Pirelli Wins Spa 24-Hour Race for Second Straight Year
Precisely a year after the Vitaphone Racing Maserati MC12 won the Spa 24-Hour race, Pirelli has once again won the most important GT category race of the FIA-GT season. The same car that won a year ago repeated its success in 2006 at the end of a closely fought and gruelling Belgian marathon. The Italian two-seater crewed by Bertolini-Van de Poele- Bartels fought with the Aston Martin of Piccini-Lemeret-Faessler-Deletraz, which was in the lead until a few laps from the end.
Continue ReadingA1GP Cars to Race on the Streets of Manchester
The A1GP World Cup of Motorsport will race on the streets of Manchester, this summer as part of Sky Festival. In a UK-first, six elite A1GP cars and drivers will complete a 1.5 kilometre course, through the centre of Manchester from 2-3pm on Sunday 13 August – the third and final day of the three day free festival. A1 Teams Australia, China, Great Britain, Ireland, Lebanon, and Malaysia will all run on the road course. A1GP uses Cooper control tyres.
Continue ReadingESCO Appoints New International Sales Manager
ESCO, the Brooksville, Florida-based manufacturer of tyre changing tools and equipment, recently promoted Luis Goyeneche to international sales manager. Mr Goyeneche had previously worked for the company in a sales position covering the western United States. After taking on the position, Goyeneche will work with current ESCO distributors abroad, while establishing new accounts in targeted areas.
Continue ReadingThe Hot Cure?
An increasing number of retreading businesses are opting to use the hot-cure process, despite the high initial costs involved in founding a hot retreading plant. This process has distinct geometrical and aesthetic advantages over the pre-cure process, which are necessary to compete with the recent influx of budget Far Eastern tyres. Tyres & Accessories’ latest bilingual Retreading Special supplement investigates this recent trend and features interviews with a number of the industry’s leading opinion makers. Click more to download this complete supplement as a PDF.
Continue ReadingCam Systems Welcomes New Finance Manager
Cam Systems has recruited a new finance and operations manager to join the senior management team at its Gloucestershire head office. The new appointment is 39-year old Kieran Burroughs, who will replace long-serving financial director Richard Abolins, who has left the company to work closer to his home in Taunton.
Continue Reading“Hello, I’d Like to Make a Super Complaint”
Did you know that the tyre business could be subject to a “super complaint” because of poor service in the wider automotive service sector? Did you know that it could cost you as much as £750 per depot if the government is forced to push external regulation on the business? During the recent NTDA conference in Marbella, this subject stood head and shoulders above the rest as most delegates were surprised to hear what a so-called super complaint might mean for them. So what’s behind all this talk of an Office of Fair Trading (OFT) super complaint? Basically the National Consumer Council (NCC) believes that there are too many legitimate customer service complaints being made against the automotive service industry and the tyre trade is being tarred with the same brush in terms of potential consequences. The recent push for action from the consumer point of view also follows media reports highlighting the “garages don’t care” attitude fostered by many consumers.
Continue ReadingMarangoni Unveils Second Ad Campaign
Marangoni has embarked on its second advertising campaign for 2006, continuing the ‘intelligence’ theme which has become synonymous with the brand. The campaign features high quality imagery of ‘intelligent’ animals, with their key abilities reflecting the attributes of the Marangoni Mythos UHP tread pattern.
Continue ReadingATD Buying Minnesota Wholesaler
(Akron/Tire Review) American Tire Distributors Inc. has agreed to purchase Minneapolis-based Samaritan Wholesale Tire Co., which covers eastern Minnesota and parts of western Wisconsin. Samaritan co-owner Jay Halvorson will join ATD to help manage the Minneapolis operation.
Continue ReadingTyrexpo Africa Launch
September will see the launch of Tyrexpo Africa 2006 - the only independent tyre trade event focusing on every aspect of the tyre industry - which will take place from 12 to 14 September at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. Look out for full coverage in Tyres & Accessories magazine and online services over the coming months.
Continue ReadingFalken Tyres Show New FK452 at Max Power Live
Falken Tyres attendance at Max Power Live (at the NEC.), said to be the “Fastest, loudest car show ever”, lived up to expectations according to the company. Inside the halls were filled with stands and bursting with customised cars. Outside was the Speed Arena where people could watch the cars in action. The Falken team designed their exhibit to stand out and, according to company staff it was constantly busy as a result. The Falken girls once again drew in the crowds by giving people signed posters and having their photograph taken. In addition GT4, the Playstation computer game that features the Falken Skyline, had queues of people waiting to play.
Continue ReadingManbat – Approved Supplier to Group Auto Union
Manbat has become an approved supplier of batteries to automotive buying group Group Auto Union (UK). As part of the agreement, the company, the UK’s largest battery distributor, will offer GAU distributors the high profile Numax and Varta brands of batteries, which both offer 99 per cent coverage of UK car parc. GAU recognised Manbat for its excellent sales support package, which encompasses high quality cataloguing, point of sale, extensive availability and range of product.
Continue ReadingMaking the Most of the Internet
Online retailing has come of age and UK consumers are leading the way. Conservative calculations suggest UK e-shoppers bought some £6.9 billion worth of products online in 2005. This year IMRG, the professional body representing online retailers, expects sales to increase to around £30 billion because 45 per cent of shoppers are looking to increase their online spending this year. Despite this, government figures suggest that only 15 per cent of tyre related businesses are represented online. And the 2006 NTDA/Trend Tracker Tyre Wholesaler survey found that over half of respondents described the Internet as “not important” when it came to their part of the business. Tyres & Accessories spoke to Internet specialists from both inside and outside of the tyre trade and found out that fresh business is there for the taking.
Continue ReadingIMT Sold to Oshkosh Truck
(Akron/Tire Review) Service truck maker Iowa Mold Tooling Co. Inc. has been acquired by Oshkosh Truck Corp. The all-cash deal was valued at $131 million, and the parties expect to close the deal by Sept. 30. IMT, headquartered in Garner, Iowa, employs about 375 people, and anticipates that it will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Oshkosh Truck Corp.
Continue ReadingKumho Reports 2Q Sales of £241 million
Kumho’s second quarter sales amounted to 429 billion won (£241.094 million), lower than the 469 billion won figure that was widely expected. At the same time operating profit of 14 billion won (£7.868 million) was said to be similarly disappointing compared with market estimates of 40 billion won. Operating profit fell by 70.5 per cent year-on-year and 45.2 per cent quarter-on-quarter.
Continue ReadingConti, BFNAT Announce Price Increases
(Akron/Tire Review) Continental Tire North America and Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire have both announced prices increases. CTNA said it is increasing prices on all Continental, General, Semperit and private brand medium truck tyres by up to 5 per cent, effective 1 August. BFNAT said it will boost prices on its Bridgestone, Firestone, Fuzion, Dayton, associate and private brand tyre lines by up to 4 per cent, effective 1 September. The increase includes OE, replacement and export sales, and covers passenger, light truck/SUV, medium truck, agricultural and OTR tyre lines.
Continue Reading