Time for this weeks dumb ass whitewall question

As a Brit who was not around in the fifties, I have a stupid question that I'm hoping the more mature members may be able to help me with.
I have noticed that it seems like there are a couple of different ways that companies use to produce a wide white on a tire. One leaves the whitewall sitting flush with the blackwall kinda built in. The other which I believe (but am waiting to be corrected on) is vulcanized rubber, and leaves a coating of whitewall which is raised away from the blackwall. Now personally, I couldn't give a rats *** about which is better cos I own both, but I am very curious as to which method was more prevalent back in the fifties. What say you all? (other than don't ask stupid ****ing questions)
Thanks in advance,
Paul

 

Don't know how much this helps you-

"in the early 1950s whitewall width began to diminish as an attempt to reduce the perceived height of the wheel/tire, during the decade increasingly lower vehicle heights were in vogue. Finally in 1957 the production version of the ultra-exclusive Cadillac Eldorado Brougham was fitted with whitewalls that were reduced to a 1" wide stripe floating on the tire sidewall with a black area between this stripe and the wheel rim. Wide whitewalls generally fell out of favor in the US by the 1962 model year."

The rest of the write up on whitewalls:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitewall_tire

Seems like "style" or popularity was determineds by what the market was providing/the current styles being offered up by the new car makers.

 

Seems to me your asking about the whitewall being higher than the blackwall. As whites were made by applying a layer of black over the white, the only thing I can think of that would give that configuration, is Portawalls. They were a add on white that was held on by the bead. Famous for coming off at 60 mph.

 

I think 61bone is correct with black over the white...most of today's whitewalls are made by vulcanizing a porta-wall type white to blackwalls, that's why they are raised more than the tire itself. I do recall a couple of tires manufactured that had what was called a "curb ring" around the perimeter to keep the white from being scuffed...but I believe that didn't last long.

R-

 

ok rubber is white period the reason why is black is because of graffite in the early days the white rubber was set in to the tire not volcanize like the modern radial tires. hope i answer your question.