The I-94 Big Tire Celebrates Its 60th Anniversary
With the Detroit Sign off I-94 in the news recently. Another giant item that welcomes people to town is celebrating. The Giant Uniroyal Big Tire along I-94 west of Detroit is celebrating 60 years old.
Is It True It Once Was A Ferris Wheel?
That’s correct for the 1964-65 World’s Fair in New York, which was relocated to Detroit in 1965. Built for the 1964-65 World’s Fair in Queens, New York, it carried more than 2 million riders during its time as a 96-passenger Ferris wheel. Anyone who has traveled from Detroit’s Metro Airport toward the Motor City has encountered The Historic Big Tire In Wayne County on I-94.
Thanks To Footage From WXYZ Channel 7 Detroit, We Have A Look Inside The Giant Tire
How Did The Tire Get Here From New York? Did They Roll It Here?
The true story is the tire got here by train. It was shipped by train in 1965 in 188 sections to Detroit, where it was reassembled in four months and placed permanently at the Uniroyal sales office on I-94. The big tire has had a few modifications, including a new hubcap in 1994. Yes, in 1998, like on many Michigan roads, it took a nail in the tire, but for publicity feature to promote the sealing Nail-Guard feature on the tire.

The once Famous Nail In The Tire on I-94
Rock Stars admired the Tire
The Tire has a rock and roll connection. Sir Paul McCartney, amid their Wings Over America tour in 1976, Paul McCartney and Wings posed by the Allen Park Tire off I-94 before their Detroit concert stop.
Putting A Stop To The Big Tire Rumors
Out-of-towners must think something is pretty strange on a first visit to town driving by the Big Tire, like a scene out of a Japanese Godzilla movie. The Big Tire has a rumor instead of a Big Nail attached to its history. The rumor? The tire broke loose from its perch and rolled down I-94, causing chaos: great story but pure folklore. Several arrows have been shot into the tire over the years, and it has been shot at with bullets, but it has never been tagged with graffiti.
Celebrate The Big 60 With The Uniroyal Tire
With the hype of the new Detroit sign made for the upcoming draft, don’t forget our famous Big Tire, which has been a part of the Michigan culture, greeting folks from out-of-towners and being a welcome sign that you made it back home.
Happy Birthday to the Big Tire on I-94!
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