[xoxoxoBruce]

Back in the dark ages of the motorcar, when there was less that 200 miles of paved road in the entire USA, tires were a major expense. They might last 1,000 miles on your Model-T if you were careful, but on your chauffeured phaeton, only 200 miles. Pneumatic tires had a long way to go, so springy wheels, of many stripes, came along.