2026 Michelin Tire Giveaway, Round 9—Pick Your Favorite!
It’s time for Round 9 of our monthly Michelin/BFGoodrich Tire Giveaway! Our partners at Michelin USA have granted us the ability to hand out brand new sets of Michelin, Michelin Classic, and BFGoodrich tires to select BaT auction winners. But we hate to play favorites within the BaT community, so we’re asking for your help in choosing which vehicle is most worthy of new rubber.
We’ve identified four candidates below, all no-reserve vehicles wearing older or mixed generic tires (or both). We want you to tell us which you’d like to see get a free set of new Michelin, Michelin Classic or BFGoodrich tires! Let us know your vote in the comments, and please vote for one car only. As with our Question of the Week contests, we heavily favor the People’s Choice—but on occasion, we reserve the right to hand the prize to the most appropriate candidate in our view. Since the auctions close over the course of a few days, voting will remain open until midnight Pacific time on Tuesday, October 20. That gives you time to think, and gives the auctions time to run their courses. We’ll tally the votes and announce the winner on Wednesday, October 21.
In no particular order, here are your candidates!
5k-Mile 1990 Ford Thunderbird Super Coupe Anniversary Edition
The MN12 Thunderbird may have been a tough sell to Ford brass, but ironically, it was the longest-lived generation. By 1990, the Thunderbird name had been with Ford for 35 years, a milestone celebrated with just under 3,500 Anniversary Edition Thunderbirds based on the Super Coupe trim level. This one had its fuel system refreshed in July 2026, but its 35th Anniversary wheels are still wearing periods rubber. A fresh set of Michelins would go a long way toward keeping this ‘Bird moving.
1991 Dodge Ram W250 4×4 Cummins
The 1991 Dodge Ram W250 was an old truck even when it was new, sporting a design that had been used since the 1970s. But the legendary 5.9-liter Cummins inline-six diesel mill that saved it, and arguably the entire lineup. This example hasn’t seen anything but calloused hands since it first went to work in Washington and Idaho, amassing a reported 260k miles along the way. It’s a little rough around the edges, and its air-conditioning system is presently disconnected, but a nubbly set of BFGs should be first order of business for the next owner.
Next, we have this 1995 Suzuki Cappuccino, which may be the first Japanese kei car to enter this contest. Welcome, little one! The Cappuccino was powered by a zippy turbocharged 658cc three-pot mounted to give the platform a near perfect 50/50 weight distribution. This one was imported from Japan in June 2026, and the seller recommends catching up on some maintenance items. A fresh set of Michelin or BFG rubber would be a good place to start.
2010 BMW X3 xDrive30i M Sport 6-Speed
We’ll let this E83 BMW X3 see us out. 2010 was the final year for this generation, and this example sports the sportier Sport Package, which includes sport suspension, sport seats, and an M Sport steering wheel. It also features a six-speed manual gearbox attached to its 260-horsepower N52 inline-six. It’s nice to see a potentially boring daily driver spec’ed out by an enthusiast. A number of maintenance items were done under current ownership, and a new set of Michelins should tie it all together.
These are your nominees! Voting ends at midnight Pacific on October 20. Which vehicle should drive away on a new set of Michelin or BFGoodrich tires? Get into the comments and let us know what you think!
