The sidewall of a modern car tyre contains a mass of different symbols, words, letters and numbers. This is essential information about the tyre, so knowing what it all means is important.

Top: This is the tyre name, in this instance the Victra Sport 5 SUV. SUV tyres usually have higher load ratings designed for larger, heavier vehicles which may be towing caravans, horseboxes and other trailers.
Two O’Clock: This is the tyre size, in this case 255/35ZR19. ‘255’ denotes the tyre/tread width, ’35’ refers to the height of the sidewall as a percentage of the tyre width, ‘Z’ refers to the speed rating and ‘R’ refers to the tyre’s radial construction. Most tyres nowadays are radial tyres. ’19’ is the wheel size in inches.
Three O’Clock: This is the load speed rating, 111Y on this tyre. 111 refers to the load capacity of the tyre, and each number has a corresponding capacity, in this case 1090kg.
Four O’Clock: The E4 marking denotes the road-legal status of the tyre.
Six O’Clock: This is the tyre manufacturer, in this case, us, Maxxis.
Nine O’Clock: After the word ‘DOT’, the empty oval in the image below usually contains four numbers, the first two denoting the week number and the second two denoting the year of production.