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ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — Tires can last up to a decade, sometimes longer.
The biggest one in the world is turning 50.
The owners of the Giant Uniroyal Tire near Detroit allowed dozens of guests inside during a special half-century celebratory event on Wednesday.
The 80-foot-high, 11- to 12-ton tire has stood alongside Interstate 94 since 1965, a year after it debuted at the New York World's Fair. It originally was a Ferris wheel with 24 barrel-shaped gondolas — the brainchild of the architectural firm that designed the Empire State Building. It's been a mainstay in the Motor City ever since, towering over I-94 and drawing the attention of generations of drivers.
Uniroyal brand manager Ray Fischenich (FISH'-uh-nik) says the tire has "been welcoming visitors to the city of Detroit for 50 years."
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