Loeb Claims 49th Career Win on Pirelli’s New Sottozero
He’s one away from the ‘big five-oh’…Rally Norway, the sole all-snow round of the World Rally Championship, was the scene of five-time WRC champion Sebastien Loeb’s 49th career win – it also marked the first competition victory for Pirelli’s brand new generation of Sottozero studded winter tyre. Loeb’s Citroën kept the Pirelli-equipped Ford Focus RS WRC of Mikko Hirvonen at bay throughout the event, finishing the three-day rally after what Pirelli has called a ‘close battle’ with the Finnish driver. In past years, spiked winter tyres for world championship winter rallies used to be of a special narrow size, designed to bite through soft snow to the harder surfaces underneath. This year, as part of the Pirelli supported FIA cost-cutting drive, Pirellis tungsten-tipped Sottozero winter tyres – each of which contains 384 studs – have been designed to fit on standard 15-inch gravel wheel rims.
Continue ReadingSinton Tyres Stocking the Latest Cooper 4×4 Range
In spite of the economic downturn, Sinton Tyres reports that its customers are happy to continue investing in their SUVs and off road vehicles – and the Cooper All Terrain (Discoverer ATR) and mud pattern (Discoverer STT) thus remain as popular as ever, with the Discoverer ST remaining a firm favourite with those enthusiasts who want a 40 per cent on-road/60 per cent off road tyre. The latest products to find a stall in the Cooper stable are the Zeon XSTA, which replaces the Sports HP in the Discoverer range, and the Zeon LTZ, which comes in American truck sizes but is also suitable for some UK conversions. Both are suitable for the aftermarket.
Continue ReadingCJ Bird Reports ‘Going the Extra Mile’ with Michelin
Welsh haulage firm CJ Bird Transport regularly clocks up 500,000 km on its Michelin drive axle tyres and 600,000 km on its Michelin trailer tyres thanks to an active programme of tyre husbandry carried out by independent tyre dealer Celtic Tyres. The Llantrisant-based company specifies Michelin as original equipment wherever possible, and the tyres’ longevity means many of the trucks it purchases never need to be fitted with a new replacement tyre during their life on the fleet.
Continue ReadingBridgestone Stock Up After Credit Suisse Upgrading
Bridgestone’s stock jumped 3.9 per cent to 1,332 yen (10.17 pounds sterling – 1 GBP: 131 JPY), when Credit Suisse reported that its new stock rating was “outperform”, from a previous ranking of “neutral.” The bank also raised its target price to 1,700 from 1,400, reasoning that the manufacturer has shown resistance to generally negative market trends. The upgrading could be taken positively in the wider tyre business too. In his report, Credit Suisse analyst Toru Iwai wrote that, “We believe the tyre subsector is the only auto parts subsector capable of generating profits in FY09. We believe top-line growth, a major factor in assessing the company, will likely recover faster than auto production.”
Continue ReadingKumho Reviewing Global Creative Account
Kumho Tire is conducting a review of its creative business in eight key global markets. The account under review is said to cover all markets outside of Korea and Japan, and is believed to be worth between US$5 million and $10 million. Submissions from interested agencies will be evaluated following the late February close date.
Continue ReadingWould-Be Recycler Fined for Breaking Storage Law
Borough Recycling Services, a company hoping to construct a new tyre shredding plant near Folkingham, Lincolnshire, has been fined £10,000 after it was found to be storing a quantity of baled tyres 100 times greater than is allowed by law at its existing Kirton Holme-based operation near Boston. The company admitted that it had failed to obtain the correct permits for storing the tyres, alongside other related charges brought after the Environmental Agency visited the site.
Continue ReadingSurvey Shows Motorists Are Downsizing
A survey by LV= car insurance has revealed that almost one in five UK drivers (19 per cent) has downsized or sold one of their cars since the onset of the credit crunch in a bid to save money. The main reason given by motorists for downsizing their vehicle over the last eighteen months was to save money in fuel (61 per cent) while nearly a third (29 per cent) said they did it to cut the cost of road tax. Those who downsized their vehicle estimate they have already saved an average £309. Despite the emphasis from the Government on greener driving, only one in six (15 per cent) of those who had downsized cited environmental concerns as part of their decision.
Continue ReadingApollo Tyres to Receive OTR Investment Loan from BEML
In 2007 Apollo Tyres entered into an agreement to supply OTR tyres to Indian mining equipment manufacturer BEML, and on February 13 the tyre maker announced it will receive a Rs 1 billion (£14.45 million) loan from the state-owned enterprise to cover the costs of a new facility that will meet anticipated BEML demand. The first phase of Apollo’s new OTR tyre facility in Gujarat, being built at a total cost of Rs 1.2 billion (£17.34 million), will be dedicated to output for the equipment manufacturer. Further investments to boost the production of radial OTR tyres will also be made over the next three years, Apollo announced. While the first batch of tyres from the new facility has already been shipped to BEML, the factory is expected to commence continuous production in March.
Continue ReadingWages Frozen at Michelin North America
Wages for Michelin employees in the US, Canada and Mexico are to be frozen throughout 2009. The company, whose net income dropped more than 53 per cent in 2008, is also eliminating bonuses this year for the five or so per cent of Michelin North America employees normally eligible for such an entitlement. In light of the severe and continuing global economic downturn and its impact on the tire markets, Michelin is taking additional actions to protect cash flow, reduce costs and maintain competitiveness,” said Michelin North America chairman and president Dick Wilkerson. The company is profitable in North America. We are taking what we think is prudent action.”
Continue ReadingJohnson Controls Improves Varta Website
Johnson Controls has made a number of improvements to its Varta website, aimed at making navigation of the site easier for retailers and end users. Greater focus has been placed on the Varta product range, with an easy-to-follow menu and information tools for stockists and motorists. The current marketing campaign theme is also integrated in the website. A download feature allows retailers to access sales folders, flyers, press information and photographs, while motorists can use the database to select the correct battery for their car, plus a list of local stockists. A bulletin board contains news on latest technologies and recycling systems. The website can be found at www.varta-automotive.com and, to mark the overhaul and new marketing campaign, a newly-designed battery stand is available to automotive battery retailers in the UK.
Continue ReadingTakata From Wolfrace
Wolfrace has added a new wheel to its Asia-Tec Black range; a range of wheels with a Japanese bias. The wheel is called Takata and features a dark grey Graphite matt finish, offset by a durable red anodised rim. The target market for the Takata is large, powerful, Japanese vehicles and hot hatches and it comes in two sizes (7.0x17 and 8.0x18) with both four and five stud fitments, to fit a variety of different models.
Continue ReadingAuto4 to Supply Stapletons Tyre Services
Auto4 has been appointed by Stapletons Tyres to supply workshop equipment and consumables. Auto4 has reportedly won the contract to supply tyre consumables to Stapletons retail and dealership networks.
Continue ReadingTyreSafe Promotes Bike Tyre Awareness
In the run-up to April’s Bike Tyre Safety Month, TyreSafe is calling on tyre retailers to help raise awareness of the importance of tyres in bike safety. Statistic from VOSA reveal that in 2007/08, defective or illegal tyres was recorded as the fourth most common MoT failure defect. Worryingly, the number of MoT failures attributed to defective tyres has grown year on year for the past three years, increasing from 2.8 per cent of motorcycles tested in 2005/06 to 4.8 per cent in 2007/08. Meanwhile, motorcycle fatality rates remain high, with Department for Transport figures showing that in 2007, 588 motorcyclists died in road traffic accidents, accounting for 20 percent of all fatalities on the road.
Continue ReadingBridgestone Won’t Colour MotoGP Compounds
Though its different compounds in Formula One were coloured last season to generate interest among spectators, Bridgestone told motorsport news sources that it has no plans to incorporate a similar scheme into its tyres for the new MotoGP season, of which it is the sole tyre supplier. While the move to slicks in F1 in 2009 will make it as hard for the company to continue its colouration as it would to colour motorcycle tyres, it has been suggested that the company will colour the sidewall of its softer compound tyre green, where last year’s F1 tyre had a white stripe in the softer compound’s tread pattern. The same cannot be said for its plans in MotoGP: “Presently there is no plan to differentiate tyres in MotoGP as is done in Formula One,” a Bridgestone spokesman told crash.net.
Continue ReadingSPD May Support Schaeffler State Aid
Germanys Social Democratic party (SPD) is reportedly “open in principle” Continental AG major shareholder Schaeffler Group with state aid, SPD chairman Franz Muentefering told reporters in Berlin. “Situations can arise in which you need to help many, many families in order to prevent a catastrophe…Then you need to do it,” Muentefering added. The politician didn’t give any details of how government discussions on how the government’s discussions with Schaeffler could work out.
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