Avon tyre date code

[Martin Prior]

I've acquired an A7 wheel with what appears to be a perfect, zero-miles 3.50x19 sidecar tyre fitted.

BUT the only thing that I can find that looks anything like a date code (on a small, oval panel with "screw heads" moulded in) reads M033.  I think that this means that it was manufactured in week 3 of 1983, in which case it's only fit for yard shunting.

Can anyone confirm this date?

[Jack in the Box]

Martin,

Don't know if it helps but the new ones I bought this year show M4918, which suggests week 49 in 2018. I'm stumped as to which year ending in 3 yours refer to as I also have some M1002's. I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will tell us.
Alan

[Austin Carr]

As the 3 digit code was used until 2000, it could be 1993. Only digit for year and not one for the decade because tyres weren't expected to last for more than 10 years.

[Martin Prior]

If I've understood it correctly, three digits date from the 'eighties, three followed by a triangle are 'nineties and four digits are 2000 onwards.

[Austin Carr]

From an American site but I assume the same in the UK but did Avon use a triangle? 

This is where it gets confusing -- there’s no universal identifier that signifies which decade, so in this example the tire could have been manufactured in 1982 or 1992. Some tires do have a small triangle following the DOT code to indicate the 1990s.

[Ian McGowan]

Hi Martin, this link explains UK DOT markings completely and simply.
https://www.oponeo.co.uk/blog/tyre-s-dat...anufacture

[Chris KC]

Crikey, would it have been too much trouble for a human to do the voice-over?

[Martin Prior]

Thanks, Ian. That was where I got my information from.

[Ian McGowan]

Ooops!! LOL