(WWJ) -- There are many things that have immediate recall for Metro Detroiters.
The 2003 blackout. The almost-fist fight between Bill Bonds and Mayor Coleman Young. The Boblo Boat. And the painfully popular Giant Slide on Belle Isle -- just to name a few.
But among all of those, there is one Metro Detroit mainstay that almost everyone is familiar with… and that’s the Uniroyal Giant Tire in Allen Park.
There’s been a lot of lore through the years surrounding the behemoth of a landmark, which towers over I-94 between the Southfield Freeway interchange and Outer Drive overpass at 80 feet tall.
The rumor? That the tire once broke loose from its perch and rolled down I-94, causing chaos.
In fact, some locals insist that they have memories of this happening, even reading about it in a very well-known Detroit newspaper in the spring of 1974.
So would you believe us if we told you that was actually true? Well…at least, part of it.
On this episode of The Daily J podcast, WWJ's Zach Clark and Annie Scaramuzzino explore the unique story of the Giant Tire in Allen Park, and the origins of a local myth that has continued to be passed down for over 50 years.
Are you subscribed to The Daily J? If not, do it now for FREE on the Audacy app or wherever you get your podcasts, and get more in-depth audio stories like this one delivered to your phone or tablet every Monday through Friday.