The lettering and numbers on the sidewall of a vehicle's tires indicate size and also give information about the tire's purpose. The "P" at the start denotes the type of vehicle the tire is intended for.
The "P" stands for "P-metric" and means the tire is intended for vehicles primarily used as passenger vehicles.
Vehicles that a P-metric tire would be used on include cars, station wagons, sport utility vehicles and minivans. Light duty pickup trucks with a 1/4-ton and 1/2-ton load capacity are also included.
P-metric tires, the most frequently used type as of 2010, were first introduced in the United States in the late 1970s. The load capacity of P-metric tires is based on a formula which takes into account the physical size and amount of air pressure of the tires.
