Yokohama HPT Instrumental In Donut World Records
Yokohama HPT was instrumental in stunt driver Terry Grant’s success in claiming two new World Records at last month’s Autosport International show. Grant chose Yokohama tyres and TSW alloy wheels for the cars he used to shatter the existing records for performing donuts. As Grant was the previous record holder, he was aiming to smash own achievement for the number of cars performing donuts simultaneously by a single driver. The technique involved setting one car donutting, locking the throttle and steering, leaving the spinning car, getting into another car and repeating the process. Terry’s previous record was for three cars but he went one better to set the record with four cars concurrently donutting, to rapturous applause from the audience in the show’s Live Action Arena.
Continue ReadingPirelli Results in Dakar Mean Continued Support for 2006
Pirelli achieved extremely positive results overall in the Lisbon-Dakar, the first of the year’s rally-raids. The optimum fourth place of the private Tatra entered by the Petrobras team and driven by the talented Brazilian specialist De Azevedo, showed once more the strong qualities of the Pirelli Truck tyres, built in Izmit, Turkey. As well as scoring an optimum overall placing, the fast Brazilian driver also became the top placed private entrant, confirming his notable ability and the high calibre of his team. The retail standard Pirelli PS22 tyres demonstrated their decidedly robust qualities and were able to deliver exceptional torque, even in the most difficult conditions and situations. The tyres’ achievement of three second and two third places on different Dakar stages also confirms the exceptional speed capability of these tyres by Pirelli Truck.
Continue ReadingNew Appointment at Amtel-Vredestein Voronezh Tire Complex
Amtel-Vredestein N.V. has appointed Victor Tuluk as general director of Amtel-Chernozemye Tire Production Complex in Voronezh. He replaces Vyacheslav Chemerinsky. Vyachelsav Chemerinsky, who leaves the company to pursue other interests, will remain a member of the board of directors at Amtel-Chernozemye. He is also a deputy of the Voronezh Duma. “Vyachelsav has expertly managed the arduous task of bringing our Voronoezh facility into the 21st century. We are grateful he will remain on the plant’s board,” said Amtel-Vredestein CEO, Alexei Gurin.
Continue ReadingIs Pirelli Planning IPO For Tyre Unit?
(Akron/Tire Review) Multiple news reports say that Pirelli SpA is looking to spin off its tyre unit as a separate entity, and launch an initial public offering of stock. Forbes.com reported today that Goldman Sachs will likely be appointed to handle the IPO. News speculation in Milan says the Italian tire and telecommunications giant planned to separate its global tyre operations into a stand-alone company. Pirelli has not commented on those reports, though.
Continue ReadingNew ConRad Tyre Strengthens Continental Radial Range
Continental Tyres has introduced the new ConRad tyre, a powerful addition to its radial industrial range. The manufacturer describes the ConRad is “ideally suited for heavy transport or lift trucks carrying loads up to 10 tonnes in weight, operating on smooth, paved and mixed terrain.”
Continue ReadingConti Tyres on 70th Anniversary 4/4 Morgan
The legendary Morgan 4/4 launched in 1936 and still produced today is about to become even more special. To celebrate its 70th anniversary, the Morgan Motor Company has unveiled a limited edition Morgan 4/4 slightly smaller than its Plus 4 and Roadster siblings. Just 142 “70th Anniversary” Morgan 4/4 cars will be built - two cars for every year of its production life since launch. Each car will be individually marked with the year it honours, finished in period style and fitted with Continental 165/80R15 CT22 tyres.
Continue ReadingVTS Offers Free Delivery on Everything
Vintage Tyres, has announced that from March the company intends to expand its delivery service and offer free delivery on all their products to any UK mainland destination. “Free delivery is the final stage in keeping with our total customer support ideals, orders taken before 3pm will be despatched on the same day and should arrive within 48 hours,” said managing director, Chris Marchant.
Continue ReadingUnipart Unveils First ‘Kitemarked’ Car Care Centre
Only day’s after automotive magazines criticised the quality of British garages and their lack of support for the Kitemark scheme, Unipart Automotive has unveiled the first Unipart Car Care Centre received the accreditation. Village Motor Company of Wallasey, Merseyside, part of Unipart Automotive’s national network of 1,400 independent garages, has become Britain’s first Unipart Car Care Centre to achieve the BSI Kitemark. As a leading supplier of automotive parts and accessories, Unipart Automotive says it always wanted a clear badge of distinction between the so-called “rip-off” garages and those who provide service motorists can have confidence in.
Continue ReadingKwik-Fit Fleet Staff Raise £2000 for BEN
Employees at Kwik-Fit Fleet’s St Albans headquarters raised more than £2,000 for BEN, the Motor and Allied Trades Benevolent Fund. Kwik-Fit Group is currently in the process of refurbishing and modernising its 669 UK centres and the redeveloping its Fleet Service Call Centre. As a result, all of Kwik-Fit Fleet’s sales managers have new laptop computers, while office-based staff have new desktop computers. The computers had seen out their useful life in the business and rather than scrap them, staff agreed to make a donation to BEN.
Continue ReadingQuickSilver Exhaust for Range Rover Sport
QuickSilver has introduced a stainless steel exhaust system for the new Range Rover Sports Supercharged, which the company says allows the speed and volume of the exhaust gas flow to be increased, thus producing a noticeable improvement in throttle response. There is a choice of two systems available; ‘Sports’ and ‘Supersports.’
Continue Reading9-month Earnings Up at Yokohama
Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., has posted a 19.1 per cent increase in operating income, to 20.9 billion yen (£141.5 million), in the nine month period ended 31 December. Sales growth, cost-cutting measures, and the weakening of the yen against the dollar reportedly “more than offset increased raw-material costs.”
Continue ReadingStapletons Appoints New Wholesale Sales Manager
Leading UK wholesale and retail tyre supplier, Stapletons Tyre Services has appointed a new sales manager to join its wholesale operation. Following a two-year gap, Nigel O’Hara, 46, returns to Stapletons as wholesale sales manager. Reporting to wholesale and IT director, Steve Parker, Nigel’s remit is to manage Stapletons’ wholesale tyre sales operation as well as the telesales division across the country. Nigel will also manage a team of field sales staff.
Continue ReadingStrike Over At Firestone Liberia Plantation?
The strike action at Bridgestone Corps Firestone rubber plantation in Liberia has reportedly come to an end. The news has yet to be confirmed, but workers are said to have returned to work after government officials spoke to them. “The strike was provisionally called off. The workers have agreed to resume work after my intervention along with some other officials,” the Minister of Labour-designate told FrontPageAfrica.
Continue ReadingFour Bridgestone Tyres Make Consumers Digest List
(Akron/Tire Review) Four Bridgestone-brand tyres were named to Consumers Digest magazine’s list of tire “best buys,” which appears in the publication’s February issue. Earning the designation were the Bridgestone Turanza LS-H in the touring tire category; Bridgestone Potenza G009 in the performance tire category; Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza in the light truck/SUV all-purpose tire category; and the Bridgestone Dueler H/P in the sport tyre category.
Continue ReadingIndonesian Tyre Production – 9.3 per cent Increase Predicted
Indonesia’s tyre production capacity is forecast to rise 9.3 per cent year-on-year to 69.6 million units in 2006. The association of tyre producers (APBI) said fears of slump in the country’s auto market this year will not significantly impact on the tyre industry. Last year two and four wheel production totalled 63.67 million units, with car tyres accounting for 41.7 million units, APBI chairman Aziz Pane said told Asian news sources. In 2006 exports are predicted to reach 31 million units, valued at US$600 million, up 10.6 per cent from last year.
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