The Sunbeam came with four new-looking tires on the wheels and a spare in the trunk that had never been on the road. Good, right? Maybe not. 
Looking at the spare, I noticed a ridge on the sidewall and an apparent change in material. I believe that the spare is a recapped tire and probably not safe for regular use.
The tires on the car were also problematic. First, they were the wrong size. Sunbeams were shipped from the factory with 600×13 tires. This size is no longer available, and in fact the measuring system hasn’t been used in many years. When I bought the car it had 155r13 tires, which are about 1/2-3/4 of an inch narrower than the originals. 
Second, I could not determine their age. Since 2000, tires have been marked with a Department of Transportation (DOT) four digit code; the first two indicate the week if production and the second pair the year. Before 2000, DOT date codes had three digits, with only the last digit for the production year. My tires had three digits, so they were at least 16 years old. For safety, I deemed these at junk.
I had a few options: (i) locate tires close to the original size, or (ii) buy new wheels and tires. Technology and tastes have 
changed over the past 50 years: Narrow tires on 13 inch rims with tall sidewalls (the side profile of the tire) are out. Large rims–17 inches and up–with narrow profile tires are in. In fact, 13 inch tires are hard to find. I opted for the original look, in part because going modern would mean buying new tires and wheels. Painting the original wheels and shining up the hubcaps gave me the vintage look I wanted but with modern, safe rubber.
Sunbeam 