Disqualification Gives Pirelli Victory in Bahrain
In the final FIA GT Championship event, held at Sakhir, Bahrain, in late November, the Ferrari 550 Maranello driven by Gabriele Gardel has been excluded from the final results because the vehicle did not contain the required minimum of three litres of fuel in its tank at the end of the race. The disqualification (which is being appealed) cancels the points earned by Gardel, so that the FIA GT Drivers Championship goes to Michael Bartels and Timo Scheider in the Pirelli P Zero Racing-shod Maserati MC12 of the Vitaphone Racing Team.
Continue ReadingHi-Q to Receive ‘Significant Investment’
Goodyear Dunlop is planning a “significant investment programme” for its Hi-Q chain, managing director Dick Johnson has revealed. “The Hi-Q network is an asset and the majority of stores will remain under Goodyear Dunlop ownership. We are going to invest in people, training, marketing and systems and develop a new franchise programme that will complement our company owned stores to create a strong nationwide network,” he explained.
Continue ReadingRun-flat tyres – further advice from the TIC
Run-flat tyres are becoming increasingly commonplace on the roads of the UK as more car manufacturers fit these advanced tyres as standard equipment or as an optional extra. However, there are still some misconceptions surrounding the fitment and use of this new type of tyre and the Tyre Industry Council has issued the following guidelines.
Continue ReadingPirelli Stars in German Winter Tyre Tests
Pirelli winter tyres performed well in tyre tests organised by leading German motoring magazines, Auto Zeitung, Adac Motorwelt, Auto Motor und Sport, Autobild, Sport Auto, Auto Bild Alles Allred, Automobil and Promobil. The results were achieved across the tyre spectrum, from uhp tyres to SUV and touring tyres, plus winter run-flats.
Continue ReadingHeigold to Lead Goodyear NAT Business Operations
(Akron/Tire Review) Fred Heigold has been named vice president of business operations and integration for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.’s North American Consumer Tire Business unit. Heigold will report to Larry Mason, president of the unit. Most recently, Heigold was CEO of Phogenix Imaging, a joint venture of Eastman Kodak and Hewlett Packard. He began his career with Eastman Kodak in 1971, and served in various research and development, manufacturing and general management positions, including several international assignments.
Continue ReadingToyo Adds Sizes to Proxes 4 Line
(Akron/Tire Review) Toyo Tire USA Corp has added 13 sizes to its Toyo Proxes 4 ultra-high performance tyre line, including two 24-inch sizes. The new sizes include 275/35R18, 295/30R19, 245/45R20, 255/30R20, 295/30R20, 295/25R20, 255/35R22, 235/30R22, 265/30R22, 285/30R22, 305/25R22, 255/30R24 and 275/30R24.
Continue ReadingMichelin to Make $80 Million Investment in Plants
(Akron/Tire Review) As was first reported by Tire Review, Michelin North America (MNA) plans to invest $80 million over the next six years to upgrade equipment and increase capacity at its semi-finished rubber production facilities in Sandy Springs and Starr, South Carolina.
Continue ReadingCTNA Goes Online With Financial Claims System
(Akron/Tire Review) Continental Tire North America (CTNA) launched what it called “the first online financial claims management system” for dealers in the North American tyre industry. The online effort is “designed to streamline the processing of financial claims for CTNA’s business partners and to eliminate a majority of the documentation which was previously submitted in hard copy format,” the company said.
Continue Readinge-tailer: Longer Service Intervals Can Lead to Safety Issues
Motorists are reportedly spending less time in garages than they have before because of longer periods between services. This could all mean dangerous tyres are not getting spotted. Online tyre retailer, Rubberball.co.uk, has warned service routines are now stretching to 20,000 miles or longer, tyres are not being checked for as much as 10 years.
Continue ReadingThe Tire Society Publishes Journal Online
The Tire Society has released an online version of its quarterly journal, Tire Science and Technology. The online journal reportedly includes the world’s largest collection of critically reviewed literature on tyre science and technology; fully searchable journal index, including title, authors, keywords, abstract, and other bibliographic details.
Continue ReadingContinental AG Appoints Uniroyal Distributor in Australia
(Brisbane/Australian Tyre Dealer) Continental Corporation, one of the world’s leading automotive industry suppliers and the largest tyre manufacturer in Germany, has appointed Hamilton Tyre & Rubber Company Pty Ltd as the Uniroyal tyre distributor for Australia effective immediately.
Continue ReadingChinese Mould Maker Grows in Influence
Xiamen-based Shengjeng Machinery Co, Ltd was founded in 2000. Since then, the rubber mould manufacturer’s customer base has swollen to include well-known companies such as Chengshin (the maker of Maxxis tyres). The company employs more than 150 people and reportedly turns over $1,000,000 each year. 40 per cent of the moulds they produce are for export.
Continue ReadingJax and Quick Fit Merge
(Brisbane/Australian Tyre Dealer) Two of the best-known names in Australian tyre retailing and associated services have joined forces to become a major power in the business. JAX Tyres was established in 1949 and Quick Fit Tyre Service in 1995, both proudly Australian owned. Combined, they have a current annual turnover of around $100 million.
Continue Reading“NR Price Rise has Cost Indian Tyre Industry 8.8 billion Rupees a Year”
(India/Rubber Asia) With annual consumption by the Indian tyre industry of over 400,000 tonnes of natural rubber (NR), “a price increase of just 1 a kilogram, imposes an annual financial burden of over 400 million rupees on us,” says Paras K Chowdhary, CMD of Ceat Tyres and chairman of Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA) of India. The average price of NR has gone up from 39.17 rupees/kilo in 2002-03 to 63 rupees in 2005-06 (October) — an increase of 23 a kilo in about three years. This translates into about 8,800 million rupees annual financial burden on the Indian tyre makers, he said. (1$ = about 44 rupees).
Continue ReadingHayes Lemmerz Increases Ownership in Turkish Joint Venture
Hayes Lemmerz International, Inc today announced that it has increased its ownership stake in its Turkish aluminium wheel joint venture, Jantas Aluminyum Jant Sanayi ve Ticaret AS (aka Jantas Aluminum Wheels), to 60 per cent.
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