Conti Maintains 32% European OE Market Share in 2009

Despite what it describes as a “severely deteriorating market”, Conti reports that over the last year its original equipment passenger car tyre market share within the European Union region remained unchanged. With a production figure of 24.4 million units, Continental was able to maintain its market share of 32 per cent, and new original equipment supplies have been arranged with, amongst others, Porsche, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz AMG, Ford and Renault.

Conti states it also played an “active role” in original equipment passenger car tyre supply in the NAFTA region, in South America, Asia and South Africa. In these regions, admittedly, demand was substantially lower than in the previous year as a result of the recession, with orders falling 23 per cent worldwide compared with 2008. Overall, unit sales of Continental original equipment tyres outside the European Union – for cars, 4x4s and light trucks – totalled 6.1 million.

In terms of the newly-gained orders, Continental is keen to draw particular attention to the approvals from Audi for the TT RS and from Mercedes-Benz AMG for the C 63 and the SLS. The new ContiSportContact 5 P, which will be on the market in spring, was approved for these cars well before the start of series production. The ContiSportContact 3 is being produced for the Porsche Panamera, whilst Continental is equipping the Volkswagen Passat CC and Passat CC R-Line exclusively with ContiSeal self-sealing tyres. New orders have also been placed by Ford (for the Focus RS and Transit Econetic) and Renault (for the Mégane Sport 3).