Half a Century Later, This Off-Roading Essential Is Still the Gold Standard

Go on any off-roading adventure or to any four-wheeling motorsports event, and your chances of seeing BFGoodrich’s archetypal All-Terrain T/A tire are just as high as seeing them mounted to countless Toyotas, Fords, GMs, Jeeps and Land Rovers crawling the trails. There are big, knobby reasons for that.

Since its introduction in 1976, BFGoodrich’s All-Terrain radial has been the go-to choice for both off-road motorsports and hardcore enthusiasts. It was the first of its kind.

That is to say, it was the world’s first-ever purpose-built radial engineered from the ground up, specifically blending both on- and off-road capabilities in a single package. This year, the iconic rubber just turned 50, further cementing its legendary status among fans.

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BFGoodrich

To celebrate this momentous occasion, BFGoodrich just expanded the size range of its fifth-gen A/T tire. Yes, after 50 years, it’s so damn good, it’s only undergone five major revisions. But to see how it got here, let’s look at how the All-Terrain T/A, now called the KO3, became the icon that it is.

Born from the Baja

BFGoodrich

Enter, the world-famous Baja 500 and 1000. Held on the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico, they’re known as some of the most illustrious off-road motorsports spectacles.

Introduced in 1967, they consist of either a closed loop (500) or point-to-point (1000) rally competition that’s no fewer than 500 and 850 miles long. And because the route goes through some of the most grueling terrain and conditions, it demands only the best motorsports gear.

So much, that BFGoodrich developed and engineered the All-Terrain T/A specifically for purpose-built Baja racecars. Because the Baja races are also so demanding, it’s a major testbed for other firms to benchmark their equipment.

For example, other companies have specifically engineered suspension, chassis and other critical components specifically for use in Baja races, many of which are regarded as the best in the industry.

BFGoodrich

However, because the Baja 500 and 1000 cover so much ground, not all of the course is off-road. Major segments take place on paved surfaces.

And while most Baja race cars at the beginning depended on more rugged bias-ply tires, demand for a more adaptable rubber skyrocketed. Particularly as all the racecars suffered from poor performance on blacktop.

From bias-ply to radials

BFGoodrich

It all started in the 1970s. Bias-ply tires still largely ruled the automotive space in North America. Radials were just starting to emerge in the States as a new, more versatile and longer-lasting alternative for on-road performance. Europeans had long adopted radials decades prior.

Vehicle suspension systems were advancing and greater demand for more fuel-efficient rubber with lower rolling resistance increased from the 1973 oil crisis.

BFGoodrich KO3 A/T In Action

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Bias-plies are known for their rugged durability, stronger construction and grippier rolling resistance. Which, of course, made them ideal for heavy-duty off-road use. Only, they still presented major compromises, even for Baja racecars.

BFGoodrich, which was already on a huge roll innovating tires — specifically in motorsports — wanted to branch into the off-roading space. It had already scored multiple victories after inventing the world’s first dedicated high-performance 60-series (60% aspect ratio) radial.

BFGoodrich

That was also the first of its kind to be both street-legal and eligible for motorsports use in America.

In 1976, BFGoodrich approached off-road racing legend, Frank Vessels, to test a new multi-surface-capable tire it was developing.

Having convinced the driver to try its new rugged radial tire by sponsoring his modified 1972 Ford F-100 for the 1977 Baja 1000, BFGoodrich helped him score the ultimate win that year. Since then, the All-Terrain T/A has become a mainstay as other racers have adopted the rubber.

All-terrain tires wouldn’t exist without BFGoodrich

BFGoodrich

Following his win, Vessels agreed to help BFGoodrich further develop the All-Terrain T/A. Once it gained notoriety in the Baja races, BFGoodrich became the prime choice for both off-road racers and casual enthusiasts.

It was so successful that the All-Terrain T/A would retain its original design for a decade before BFGoodrich released its second-generation variant. And it wouldn’t be for another 14 years until the company released its successor, the All-Terrain T/A KO, in 1986.

BFGoodrich

In 2014, BFGoodrich released its fourth-gen version, the KO2. And in 2024, the KO3 launched to continue the lineage.

Today, BFGoodrich expanded the KO3 lineup to include more specific applications. But while other tire manufacturers caught up to create their own versions, their sole existence wouldn’t have been without BFGoodrich.

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