
Towering figure – Kwik Fit founder Sir Tom Farmer dies
With the passing of Sir Tom Farmer, who died peacefully at home on 9 May, aged 84, the UK loses a significant figure within the tyre industry and beyond. Kwik Fit, the company he founded more than half a century ago, is amongst the many who honoured Sir Tom over the weekend.
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Hella brakes available in UK aftermarket
Hella has officially launched its range of brakes into the UK aftermarket, after more than a decade of doing business with brakes in continental Europe. According to the company, the braking lineup goes well beyond pads and discs. It additionally includes calipers, drums and shoes, master and wheel cylinders, and wear indicators, and is complemented by Hella electronics such as brake-by-wire pedals and ABS sensors.
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Accuride confirms German plant closure as insolvency process begins
On 5 February 2025, Accuride Wheels Europe & Asia GmbH applied to initiate insolvency proceedings for its plants in Solingen and Ronneburg, Germany. The proceedings opened on 1 May, with Dr Jan Markus Plathner from legal firm Brinkmann & Partner appointed insolvency administrator. While operations will continue at the Solingen facility, the plant in Ronneburg will be wound up.
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Zamarro: Goodyear Chemical business is ‘inherently more valuable’ now
In November 2023, Goodyear announced that its Chemical, Off-The-Road, and Dunlop brand business were under strategic review. Deemed to be non-core businesses, they were put up for sale with a view to raising “gross proceeds in excess of US$2 billion”. A-year-and-a-half down the road, the Dunlop and Goodyear OTR deals are done. Executives always said the Dunlop negotiations were furthest down the road, but analysts expected the Chemical business to be amongst the most straightforward sales as well.
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Goodyear “anticipates” European “tariff determination”
Following yesterday’s confirmation from ITMA that the “the Chinese Mission in Brussels have been informed by the EU” of an anti-dumping investigation into Chinese-produced car tyres, in addition to a number of other corroborating sources including – for a short time – the European Commission’s own web site, Goodyear’s most senior executives have stated that the US-base tyre maker “anticipates” such a European tariff investigation and subsequent “tariff determination”.
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Goodyear’s US tariff exposure a quarter of industry average
During Goodyear’s first quarter 2025 earnings presentation (on 8 May), chief financial officer and interim Goodyear EMEA president, Christina Zamarro provided some insightful context on the US tyremaker’s position in relation to the round of import tariffs implemented by the Trump administration in early April. Known as “Section 232 tariffs”, we have already seen how investors have favoured Goodyear’s position in terms of the company’s share price remaining resilient and even rising while other premium tyremakers saw their stock plummet. Now thanks to Zamarro, we have some more specifics on the extent to which Goodyear has landed in a tariff-efficient position.
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Hankook Tire – Q1 2025 financial performance
At first glance, the Q1 2025 financial results for Hankook Tire & Technology suggest a whopping 133.6% YoY increase in sales, but this enviable result is easily explained. Consolidated results during this quarter include, for the first time, the performance of Hanon Systems, the automotive thermal energy management solutions firm that Hankook Tire acquired in January 2025. As a result, Hankook Tire’s first quarter financial results encompass both its tyre and thermal management business segments.
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Tyre test exposes all-terrain weaknesses
All-terrain tyres are gaining popularity amongst owners of campers and pick-ups, with their chunky treads promising good traction on all surfaces. But are they really the right tyre for the great outdoors? To answer this question, European motoring associations ADAC, ÖAMTC and TCS assessed eight all-terrain tyres in 225/65 R17, a dimension worn by the VW Transporter and Multivan.
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Goodyear records EMEA operating loss
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has begun 2025 in weak form, reporting a significant drop in both turnover and sales volumes in the first quarter of the year. Groupwide sales fell by 6.3 per cent to US$4.25 billion, while the decline in unit sales was 4.8 per cent, to 38.5 million tyres. The Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region fared only slightly better, with respective declines of 5.2, to $1.28 billion, and 2.0 per cent, to 12.3 million tyres.
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Vredestein Wintrac Pro OE for VW Tiguan
The Volkswagen Group has selected the Vredestein Wintrac Pro high-performance winter tyre as original equipment for its Tiguan SUV in Europe. Apollo Tyres Ltd will supply the Wintrac Pro in size 215/65 R17 99H for fitment on Tiguan models manufactured in Wolfsburg, Germany. To further support Volkswagen customers throughout the ownership cycle, Wintrac Pro tyres will be available on the replacement market.
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UK appointments – Prometeon names Hawley CFO, Heywood National Account Manager
Prometeon Tyre Group has made two key appointments within its UK team. Announcing new roles for Emma Hawley and Darren Heywood, the commercial and off-highway tyre specialist says their promotion demonstrates its “commitment to strengthening its support for customers and enhancing partnerships across the UK and Ireland.” Hawley takes on the position of Chief Financial Officer (CFO), UK & Eire, and Heywood picks up the remit of National Account Manager.
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2.15 million tyre-related MOT failures last year lead to mandatory advisory follow-up calls
Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) data shows that 2,152,849 vehicles failed the MOT due to tyre defects in 2023/24. That figure was just over 2 million the previous year and has been rising steadily from 1.83 million in 2019/20. If that wasn’t bad enough, 36 per cent of these failures – which equates to more than 750,000 vehicles – had previously been flagged with tyre-related advisories.
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Historic triple – Sailun highlights Top 10 achievements
With Sailun entering Brand Finance’s global Top 10 Most Valuable Tyre Brands ranking for the first time, Sailun Group claims a “historic triple” – Three times Top 10. The tyre maker points to a trio of factors that demonstrate its growth ambitions, robustness and dynamism, even in this time of challenging economic conditions: For Sailun, its elevation within the Brand Finance ranking is an honour savoured alongside its growth as a company and recent success in European tyre testing.
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Confirmed: Europe to start Chinese-produced car tyre anti-dumping investigation
After the European Commission (EC) published and then withdrew a web page stating that it will initiate an anti-dumping investigation into Chinese-produced car tyres, news of the investigation has now been confirmed by sources in the UK and Europe. In answer to questions from Tyres & Accessories, ITMA chairman Alfred Graham confirmed that “the Chinese Mission in Brussels have been informed by the EU”.
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Brand Finance Tyres 25 – Michelin retains top spot, Sailun climbs to #10
Brand Finance has published its Tyres 25 report for 2025, and this year the independent brand valuation and strategy consultancy welcomes a Chinese tyre brand into the Top 10 of its Most Valuable Tyre Brands ranking. Sailun arrives in tenth place with a brand value of US$905 million, knocking out Toyo Tires.
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