Tennessee to stop by and see us. He did just that on his way back from the Brooklyn Invitational, a huge motorcycle show in New York. Noise built a special bike to debut at the Brooklyn show, and it was finished just in time to make the event. The bike has a no frills look, but closer inspection reveals TONS of hand made components, and one very interesting feature that involved a lot of thought and fabrication. Keep reading for more...
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September 22, 2014After three days of rallying through some of the Southeast's finest scenery, the 2014 Coker Tire Challenge ended Sunday afternoon. A short Sunday morning route offered beautiful sites and great weather, and of course, the anticipation of which team would be taking home the hardware! It was a close finish, but thanks to a great score and a 1916 age factor, Howard and Douglas Sharp from Fairport, New York, earned the best overall score. Closely behind was the team of Jody Knowles and Beth Gentry (last year's winners). Another notable award winner was Robert Dinges from Killen, Alabama--he received the Bill Coker Spirit of the Event award! We want to thank all of the staff, racers and support crews for supporting the Coker Tire Challenge--we also want to send a huge thanks to Hemmings Motor News and Hagerty for coming down to compete in the event! Check out our favorite photos from the finish line and awards ceremony, as well as the final results below!
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September 20, 2014Another long day of rallying has come to an end at the 2014 Coker Tire Challenge. Today, we left the Coker Tire facility, heading north on I-75, on our way to the actual starting point in Cleveland, Tennessee. From there, we rallied through the back roads until we made it to the small town of Dayton, Tennessee, home of the Scopes Trial in 1925. Then, we crossed a couple of mountains on our way to a lunch stop in Sparta, Tennessee and finally snaked our way back to Chattanooga through towns such as McMinnville and Dunlap. Overall it was a great day of rallying, and we're ready to give it one last go tomorrow morning. Stay tuned to see who wins it all tomorrow, but for now, enjoy some of our favorite shots from today's run through the hills of Tennessee.
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September 19, 2014The Coker Tire Challenge is laid back, compared to its big brother, the Great Race, but it still offers quite a challenge, even for skilled veterans of the rallying world. Today's route sent us to Huntsville, Alabama for a lunch stop, and then back to our starting point of Chattanooga, Tennessee. The route features lots of elevation changes, mountain roads, tricky turns and great scenery along the way. Unfortunately, Friday afternoon traffic gave us some issues getting back to Coker Tire for the evening's hosted dinner in the Coker Tire Museum. At this point, Howard and Douglas Sharp are in the lead, but there are still two more days of rallying to see how things shake out! Check out today's photo highlights and stay tuned for more as the Coker Tire Challenge continues!
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September 18, 2014Wow, time flies! It's time for the Coker Tire Challenge, and we're gearing up for a great weekend of rallying in the Southeast. The weather is looking fantastic, and the course is going to be full of scenic roads and challenging instructions. Thursday is always a laid back day for folks to hang out and get their cars inspected, but the action really gets started on Friday, and lasts through Sunday afternoon. Racers come in from all over the country (Vermont, Texas, New York, Delaware, Ohio and more!), so it's a great time for everyone to catch up. Here are a few shots to get you ready for a full coverage of back roads, scenic sites and classic cars that will be posted in the next few days!
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September 15, 2014When we started the Chattanooga Cruise In, it was a simple get together of local car guys but it quickly blossomed into a well known event that brings folks from many states to the Scenic City of Chattanooga. We have put a lot of effort into the Chattanooga Cruise In to make it bigger and better, but we realize that the cool factor of this event isn't always related to what WE do. It's about you. It's about your car. It's about your friends. Word of mouth has caused this event to grow in popularity, and we're proud to say that the fall 2014 event was a great one.
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August 29, 2014A Cadillac, especially a beautiful black 1947 sedan, deserves a good set of whitewall tires. But not just any whitewall tires will fit the bill--this one is rolling on a set of our brand new American Classic bias look radials, sized at 8.20-15. These tires have the right look for a period correct restoration, hot rod or custom, as the narrow tread profile and piecrust shoulder offer the vintage appearance of a bias ply tire. Combine this with radial construction and you have the best of both worlds. These tires are available in nine sizes, in whitewall and blackwall configurations. Get yours now!
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August 28, 2014The Tire Industry Association has named three inductees to its Hall of Fame in 2014 and three recipients of the Ed Wagner Industry Leadership Award. This years Hall of Fame honorees are Harold Coker, founder of Coker Tire Co., Charles Cornell, the late founder of Tech International, and Juanita Purcell, executive vice president of Purcell Tire & Rubber Co.
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June 30, 2014What a crazy week! It's always a lot of fun, and a lot of work to compete in the Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty. We consider 2014 a huge success, as both Coker teams crossed the finish line in one piece, here in The Villages, Florida, during one of the greatest finishes we've ever seen. We had a blast this year, and we're expecting to have a lot of fun next year, too. The Great Race is the adventure of a lifetime that you can do every year! Congrats to Barry and Irene Jason for claiming the third consecutive Great Race Grand Championship...this time in a Post WWII car (first time it's ever been done). Click HERE for the overall results from the 2014 Great Race.
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June 21, 2014Another beautiful day in Ogunquit, Maine resulted in a lot of fun for the racers, staff and guests of the Great Race. The racers and staff had a big meeting first thing in the morning, and then had Rally School, before being sent off on the Hagerty Trophy Run, a practice rally. We saw all sorts of great stuff while we were on the road, and our Coker team ended up placing first in the Grand Champion division--congrats to Vernon and Greg Cunningham! After the rallying was complete, we went to the fabulous Beachmere Inn for a reception and Opening Banquet. Two very special guests joined us for reception--Bob Varsha and Wayne Carini! Now, it's time to get some rest and get ready for a big day tomorrow--the start of the 2014 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty!
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June 20, 2014We rolled into Ogunquit, Maine yesterday, and we had a full day of fun at registration and tech inspection today. More than 100 cars and trucks are registered for the Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty, so that means we got to see a lot of cool stuff throughout the day. Here are some highlights from today's fun, but stay tuned for updates along the route. There are two Coker Tire teams this year, so follow along to see how they're doing! For now, enjoy the pictures, and check www.greatrace.com for more!
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June 09, 2014Last year, the Hot Rod Power Tour came through Chattanooga, Tennessee and we played a huge part in orchestrating a killer stop, as well as an after party here at our headquarters downtown. For 2014, the Power Tour kicked off in Charlotte, North Carolina and traveled to Knoxville, Tennessee on Day 2. Since it was so close, we drove up to Chilhowee Park to check out the action. We LOVE the Power Tour because it promotes getting out and driving collector vehicles and you know what that means--wearing out tires!!! Thousands of hot rods, classic trucks and modern muscle cars filled the fairgrounds, and we spotted lots of Coker products. Check out a few of our favorites, including Rutledge Wood's very cool 1953 Plymouth station wagon, which rolls on BFGoodrich Silvertown 215/65R16 whitewalls and Smoothie wheels.
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May 14, 2014
It's a decision every car enthusiast must make when it comes time to buy new tires--bias ply or radial? The decision affects the authenticity of your vehicle and it affects the ride quality of your vehicle, but finding a happy medium has not always been an option until now. Coker Tire offers both bias ply and radial tires in its massive product selection, but it now offers a radial tire that features the pie-crust shoulder and narrow tread profile of a bias ply tire. So, what's right for your ride?
BIAS PLY TIRES
Bias Ply Tires are authentic for American cars built before 1976, but they don't offer the same handling characteristics as a modern radial. Everyone has an opinion on the upsides and downsides both bias ply and radial tires, but it all boils down to your preference. Our suggestion is to take a good look at your build style and work from there. If you're building a numbers-matching, nut-and-bolt restoration, bias ply tires are the way to go, because your goal is authenticity. Our bias ply tires are built in original molds, which have been refurbished to today's standards and utilize modern materials for a safe and correct tire. In addition to using authentic, original molds, Coker Tire also has licensing agreements to use popular brand names such as Firestone, BFGoodrich and U.S. Royal.Inside a bias ply tire, the cords are run diagonally from bead to bead, overlapping in a crisscross pattern. The bias ply tire progressed over the time it was used in auto manufacturing, but the general construction techniques stayed the same. For instance, the Firestone 6.00-16 that rolled beneath countless passenger cars in the '30s and '40s features the same basic construction as the Firestone Wide Oval tires that were used on millions of muscle cars from 1967 to 1974. Bias ply tires typically follow the ruts and breaks in the road surface, so it provides a wandering sensation if you're not accustomed to driving an old car.
RADIAL TIRES
Starting in the 1970's, many American auto manufacturers began making the switch from bias ply tires to radial tires. Today, radial tires are still in use--and while the tire technology has grown in leaps and bounds since the '70s, each tire constructed using the same basic principles. Coker Tire was the first company to introduce a wide whitewall radial tire, and did so in 1994. It changed the face of the antique tire market, and the line of nostalgia radials continues to grow. Now, Coker offers whitewalls, redlines and gold line tires in both bias ply and radial construction.
The cords on a radial tire run straight across the tire, from one bead to the other. The radial cord layout, in addition to steel belting that rides beneath the tread surface helps stabilize the sidewall and tread patch, while allowing the tire to better conform to the road's surface. While a bias ply tire follows the ruts and breaks in the road, a radial tire will skim across the top and soak up some of the transitions. This makes for a smoother ride, and allows you to release the white-knuckle grip on the steering wheel on a rough road. If you're building a car that will see thousands of miles each year, your best bet is likely a radial, as you will enjoy the smoother ride quality and longer tread life.BEST OF BOTH WORLDS--THE BIAS LOOK RADIAL
Coker Tire revolutionized the tire industry in 2013 by introducing the bias look radial--a tire that has the authentic appearance of a bias ply tire with the internal construction and handling of a radial. The product was a huge hit at the SEMA Show, where it won the Best New Product award in the Tires & Accessories Category. The new tire is under the American Classic brand, and it's available in nine sizes to fit a multitude of applications, most of which are from the late '40s, '50s and early '60s. Coker Tire offers the American Classic Bias Look Radial in whitewall and blackwall configurations. The tires are getting great feedback, and we love seeing them pop up on the show field on everything from Tri-Five Chevys and Corvettes to Ford Thunderbirds and Cadillacs.It's a decision every car enthusiast must make when it comes time to buy new tires--bias ply or radial? The decision affects the authenticity of your vehicle and it affects the ride quality of your vehicle, but finding a happy medium has not always been an option until now. Coker Tire offers both bias ply and radial tires in its massive product selection, but it now offers a radial tire that features the pie-crust shoulder and narrow tread profile of a bias ply tire. So, what's right for your ride? Keep reading to find out. -
May 12, 2014With car show and cruise in season in full swing, we're on the road every weekend to events across the country. We set up our tractor trailer rigs at many national events throughout the year, but sometimes we go to local events for the fun of it. Sliding behind the wheel of an old car and mingling with like-minded folks is always a relaxing way to spend a sunny Saturday, and we did just that a couple weeks ago at the Main Street Cruise In, just up the road, in Cleveland, Tennessee.
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March 19, 2014When you think of Willys Jeep you usually think of an olive drab military vehicle. At least that's what we thought. When Corky found this worn down Jeep during the filming of Backroad Gold, we thought it would be cool to mix a bit of military influence into this civilian Jeep. How'd we do it? The tires, of course! A set of our brand new Firestone 6.00-16 NDT Military tires did the trick and gave this Jeep a cool look, to go along with the superb restoration by Honest Charley. This Jeep is a nice piece, and it could be yours...click here for more information!
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March 10, 2014That's what we loaded up and took to Amelia Island this past weekend! It's one of the most prestigious car events in North America, and we took a truck load of cool stuff to the beautiful Golf Club of Amelia Island at Summer Beach. This event is what we like to call "fancy" and it's right up there with Pebble Beach, in terms of notoriety and cool factor. For 2014, the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance featured the Underslung, a unique design used by American Motor Car Company from 1905 to 1914. Just so happens that Corky and his father, Harold each have an American Underslung in their collection, so those two were no-brainer's...we just had to take 'em. Also on our truck was Richie Clyne's American Underslung roadster, a truly incredible piece and a great-driving car. Amelia Island also had a tribute to the Offenhauser Indy engine, so we displayed our Lencki Six engine, as it was an "offy on steroids".
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March 10, 2014Throughout the process of filming the The car started out a little on the rough side, but with some replacement sheet metal, and a bunch of other replacement trim parts and interior components from Year One, the car is now a nicely finished Tri-Five with a cool custom look. To get the right stance, the Honest Charley boys installed two-inch drop spindles up front and three-inch lowering blocks out back. They also moved the leaf springs inward to create more real estate for tires and wheels. With this in mind, they installed a set of 17x8-inch Rocket Booster wheels out back, wrapped in 255/45ZR17 BFGoodrich g-Force
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March 03, 2014In the 1950's, American auto manufacturers hit their stride with awe inspiring designs that put a stamp on what some would consider the greatest decade in automotive history. By 1955, all of the "big three" manufacturers (Ford Motor Company, General Motors and Chrysler) had redesigned the flagship models with cool, new styling that sent consumers sprinting to the dealerships across the country. For the Plymouth brand, the Belvedere was the top dog in the product line, and with miles of stainless steel trim, beautiful front and rear styling cues and a host of engine options, it's easy to see why it was so popular. We got our hands on one of these '50s classics during the filming of the Backroad Gold TV show, which airs weekly (Wednesdays at 9:30pm EST) on the Travel Channel.
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February 25, 2014We deal with a lot of classic cars, and we love to see them restored to stock condition. Ford Thunderbirds are highly regarded as a classic car, and it's not often you see one with the custom treatment. However, the 1958 through 1960 Thunderbirds (also known as Square Birds) don't get quite as much respect as the more popular 1955 through 1957 models. With this in mind, we love the '59 Thunderbird that Honest Charley built, as they took advantage of the unique body lines of the Square Bird and gave it a traditional "Watson style" look. Keep reading to see how they did it!
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February 17, 2014With the filming of "Backroad Gold", Travel Channel's hit new TV Show, just across the street at Honest Charley, we got an inside look at some of the cars being built for the show. One such car, featured in the second episode of season one is this 1940 Willys sedan that was brought back from Corky and Greg's adventure to California. The Willys came back to Tennessee and received a full rebuild with a heavy military influence. And though Willys didn't enter the military market until World War II, this sedan has a cool look and pays tribute to all of the men and women who have served in the United States military. Keep reading to find out more about this distinct Willys.
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February 17, 2014Our product offerings extend to a number of distinct makes and models, but we have a great deal of authentic products for 1963 to 1967 Corvettes. This year range is commonly referred to as the Midyear Corvette, or the C2, and it is regarded as the most popular generation of the popular Chevrolet sports car. Wheel options for Midyear Corvettes originally ranged from base model wheels that featured full hubcaps (1963-1966), Rallye wheels (1967), and a factory option for "Knock Off" wheels. The Knock Off wheels were not as common as the steel wheel and hubcap combination, so they are highly sought after in the restoration market.
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January 29, 2014We've had a presence on the West Coast for many years, as California has a huge classic car and hot rod following. Our original West Coast Distribution Center was located in Fresno, California, but it made perfect sense for us to move to So-Cal (City of Industry, more specifically), so we could be closer to our steel suppliers, as well as a huge customer base. The new Distribution Center is now fully functional, and the new facility also houses our wheel manufacturing. It's a big move for us, so we threw a Grand Opening party to celebrate!
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January 14, 2014Our great friends, Alan and Mary Travis collect some of the coolest Brass Era cars in existence, and their 1907 Renault is certainly a high point in their collection. This car, despite its laundry list of maintenance and repair, completed the 2012 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty, a feat that that is outstanding for any car. Most recently, the car took home the Director's Choice award at the inaugural Arizona Concours d'Elegance. A deserving automobile, the Renault is a show stopper wherever it goes. Click here to check out the article on Hemmings' website!
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January 09, 2014If you've been following Corky Coker, then you know that he's been on TV multiple times. He's provided tours around the Coker facility, showed how our tires are made, and he's even dragged a few old jalopies out of the barn. The entire crew here in Chattanooga is very excited to announce that Corky's new TV show "Backroad Gold" will debut on the Travel Channel on Wednesday, February 5, 2014, airing at 9:30pm EST.
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November 20, 2013This year's SEMA Show was huge for us. We're still on cloud nine, but we've been busy getting ready for other events, such as the Daytona Turkey Run, PRI and more, so we haven't let off the throttle just yet! At SEMA, we had lots of big news, and made lots of great connections within the industry. Our staff worked hard to make it happen, and we're proud to announce that a few members of our staff received major awards at the SEMA Show. In addition to this, our company won the SEMA Best New Product award in the Tires and Related category with our new American Classic bias profile radial tire! Check it out!
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November 20, 2013We have a great relationship with the folks from Bridgestone/Firestone. Many of our top products are licensed by Firestone, and built in the original molds, so we are constantly in contact with them on a business level. This week, we were able to invite them into our headquarters here in Chattanooga, Tennessee, while they were in town for a group meeting. We welcomed the Bridgestone/Firestone Communications team with a small reception in our museum, and gave them a ride to dinner in Corky's 1936 Yellowstone bus. It was a great time, and we're glad they took the time to visit our place!
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November 14, 2013
Classic car enthusiasts have always had to choose between bias ply and radial tires. The restoration guys prefer the authentic construction and appearance of bias ply tires, while many folks would rather sacrifice the vehicles authenticity to have the ride quality of a modern radial. Previously, we have offered both styles of tires (bias and radial) in whitewall form, but now we offer a tire that blends the best of both worlds. It's the new American Classic Bias Look Radial, and it's the first ever radial whitewall tire with an authentic bias ply look.
We developed a bias look tire a few years ago, and it's known as the Excelsior Stahl Sport Radial. These tires are geared toward pre-war classics and hot rods, so we wanted to fill the gap for all of our great customers who love cars from the late '40s, '50s and '60s. That's where the new American Classic bias look radial comes into play. We have nine great sizes to fit many applications, with authentic wide whitewalls that are built into the tire mold from day one. These aren't grind and glue, add on whitewalls--these are the real deal!We debuted the new American Classic radial at the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, and it was a big hit! The folks at SEMA thought so too, as it was awarded the Best New Product in the Tires and Related category! That is a huge honor, and we're excited to offer this tire to you! These tires have flown off the shelf and have been one our most popular products since they hit the market. We're sure you're wondering what sizes will be offered, so let's get to it:
6.50R13 to fit Chevy Corvair, Chevy II, Dodge Dart, Ford Falcon and many other compact cars from the early '60s!
7.50R14 for classic Chevy Impala, '57 Thunderbird and many more
8.00R14 for many classic makes and models, such as Chevy Impala, Ford Thunderbird, Plymouth, Rambler and more!
5.60R15 to fit classic Volkswagen Beetle, Porsche, MG and Alfa Romeo. This size also works well for the front of hot rods and street rods!
6.70R15 for classic '55-56 Thunderbird, Tri-five Chevy, early Corvette, etc.
7.10R15 for many Buick, Pontiac, Dodge and Studebaker applications
7.60R15 for Buick, Hudson, Mercury and Packard
8.00R15 for Cadillac, Buick, Packard and many other full size classic cars
8.20R15 for classic Cadillac, Lincoln, Buick, etc. This size also works well for the rear of hot rods and street rods!
See why we're so excited about the new American Classic bias profile radial? There are sizes to fit almost any classic car, hot rod or custom from the '40s, '50s and '60s! These tires are backed by our trusted Life of the Tread warranty and they are also eligible for our Extended Tire Protection program. They are DOT and ECE approved, and they are made right here in the USA!
Order your set today and get the authentic looks of a bias ply tire with the modern handling and ride quality of a radial. Coker Tire is your source for exciting new products in the collector vehicle industry, and this American Classic bias look radial is yet another quality product that will keep your classic rolling!
Classic car enthusiasts have always had to choose between bias ply and radial tires. The restoration guys prefer the authentic construction and appearance of bias ply tires, while many folks would rather sacrifice the vehicles authenticity to have the ride quality of a modern radial. Previously, we have offered both styles of tires (bias and radial) in whitewall form, but now we offer a tire that blends the best of both worlds. It's the new American Classic bias profile radial tire, and it's the first ever radial whitewall tire with an authentic bias ply look. -
November 08, 2013Our Executive Vice President, Mr. Wade Kawasaki wears a lot of hats. He plays a large role in our West Coast distribution, as well as a few of our sister companies, which are also operated on the West Coast. He's also a great ambassador for our company, thanks to his heavy involvement with SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association). He's been SEMA Person of the Year, and has a number of great accomplishments throughout his years in the automotive aftermarket industry. Tonight, he was included among other automotive icons, such as George Barris, Eric Grant and Joe Schubeck, by being inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame. We're glad to have him on our team, and we congratulate him for his great achievement.
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November 08, 2013Well, today is the final day that our Media team will be on hand for the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. So, we hit it hard today, and grabbed some great coverage for your enjoyment. We also had our American Classic bias look radial tire press conference this morning, so we had plenty of folks in and out of the booth. Tomorrow is the final day of SEMA 2013, and we'll likely begin thinking about SEMA 2014 on Monday. It's a huge event with all sort of great qualities, and we're glad to have been able to cover it with awesome pictures and videos.
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November 07, 2013Another great day at SEMA 2013 is in the books, and we spent another day walking the show to give you a glimpse of some of the coolest machines on hand. We've been hitting our Instagram and Facebook pages pretty hard, so be sure to check those out, as well as our YouTube channel for cool videos from the show. We didn't have any press conferences today, but man, we had a busy day. It was wall-to-wall action, so take a minute to enjoy some of our favorite shots. See ya tomorrow!!!
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November 06, 2013Wow, what a day! Our feet are tired but we had a heck of a first day here at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas! It's truly incredible to see how this event has changed since its inception 50 years ago. We have been a part of SEMA for quite some time, and this is without a doubt our biggest and best year. We have new products, and big exciting news from our President, Corky Coker. Keep reading to see the highlights from our first official day of SEMA 2013. If you want up-to-the-minute updates, please follow us on Instagram or Facebook and we'll give you all the photos you can handle!
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November 05, 2013We're currently at the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada! It's always an exciting event, and this year we are going all out. We have THREE major press conferences, one of them being the unveiling of the Lencki Six engine, an inline six-cylinder engine that ran in the Indy 500 for many years.We had an incredible turnout for the press conference, with folks like Chip Foose, Bryan Fuller, Troy Ladd and many others taking notice of the updated version of this Indy classic.
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October 17, 2013When you purchase a set of tires from Coker Tire, we do our very best to make sure you're pleased with the shopping experience. Our tires are guaranteed to be free from defects in workmanship and materials for the life of the tread. We call it the Life of the Tread warranty, and it applies to most of our tires, providing a prorated warranty for defective tires. You can take the warranty one step further by opting for our Extended Tire Protection plan, which offers free tire replacement on all tires that are damaged from a cut, snag, bruise, impact, puncture or cosmetic flaw, such as whitewall damage. Some exclusions apply, but look for the "Road Hazard" or "ETP" option during checkout. Make the smart choice and go the extra mile with Coker Tire's warranty program!
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October 16, 2013As if the 1911 Marmon Wasp (winner of the inaugural Indianapolis 500) doesn't have a rich enough pedigree to be considered a rockstar, this sealed the deal! Our Marmon Wasp replica, built by Honest Charley Garage, was actually featured in a rock concert in Scottsdale, Arizona this week. The concert was held in conjunction with a Bridgestone/Firestone Dealer Meeting. Coker Tire was represented at the meeting, due to our involvement with Firestone tires for the vintage market, and we put our Marmon Wasp replica on display in the concert hall, where Foreigner rocked the house! How cool is that???
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September 11, 2013Once again, we blocked off all of the streets in Corkyville, and invited a bunch of our friends to join us for a great day of car guy fun. We had blue skies and LOTS of sun, so folks arrived early in the morning to claim their parking spot. We knew going into the day's event that our overall turnout may be smaller than the April event, due to the schedule conflict with Shades of the Past in Pigeon Forge. We did have a few less cars, but we still had approximately 600 vehicles on hand for the fall Chattanooga Cruise In!
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August 27, 2013In the drag racing world, "Big Daddy" is a household name. His real name is Don Garlits and he is a drag racing legend. He's been around the sport for many, many years, and he's strapped into some of the fastest dragsters in the world. He is an innovator, a true racer and a downright nice guy, and we were lucky enough for him to stop by and hang out for a while today.
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August 17, 2013[caption id="attachment_3876" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Known simply as "the Quail"[/caption] After two days strolling through the dream-scape that is Monterey weekend. Corky Coker and Wade Kawasaki know two things already, wear good shoes and stay prepared to be amazed. This is the world renowned week of priceless classic vehicles, historic races and stacks of top-shelf car auctions that culminates with the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
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July 17, 2013Here at Coker Tire, we sort of glaze over when we think of the cars here at the headquarters and the Coker Tire Museum. We see these cars every day, and sometimes forget just how cool they are. It's important to occasionally take a step back and reevaluate the cars in Corky's collection and let you guys know what makes them so cool. Today's subject is the "Shafer 8" an Indy racecar replica that has become one of Corky's favorite cars of all time.
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July 01, 2013We're proud to announce that Barry and Irene Jason have WON the 2013 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty! The Jason's are a strong force in the rallying world, and they had another incredible stretch of Ace's and awesome scores in order to bring home the 'Bird trophy as well as a check for $50,000! By the way, the Jason's drive a '35 Ford coupe, which rolls on a set of our Excelsior Stahl Sport radial tires! The Great Race crowned a number of winners today in Mobile, Alabama, most of which rally on Coker Tire products. We want to say congrats to all of the winners, as well as all participants in general. The Great Race is a grueling challenge, but it's oh-so sweet when you cross that finish line! We did just that today in Mobile, Alabama, and we're already planning for next year's event! Thanks to everyone who followed along on our blogs and social media sites...y'all are awesome!
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June 30, 2013Whew, what a day! We started in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and headed West on I-10, crossing over the swamp, on our way to a packed house in Crowley, Louisiana! Great Racers Ed Habetz and Tom Regan call Crowley home and they certainly knew how to get the small town excited about the Great Race. Spectators lined the streets and gave us a very warm welcome. Then, we blasted out of town on our way to another over-the-top stop in Covington, Louisiana! It was incredible...one of the biggest stops we've seen in a LONG time! Check out our pictures from today, and check back tomorrow to find out who wins the $50,000 prize at the 2013 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty.
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June 29, 2013As we continue to head South we have officially crossed into Louisiana and we will spend the next two days rallying throughout the state, and finally into Mobile, Alabama on Sunday for the Grand Finish! We're definitely in the Deep South, and we're seeing a lot of great scenery, so check out our favorite shots from today's route, as well as our lunch stop in Natchez, Mississippi and the evening stop in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. See y'all tomorrow!
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June 28, 2013The 2013 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty started in St. Paul, Minnesota, and we've dealt with heat, rain, washed-out road and many more obstacles. Today's biggest obstacle was a grueling route, and upper 90's temperatures. After about 325 miles of rallying, we made our stops in Monticello, Arkansas and Vicksburg, Mississippi and a few fuel and rest room stops in between. It was an awesome day, despite the heat, and we even saw a very cool (accidental) farm sprinkler, which sprayed water into the one of the roads on our route! Today was a challenge for the rally participants, as well as the staff, but we came away with some great pictures, so check 'em out!
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June 27, 2013We're back in Tennessee! Germantown to be exact! We started today's route in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and made an incredible lunch stop in Paragould, Arkansas and then to a Great Race favorite town of Germantown, Tennessee. The Great Race has stopped in Germantown on a couple of different occasions, and it has always been a must-see stop. This year was no different! Today's route was super tricky with lots of hard turns and speed changes, so it gave us plenty of opportunities to grab cool pictures and videos. Here are a few of our favorites!
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June 26, 2013What a day! We had a great day on our Great Race adventures and we're going to show you our favorite shots of the day! We left out from Hannibal, Missouri, and blasted through lots of farm land, which eventually led us to some mountain roads that was an awesome change of pace. Then, we stopped in Washington, Missouri for lunch, and received a warm welcome! Then, we hit it hard and motored south to Cape Girardeau, Missouri for one of the biggest Great Race stops in recent history. The folks at Cape G really came out for the Great Race, and we certainly appreciate their effort! Check out our pics!
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June 25, 2013Yep, we're still on the road, so it's time for some pictures from today's rallying action! Road closures due to flooding shook up today's route, but we made it through to our lunch stop in Peoria, Illinois as well as a rockin' dinner stop in Hannibal, Missouri! Check out even more pictures on the Great Race website and all of our Social Media outlets!
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June 24, 2013We're continuing our nine-day journey down the Mighty Mississippi River with a bunch of rallying through the back roads of Wisconsin and Iowa! We made a stop in Dubuque, Iowa for lunch, then made a run by the river, passing through Bellevue, Iowa. The small town came out in droves to watch the Great Race pass through its main street, so we grabbed a few shots there as well. Then, we cut a trail through the farm land of Iowa, on our way to a final destination of Davenport, Iowa! Check out our favorite shots of the day, and be sure to keep track of our daily progress on our Facebook page and Instagram feed!
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June 23, 2013Wow, what a day! We started off with thousands of hot rodders and car enthusiasts watching as we released the racers one by one. It was an incredible display, and we had Grand Marshall Wayne Carini from Chasing Classic Cars waving the green flag! We had a blast in St. Paul, Minnesota, but it was time for our rolling circus to make its way south, so we high tailed it to Eau Claire, Wisconsin for lunch and then La Crosse, Wisconsin for dinner. Check out our favorite shots of the day!
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June 22, 2013We're in St. Paul, Minnesota for the kickoff of the Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty. We've been super busy with getting all of our gear setup and ready for a nine day journey down the Mighty Mississippi! We're kicking off tomorrow from the Back to the '50s event at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, and we'll be motivating down the most beautiful backroads in America on our way to the final destination of Mobile, Alabama. We started the Great Race with a practice rally today (we call it the Hagerty Trophy Run) and then went to the kickoff reception later in the day. It was a blast and we're ready for a FULL day of action tomorrow, and the next nine days! Also, check out a few shots from the Back to the '50s Car Show here in St. Paul...we saw lots of Coker Tire products out there!
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June 10, 2013We sell tires and wheels all over the world, and we get lots of questions about tire and wheel balancing. Some folks are quick to assume that if the tire/wheel assembly is out of balance that it's a "bad tire" or a "bad wheel", but a lot of factors go into getting the perfect balance. Here, Corky Coker talks about tire and wheel balancing, and how to get it right for your car. Check out the video to learn more about the careful process of mounting and balancing tires and wheels for collector vehicles.
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June 07, 2013We were thrilled when we heard that the Hot Rod Power Tour would be coming back to Chattanooga, Tennessee in 2013. We geared up for a huge event, and that's exactly what it was...HUGE! Thousands of cars came out to Chattanooga State Community College for the official day's stop, while we prepared for an After Party Cruise In at our place! By 5pm, rush hour traffic was jam-packed with hot rods and everyone was headed to Coker!
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May 24, 2013We often have groups come through to tour the Coker Tire facility here in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the wonderful spring weather we're having is condusive to some open air cruising, including a great bunch of motorcyclists who stopped by Friday afternoon for a tour. The riders were a part of the Chad "Chubbs" Lambert Memorial Weekend. They planned ahead with us to reserve enough space and time for a big tour, so we walked them around the facility to show them what the company is all about! The Chad Lambert Memorial Weekend is a great event in remembrance of a great guy, so we're glad they stopped by our place!
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April 23, 2013Members from Hot Rod Magazine, Chattanooga Visitor Bureau, Family Events and Coker Tire Company were on hand in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee today to announce Chattanooga as a stop on the upcoming 2013 Hot Rod Power Tour. The massive car tour visited Chattanooga in 2010 bringing thousands of cars, people and revenue to the city. The 2010 visit made a good enough impression to get the encore opportunity in 2013. The event projects over 3,000 participants rolling onto the campus of Chattanooga State throughout the day, with the event hours scheduled from 12:00pm to 7:00pm. The Chattanooga festivities won't stop at 7:00pm, as there's an after-party planned at the headquarters of Coker Tire Company in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee
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April 10, 2013We promoted the Chattanooga Cruise In to be the coolest Cruise In in the Southeast and by the looks of the turnout this past Saturday, we were right! It was HUGE! The crew had its hands full with trying to get everyone parked, and keep everyone entertained, but it was a great event for Chattanooga, and a great event for Coker Tire. We plan to host many more of these events right here at Coker Tire, including a big block party after the Power Tour stop in Chattanooga on Thursday, June 6th, as well as another one on Saturday, September 7th. The Chattanooga Cruise In brought out nearly 1,000 cars, trucks and motorcycles to Corkyville. It was hard to get an official count of spectators, but we estimate that more than 5,000 people were in attendance. It was incredibly packed all day, and we all had a great time. Take a look at some of our favorite pictures here, but visit our Facebook page and Instagram feed for many more shots! Also, keep an eye on the Chattanooga Cruise In website for updates regarding our future events!!!
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March 08, 2013We get the opportunity to lay hands on some pretty serious cars around here, but this one is definitely in our Top 5 coolest! It's a 1930 Duesenberg Model J Dual Cowl Phaeton and yes, it's rolling on Coker tires.....and wheels! It's a top notch car owned by our buddy Richie Clyne and he wanted us to solve a problem with his old flat-base (lock ring) wire wheels, so we did just that! The elegant Phaeton now rolls on a set of rolled edge wire wheels made by Roadster Wire Wheel, and some of our new Firestone Balloon 700-17 double whitewall tires! It's an amazing look, and we're proud to have gotten this car back on the road! Check it out!
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February 22, 2013We were just informed that the time slot changed for Hot Rod TV on Speed Channel! The Great Race will be featured on an episode of Hot Rod TV, which will air on March 23, at 10am EST. It will re-air on Sunday, March 24 at 7am and 10:30pm EST. Check your local listings just to be sure...you don't want to miss it!
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February 20, 2013Hey, that's not a bad thing, right? We've been working hard this year, and barely took the time to realize this is Coker Tire Company's 55th anniversary! The company has come a long way from its early beginnings as a BFGoodrich tire dealership, as we are now the world's leading supplier of tires and wheels for collector vehicles!
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February 07, 2013We have just been informed that the Great Race television show will air on Speed Channel on Saturday, March 23, at 10:00am EST. It airs as a special episode of Hot Rod TV, and it's going to be awesome! Coker Tire is a major sponsor of the event and it's an extreme passion for all the folks involved in promoting the event, so seeing it on Speed will be great!
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December 21, 2012Some people might call it an addiction, but I love finding old neon signs! If you've ever visited our place here in Chattanooga, Tennessee (by the way, we have free tours Monday through Friday at 10am and 2pm) you've probably seen a few of my signs. I've bought some from the 'Pickers, and I've bought a bunch of other ones, too! In our museum, we have a nice collection of signs, but I wanted a big one, so I picked this one up! This week, my boys installed it on one of our semi-permenant trailers at the loading dock. Check it out...it's huge!
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November 23, 2012Local hot rodder, Lee Schmidt came by the office this week in his beautiful '32 Ford roadster, so we didn't hesitate to ask for a closer look and a ride around the block. Thanks to a tasteful mix of components, Lee's roadster sits just right and has a super clean and traditional appearance. A set of our Firestone Dirt Track tires and Hot Rod Wire wheels sets it off perfectly!
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November 13, 2012[caption id="attachment_3236" align="alignright" width="640"] Pictured left to right: Derek Smith, Steve Smith, Kindall Jolly[/caption] For the past couple of decades, a staple in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area has been a retro-themed car dealership on Rossville Boulevard. Known as Big Hearted Smitty's, the used car lot was quite successful, and had a huge neon sign out front. Steve Smith started the business many years ago, and had the sign built in 1997, by Victory Sign Industries in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. Last year, Steve decided to move his dealership elsewhere, leaving behind the cool sign.
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November 09, 2012When you think of Cadillac, you think of BIG, heavy, luxurious cars with massive fins. The 1959 Cadillac Coupe deVille is one of the most iconic collector vehicles in existence, and we put our hands on a great one today. Gabe Davis is the proud owner and he drove the Caddy from Buford, Georgia this morning. He admits that the old tires were literally OLD tires, possibly from the '70s, so it didn't offer the smooth ride that we normally associate with a Cadillac. Gabe wanted to upgrade to radials, while keeping the vintage style, so he came to the right place!
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October 31, 2012Whew... Man this place is huge. We stayed super busy all day and walked a million miles to do everything, but it's amazing out here. If you turn your head to look at an amazing custom vehicle you'll walk into another one. They're everywhere, and everywhere and everywhere you look. Check out our Facebook page for the endless stream of cool cars and trucks (and bikes) that we're seeing out here. We even managed to see a few celebs like Adam Corolla, Tanner Foust, Chip Foose and of course the fabulous Miss Hurst Shifter Linda Vaughn among the many attendees. We're seeing a ridiculous number of rides wearing Coker tires out here too. If our feet can hold up, we'll keep posting all the cool cars and trucks we see to our Facebook page the rest of the week. Right now, we gotta get some sleep!!!
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October 26, 2012Yesterday, we posted a video of Jim Hildebrand and Ben McKinnon (from Anitque Tyre Supplies in Melbourne, Australia) chatting about cars, tires and other stuff, but we just wanted to post a couple of cool pictures of Ben hanging out with Corky in his 1913 National Racing Type roadster. They happen to be parked in front of "world famous" Honest Charley Speed Shop. Check it out!
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October 25, 2012Sometimes our tour groups relate directly to the products we sell, and sometimes it simply involves a great group of car guys (and girls) that want to see what Coker Tire is all about. Today's tour doesn't relate to our tires, but it certainly relates to the car guy culture. The Florida Corvette club visited Chattanooga, Tennessee, and decided to pay us a visit as well! Check out the photos from their tour!
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October 24, 2012For the past few decades, we've made the long trek to Las Vegas, Nevada for the annual SEMA Show and this year is no different. We just finished loading a couple of tractor trailers with our SEMA booth as well as a bunch of our toys and new product that we want to show off. We're very excited about the event, because there are thousands of great cars and a bunch of our good friends and business partners from around the world! The best part of the event is that we'll be covering it LIVE via the Coker Tire Facebook page!
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October 19, 2012Usually, a t-shirt doesn't rank highly on the scale of importance--we use 'em for work shirts, grease rags and whatever else. We recently encountered something that makes us think differently about the importance of a t-shirt. If you follow our blog, then most of you are familiar with the Chattanooga Cruise In, which is our open house and cruise in held right here at Coker Tire. Last month, we had an overwhelming turnout, with more than 700 cars and thousands of people in attendance. We printed a small quantity of special Chattanooga Cruise In T-Shirts, so with the larger-than-expected crowd, they sold out quickly.
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October 08, 2012The passing of a year of the calendar for kids seems to have very important points during the year like the end of school, Christmas, and birthdays. My calendar year seems to have important dates that focus around car events. As a died-in-the-wool car guy, I know it is Fall for sure when the AACA National Fall Meet, better simply known as Hershey rolls around. If you have never been to Hershey, Pennsylvania for this huge collector car extravaganza, you MUST put this event on your list.
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October 04, 2012As we all know, Indy is the birthplace of speed, so when we heard that a group of Indiana-based car guys (and gals) would be visiting us, we knew they'd have some cool stuff. The group is called the Historic Auto Club of Indiana (HAC of Indy for short) and about a dozen of their cars rolled into our place this week for a visit. From Chryslers to Camaros, this group had a wide range of classic cars, and we're glad they came to Chattanooga for a tour! Take a look!
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October 02, 2012If you've been keeping track of our Cruise In events here at Coker Tire, then you'll quickly realize that we have officially given it a name: the Chattanooga Cruise In. This event has taken off with great success, and we plan to hold more of them in 2013. We will soon be creating a website specifically for the Cruise In, so that we can efficiently handle requests for clubs, parking, etc. All of that aside, we prepared for a big crowd this past Saturday, and boy did we ever get one! With 700 cars on hand and more than 2,000 spectators, we had our hands full all day!
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September 27, 2012You've probably noticed that we've had a bunch of groups visit Coker Tire in the past few months. Today, we had the Eliminators Car Club, all the way from Bucyrus, Ohio! They came in a diverse group of cars, ranging from a '67 Mustang to some more obscure cars, like a '60 Pontiac and a '57 Ford wagon, converted into a sedan delivery. There was even a '64 Ford ex-drag racer, which had all of the documentation, old pictures and event decals to prove it! Other cars included a cool '57 Chevy 150 and a Ford panel truck, rolling on Coker Classic wide whitewalls.
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September 24, 2012A few months ago, we were given the opportunity to sponsor the Somernites Cruise In, which is one of the largest Cruise In events in the country. It's held in Somerset, Kentucky, which is just a few hours north of our headquarters in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Somernites has an event called the Power Cruise, which consists of big groups of cars traveling from a particular starting point and ended up in Somerset. The Somernites event already has starting points in Nashville, Bowling Green, Cincinnati and more. Somernites board member, Keith Floyd came to us with the idea to add a new Power Cruise starting point in Chattanooga and we didn't hesitate to agree to it. Part of the fun would be a Friday night kickoff party at our place, where we could welcome our guests, and show them a good time!