Continental Commercial Specialty Tires is repositioning itself in the industrial solid tyre segment by clearly defining the role each of its three brands play. Going forwards, the Continental brand will serve as its range of premium solid tyres, General Tire will provide a home to the company’s medium intensity portfolio, and it will sell solid tyres for low intensity use under the Barum brand name.
Continental launched its first earthmoving tyres under the General Tire brand name early last year, and is now expanding its General Tire portfolio for the earthmoving industry with the General TE95. The tyre maker says the General TE95 “impresses with high traction, especially for soil compaction work” in road and construction applications, and the tyre is equipped – as is the entire product line – with V.ply technology.
The Ford Ranger Raptor is now exclusively fitted with General Grabber AT3 tyres as standard. The high-performance off-road pickup from Ford features a specially developed motorsport-friendly chassis. And its particular performance qualities come to the fore at high speeds away from paved roads.
Like all vehicle manufacturers, Ford defines a wide range of requirements, which Continental (the manufacturer of the General Tire brand) reports the Grabber AT3 “more than met during intensive testing”.
General Tire has announced a voluntary exchange programme involving a maximum of 612 passenger vehicle tyres that were produced at the company’s Mt. Vernon, Illinois plant and sold in the UK replacement tyre market. The affected tyres are specific DOT and mould numbers of these products: General Tire Grabber AT³ LT235/85 R16; General Tire Grabber X³ LT265/70 R17. Affected tyres will be replaced free of charge.
Continental Tire the Americas is recalling more than 90,000 Continental, General Tire and Barum tyres in North America that have been over-cured and are thus at risk of developing breakages in the sidewall area. A separate recall of approximately 12,000 Cooper and Mastercraft tyres in North America is taking place due to a possible low tread gauge in the tyres’ shoulder slot area which could cause tread separation and sidewall failure.
In the USA, General Motors has issued a safety recall for certain 2020 and 2021 model-year Chevy, Cadillac, Buick and GMC pickup trucks and crossovers. According to GM, the affected vehicles were delivered with Continental brand tyres that were overcured during the manufacturing process. The news follows Continental’s recall of 12,000 Continental and General Tire branded products earlier in November. The GM recall affects over 7000 vehicles in the US market.
Following Continental’s 5 November recall of roughly 12,000 Continental and General brand passenger vehicle tyres sold to vehicle manufacturers and the North American replacement markets, company representatives have confirmed that the UK and European markets are not affected. Continental estimates that approximately 39 of the 12,000 tyres recalled in the USA are defective.
Micheldever Tyre Services (MTS) is celebrating 25 years of its partnership as the sole distributor of the General Tire products in the UK.
Upon launching in July 1995, the partnership set out to introduce General Tire’s world-renowned 4×4 tyres to the British market and as the working relationship developed and General Tire’s reputation in the UK grew, in 2009 the General Tire range of car and van tyres was also made available for UK customers.
General Tire has returned to the OTR tyre market – but not in Europe at this point in time. The Continental brand previewed its relaunch range at the Tire Industry Association Off The Road Conference in the USA in February, and General OTR tyres are being offered to customers in the Americas and Asia Pacific regions.
Devon General Tire Performance Partner, TyreMarks of Tavistock, is supplying volunteer-led Dartmoor Search & Rescue Team with 4×4 and SUV tyres. General Tire and TyreMarks have provided a set of Grabber AT3 all-terrain tyres to the search and rescue team to ensure they can carry out their work safely, responding to emergencies on the wild and remote uplands of Dartmoor. It has also saved the team hundreds of pounds in charitable donations that are used to fund the service.
Micheldever Tyre Service (MTS) states that it offers “the most comprehensive car mid-range tyre brand availability across the current market.” The wholesaler is exclusive distributor, or has preferred supplier arrangements, for some of the worlds’ leading manufacturers of mid-range brands, including Falken, General Tire, GT Radial, Sumitomo and Kormoran.
The General Tire brand has been approved as original equipment (OE) fitment for the latest BMW X5, according to Continental Tyre South Africa. The manufacturer reports that the all-terrain Grabber AT3 has been recommended in size 275/45 R20 110V XL on the Bavarian automaker’s latest X range model for its optional ‘Off-Road Package’.
General Tire continues its product offensive with its latest summer tyre ranges for on road use – the Altimax One & Altimax One S.
According to the company, both tyres feature “the robust characteristics and high grip that General Tire is renowned for”. The latest products offer new solutions with its American heritage at its core. Rigid shoulder blocks and a continuous rib structure in the centre offer precise handling and outstanding braking on dry roads, thanks to the connected shoulder blocks and reinforced stiffness.
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