Potenza S-03 Pole Position From Bridgestone
This is the time of the year when tyre manufacturers proudly present their latest products to the press and to dealers. Bridgestone/Firestone is no exception, launching its newest flagship tyre, the Potenza S-03 Pole Position. As the name suggests, the new tyre incorporates technology and design features based on the company’s Formula 1 experience. A high performance tyre, the Potenza S-03 Pole Position will be available in 51 sizes, speed rated W and Y, and for rims from 15 to 20. Aspect ratios range from 55 series down to a very low 30 series. The tyre has no OE homologations, neither are there plans to seek any – this follows the strategy used for the successful S-02, which the S-03 replaces. At the European launch of the tyre, Bridgestone/Firestone Europe referred to Formula 1, saying that the company welcomed the challenge from Michelin this season and pointing out that, in the first race of the new season, Bridgestone-shod cars filled the first seven places.
Continue ReadingBalancing The Scales
Our January issue carried items concerning the possible consequences of the EU Vehicle End of Life Directive, notably the suggestion that lead wheel balance weights might be banned for fitting as original equipment. Tin weights were suggested as a possible alternative. The article stirred up a very strong reaction from the pro-lead weights lobby, which is indicative of the depth of feeling that the matter can generate in the industry. As well as a letter from the Lead Development Association, Hofmann asked if they could answer some of the points raised in the article. We are always ready to put the other side of an argument, so this article examines the case for continuing with lead on economic, technological and practical grounds.
Continue ReadingExplorer Rollovers – Ford Blames Firestone
Ford has issued a comprehensive report in which it places the blame for the fatal crashes involving the Ford Explorer fairly and squarely on the Firestone tyres and not the vehicle. Ford contends that the Explorer is no more prone to rollovers or tyre failures than any other medium-sized SUV. Bridgestone/Firestone disagrees, saying that tyre and vehicle makes up an integrated system and any investigation has to take the vehicle into consideration. It also criticised comparative temperature tests on Firestone and competitors tyres, saying that they measured only external temperatures and took no account of internal running temperatures.
Continue ReadingTyre Maker Reduces Share In Car Manufacturer
Michelin on Thursday reduced a long held 3.8% share in the French auto manufacturer PSA Peugeot Citroën to 1%. The tyre manufacturer sold 1.27 million PSA shares which is estimated nearly 420 million Euro. The transaction will have positive effects on the financial structure of the company, Michelin announced.
Continue ReadingNew President For Trelleborg Wheel Systems
Maurizio Vischi (45) will become President of agricultural tyre manufacturer Trelleborg Wheel Systems on June 1st. Mr. Vischi is currently head of the TWS Agricultural Radial Tyres business unit, located at Tivoli in Italy, where he will continue to be based. The current President, Anders Pettersson, is leaving to take up a new position as a divisional president for the security group Gunnebo AB. TWS was formed at the end of 1998 as a joint venture between Trelleborg (which owns 60% of the jv) and Pirelli, as a specialist manufacturer of agricultural and forest tyres.
Continue ReadingOE Success For Korean Tyres
Hankook is to deliver spare tyres, size 125/80-17, for the Volvo models S 60, S 80, C 70 (Cabriolet) and V 70. The order volume is approx. 200,000 units and the profit margin is described as satisfactory. Hankook is also entering the OE business in China. The manufacturer is to deliver tyre sizes 195/65-15 (H and V-rated) as well as 205/60-15 (V-rated) for the VW models Passat and Bora.
Continue ReadingSale Of Temic To Continental Goes Ahead
The purchase of 60 percent of DaimlerChrysler subsidiary Temic GmbH (Nuremberg) by Continental for 398 million Euro will now happen after the regulatory authorities gave the deal the all-clear. Depending on the date of purchase of the outstanding shares the price for the whole package will be between 623 and 633 million Euro.
Continue ReadingMichelin Suffers Under Bad Market Conditions
The French group has achieved a rise of 4.5 per cent in the first half of 2001, compared to the same period last year, and now has a turnover of 7710 million Euro, but the EBIT has fallen 9 per cent to 491 million Euro. Analysts had been expecting a slightly better result. As a prominent supplier of truck tyres, Michelin is suffering under the very bad market conditions prevailing in the US. Not only did the OE market fall, but – and this was unexpected – so did the replacement market, and the company cannot foresee any improvements in the US market for the second half of the year. Michelin as a group did not sell as many tyres as expected, as a result of the Fiestone recall, but the trend towards premium brands (the so-called flight to quality) still exists. The Michelin brand has sold a lot more tyres than in previous years, which gives the group much better margins. The return on sales for the whole year should be between 6.2 and 6.8 per cent – some months ago, 7.7 to 8.3 per cent was expected. Perhaps there might be some more good news for Michelin if Firestone and General were forced to recall more tyres.
Continue ReadingBlimps Support Tire Safety Awareness
Goodyear is sending its biggest attention getter across America to support a consumer awareness campaign focused on tire safety. Starting in July, Goodyears fleet of North American airships is visiting more than 25 major cities on a Safety Tour promoting tire care and educating consumers concerning what they can do to aid in the safe operation of their tires.
Continue ReadingInternet Sales By Delticom Now In Great Britain
German e-commerce company Delticom AG (Hanover) is expanding to other European countries and is now starting to sell tyres and wheels via the Internet (www.mytyres.co.uk) in Great Britain. A subsidiary company, Delticom Ltd., has been founded in Oxford, with Lennart Pluim as Managing Director.
Continue ReadingDespite Increase In Turnover, Vredestein In The Red For H1 2001
The Dutch group achieved a slight increase in turnover but reported a loss of 2.9 million Euro compared with a loss of 1.9 million Euro, in the 1st half of last year. As far as the tyre manufacturing in Enschede is concerned, figures remained more or less unchanged. Vredestein is depending very much on the winter-tyre-season in Germany as well as in Switzerland and Austria.
Continue ReadingPirelli’s Truck Business In South America Not For Sale
Some weeks ago, Pirelli announced that it was to take control of Telecom Italia. At the same time, the company said that it would sell its truck tyre operations. Now there has been a partial climb down: truck tyre activities in South America are considered of strategic importance to the Group and are consequently not for sale.
Continue ReadingReceivership For Colway and Motorway
KPMG has been appointed as official receiver for Colway Tyres and Motorway tyres. Production at both firms has ceased and the assets of the firms are to be sold. Total output from the retreading operations amounted to some 1,000,000 tyres in the preceding year. The demise of the retreading operation will indubitably have an effect on the UK retread market, and potentially on the waste tyre problem.
Continue ReadingGerman Acquisition For Watts
Watts Industrial Tyres has strengthened its European operations by the acquisition of Kollenbach, of Rheinberg, Germany. Said Jean-Paul Mindermann, MD of Watts-Industrie Reifen: We had outgrown our own premises in Langenfeld and the Kollenbach acquisition has enabled us to double our operation in the Ruhr area.
Continue ReadingMexican Recall For Bridgestone/Firestone
Bridgestone/Firestone Inc is recalling 8,000 Wilderness LE tyres made in Mexico and fitted on GM SUVs because of adhesion problems. Around 150 tyres, made on April 24 last year, are affected, but one weeks production is being recalled to be on the safe side.
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