Tyre Brands: The Big Four
Everyone who has a car will more than likely know of at least one, if not more of the biggest tyre brands in the world. In this post, we’ll be taking a detailed look into some of the biggest players in the tyre world even though we’re pretty sure you could guess all of them anyway but, we’re going to tell you who the top 4 are anyway.
- Bridgestone
Bridgestone tyres, founded in 1931 is a multinational auto and truck parts manufacturer based in Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan and as of 2015, the company is the largest manufacturer of tyres in the world but they’re only slightly ahead of Michelin. In 1951, Bridgestone was the first company in Japan to sell rayon cord tyres and in 1988 they purchased the Firestone Tyre and Rubber company of Akron, Ohio.
As recently as February 2014, Bridgestone agreed to a $425 million fine imposed on them by the United State Department of Justice for price fixing and bid rigging in the automotive parts industry.
- Michelin
A French tyre brand, Michelin are the next biggest tyre manufacturer in the world and they also own a number of other, smaller tyre brands such as BF Goodrich, Kleber, Tigar, Riken, Kormoran and Uniroyal. Michelin are also known for their Red and Green travel guides, their roadmaps and their Michelin stars which are awarded to restaurants for their cooking quality.
Also, and perhaps most notably, they’re known for their company mascot, Bibendum who is better known as the Michelin Man. Michelin are also to thank for a number of different inventions including the pneurail which is a tyre made for trains that can run on rails an also the radial tyre.
- Continental
Based in Hanover, Germany, Continental is one of the best tyre manufacturing companies in the world at the minute. Founded in 1871 as a rubber manufacturer, Continental tyres are now ranked third in global OEM automotive parts sales in 2012 according to a study. They are structured in five divisions:
- Chassis and Safety
- Powertrain
- Interior
- Tyres
- ContiTech
One of the main areas of expertise and technological leadership is fuel consumption reduction, achieved through more efficient fuel injection systems, reduced rolling-resistance tyres and hybrid propulsion systems.
- Goodyear
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is an American multinational tyre manufacturing company founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling and based in Akron, Ohio. Goodyear manufactures tyres for automobiles, commercial trucks, light trucks, motorcycles, SUVs, race cars, airplanes, farm equipment and heavy earth-moving machinery.
Goodyear are also known for their advertising blimp which is one of the most recognisable advertising icons in America and they are the most successful tyre supplier in Formula One history with more starts, wins and constructors championships than any other tyre supplier.
