Hankook Gives Away 40-inch TV
Jules Crawford is looking forward to a clearer picture ahead after winning a brand new LCD TV courtesy of Hankook. Crawford who lives in Downton won the 40-inch TV as part of a summer promotion from the tyre giant which is also offering motorists a free tyre check. “I’m thrilled winning the television,’’ said Jules who collected her prize from Downton Tyre and Autocare. “It was a real surprise to find I had been picked out after I had my tyres checked.’’
Continue ReadingContinental Puts European Tyre Prices Up 5%
Continental AG has announced that it will increase its European passenger car and light truck tyre prices (across of all brands) by 5 per cent. According to a company statement, the price hike comes in response to offset rising raw materials and energy costs and will take effect on 1 October. Continental increased prices by between 3 and 4 per cent in June. In the UK, Continental Tyre Group will be increasing its prices a month earlier on 1 September, a move the company describes as being in line with the UK market strategy. The UK price rise will be in line with the wider European increase – 5 per cent across all passenger, van and 4x4 tyres and all Continental group brands. Continental is reportedly in the process of notifying customers this week.
Continue ReadingIndian Tyre Industry Faces Price Fixing Probe
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has suggested that there may be an issue of price fixing within the Indian tyre industry. According to a study carried out at the Jawaharlal Nehru University and commissioned by the CCI, certain companies have enjoyed similar sales realisation with “widely differing profit rates.”
Continue ReadingSecond Istanbul Eurasia Lastik & Jant Show Announced
The second annual Eurasia Lastik & Jant Show has been announced for 23 – 26 April 2009 at the CNR Expo Centre, Istanbul, and is open for exhibitor applications. The tyre, rim, battery and service equipment fair provides an excellent platform for manufacturers and distributors wishing to showcase products in one of the world’s fastest-growing automotive industries, while the exhibition promises to provide the opportunity for the development of new markets for visitors and exhibitors alike. With 64,000 visitors from 14 countries, 170 brands and 120 exhibitors present, the show looks to be a must for all with an eye on the Eurasian market.
Continue ReadingTÜV Sud Shows Michelin Energy Saver as Lowest Cost
Independent testing organisation TÜV Sud has shown that Michelin’s Energy Saver tyres lend motorists considerable savings over competitors’ brands. The Energy Saver proved to have a considerable advantage over rivals in a direct comparison in terms of longevity and fuel consumption; on average, the tyre cost £8.12 less per 1,000 miles in the 205/55R16V size category, and £5.58 less in the 195/65R15H section. The tests involved running the tyres on identical cars for more than 14,000kms. To ensure fairness, the tyres and drivers were rotated on the vehicles, discounting the role played by these different variables. Earlier results from TÜV Sud tests had shown the tyre to be among the best in terms of wet braking performance, in addition to their money-saving properties.
Continue ReadingMAM Online Workshop Management Software
MAM Software is introducing new software to help workshops manage their business effectively. Deployed as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Autowork Online will be accessed online via an Internet browser – so theres no software to install, manage, or update. Following-on from MAMs popular Autowork application, Autowork Online will offer functionality for managing all core workshop activities including creating job cards and invoices, managing work diaries and maintaining accurate service records. Furthermore, it will provide a range of web-driven features including vehicle registration mark (VRM) lookup, Autocat+ parts cataloguing, repair times, technical data and online parts ordering.
Continue ReadingDunlop Sweeps Out of Nigeria
Dunlop, the last tyre manufacturer with a factory in Nigeria, is set to leave the country, favouring the importation of tyres from other nations such as South Africa. The decision is said to be inspired by the persistence of power cuts, unreliable gas supply, a rise in manufacturing costs and inconsistent governmental tariffs, which allowed imported tyres to gain the upper hand in the domestic market. The company stated that it had reached an impasse with the Nigerian government, after failing to persuade it to alter the prohibitive tariff structure. The government said that local manufacturing could not meet the market demand, though Dunlop argued that the current tariffs, coupled with energy costs and unreliability, made the improvement of production capacity impossible.
Continue ReadingHofmann Megaplan Enlarges Field Support
Hofmann Megaplan has recently made two additions to its field support team. Rob Tomkins has joined in the capacity of Training & Technical Support, carrying out installation and training to customers to an advanced level. He has spent nine years in the tyre industry, having previously been a tyre fitter and progressing to Branch Manager with Just Tyres.
Continue ReadingBridgestone Increases UHP Tyre Production in France
Bridgestone Europe has invested 32 million euros in increasing production capacity at its Béthune, France, passenger-car tyre plant. According to the company, the investment will extend the plant high performance tyre production output by up to 1000 tyres a day from 2009. The Bridgestone Béthune plant currently produces around 25,000 passenger-car tyres a day and employs more than 1,250 people. Bridgestone Europe operates seven manufacturing plants (in France, Spain, Italy, Poland and Hungary), producing both passenger car and truck and bus tyres. The new production facilities will manufacture Bridgestone’s latest generation passenger-car tyres including ultra high-performance tyres and winter tyres.
Continue ReadingPCL Revamps Website
PCL has launched a revamped website at www.pclairtechnology.com. The new site showcases the company’s range of products, including its electronic tyre inflation equipment and enhanced air tool and air treatment ranges - all featuring the company’s new branding. In addition, brochures and product data sheets are available as downloads, and, for those who need advice and information, the site provides contacts for all worldwide locations, along with details of UK distributors and sales and support services.
Continue ReadingGoodyear Plans Commercial Tyre Unit for China
Chinese news sources are suggesting strongly that plans are in progress at Goodyear for a new US$500 million facility in Dalian, China. It is said that the plant will be launched in 2010, and will produce commercial truck tyres for the Chinese market – a first for the US giant. Perhaps these reports are a little more speculative than they first seem. Back in February, T&A reported on www.tyrepress.com that Goodyear were on the verge of signing an agreement to invest up to US$1 billion – a huge figure by anyone’s estimations – in a Dalian-based venture.
Continue ReadingSnap-On Signs 3-Year Aston Martin Sponsorship Deal
Snap-on Tools has announced a three-year sponsorship deal with Aston Martin Racing, which recently won the GT1 class at the recent Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race. The 009 Aston Martin Racing DBR9, driven by David Brabham, Antonio Garcia and Darren Turner – resplendent in its iconic Gulf livery (pictured) – took the Le Mans specialist class victory for sports cars which are based closely on their road-going equivalents. This was the second consecutive victory for Aston Martin Racing in the GT1 Class. “We were delighted to have been able to announce just before Le Mans our three year partnership with Aston Martin Racing,” says Terry Barcham, Managing Director of Snap-on Tools. “Aston Martin Racing’s exhilarating success at this year’s Le Mans gave us particular pleasure. There is no doubt that we benefited considerably from the extensive television and press exposure and we look forward to a successful and mutually beneficial partnership.”
Continue ReadingContinental Shares Plummet, Michelin’s drop
Shares in Continental AG have fallen by the most significant margin in seven years – 11 September 2001 – in Frankfurt, leading to the downgrading of the stock by Merrill Lynch. The decline of up to 8.1 per cent today, report financial news sources, sees the stock plummet to 53.65 euros. For the year, Continental’s stock is down 40 per cent, its value now down at 8.7 billion euros. The fall comes as a result of a variety of challenges to automotive stocks including the rapid ascent of raw materials costs and the decline in demand from traditional markets. Concurrently, French competitor Michelin faced a similarly difficult day on the markets, with shares declining by 5.9 per cent in Paris. Overall, Bloomberg’s Europe Auto Parts & Equipment Index – including the two manufacturers – is down in 2008 by 31 per cent, having included the not inconsiderable hit from today’s declines for its two biggest members, being down 4 per cent for the day.
Continue ReadingMaverick USA Monitors More Tyre Pressure
Having reached the end of its first year of the installation of tyre pressure monitoring systems, Maverick USA has decided to expand the initiative. The company, which incorporates Maverick Transportation LLC, Maverick Logistics LLC and Maverick Truck & Trailer Sales, has gathered positive results on the 1,000 integrated systems from WABCO already installed. The company has claimed that the IVTM systems have led to data that allows the innovation of fuel efficiency methods, as well as the prevention of expensive tyre damage, lowering maintenance costs and decreasing equipment downtime. All of this has led to the plans to expand the installation of the systems to more of the company’s logistic fleet.
Continue ReadingDunlop India Acquires British Component Maker
Dunlop India has bought Schlegel Automotive, one of Britain’s largest auto component manufacturers. The company supplies rubber sealings to major car manufacturers, such as Ford, Toyota and BMW. Dunlop India has been part of the Ruia Group for three years, when the corporation bought the tyre manufacturer’s ailing Indian operation.
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