Minicar-Segment Entered By Nissan
As announced in a press conference in Tokyo, car manufacturer Suzuki will supply 3,000 so called minicars a month to Nissan from 2002 onwards. With this agreement Nissan will enter the small car segment – with a maximum capacity of 660 cc – which already has a market share of 30 percent in Japan.
Continue ReadingExpansion Of Production For Goodyear, Michelin
In the wake of the Firestone recall, Michelin says it has tripled tyre production in the USA as well as shipping thousands of tyres from Europe. A special customer service centre is handling 8,000 calls a day. Goodyear plans to provide more than half of the tyres replaced because of the recall and has increased production of Ford-approved tyres tenfold. The company has increased shipments to 9,000 outlets, including company-owned stores, independent tyre retailers and Ford dealers.
Continue Reading“Grand Prix de la Publicité” for Pirelli TM600-Campaign
The advertising campaign for Pirelli TM600 standard series tyres, launched in July 2000, has been rewarded by the French Grand Prix de la Publicité de la Presse Agricole, for the mechanization sector. The prize is given every year by a jury of experts to the advertising campaign that makes use of the press media in the most creative and effective way. Developed with the international ageny Ogilvy & Mather of Milan, the campaign has been translated into seven languages.
Continue ReadingOfficial UK Launch Of Goodyear’s Greenest Ever Tyre
In London, Goodyear officially launched its GT3 passenger car tyre – the first tyre to incorporate new BioTred technology, in which carbon black and silica fillers are replaced by starch obtained from maize plants. Not only is the T-rated tyre more fuel efficient, says Goodyear, but because maize is a renewable resource and converts carbon dioxide to oxygen while it grows, the GT3 is claimed to be the most environmentally-friendly tyre ever. Goodyear released news of the new technology earlier this year, but this was the first time that the tyre had been shown to the UK press.
Continue Reading“Sportec M-1” To Replace Metzeler’s “ME Z3”
With the arrival of the Sportec M-1, Metzeler has launched its latest motorcycle tyre which is planned to replace the ME Z3. The international press was invited to Biarritz, France, to take a close look at the new tyre designed to meet the niche between the race oriented Racing tyre and the touring targeted ME Z4. The M-1 is dedicated to the customer with a sportier riding style. The Sportec M-1 will be available from the beginning of October in five front wheel dimensions and six real wheel sizes. With a 0° steel-belted carcass and the multi-curvature tyre contour allied to the so-called MAW system (Metzeler Advanced Winding), or with the new compound and tread design, Metzeler has done a great deal to guarantee more enjoyment and safety for motorcyclists using the new Sportec M-1. Metzeler say that prices for the new tyre will match the market requirements, we can only guess what distribution manager Holger Schwedt means by that. Obviously Metzeler want to offer the Sportec M-1 below the price of its predecessor, the ME Z3, in order to minimise the advantage to its competitor, Bridgestone, who – if you look at market shares – came very close to the German market leader in recent years. We are no longer seeking to simply retain a stable market share, we wish to fight for more, explained Schwedt.
Continue ReadingThe Financial Experts’ Favourite – Michelin
Reports from financial and industry analysts generally agree that the tyre industry, among others, is facing a difficult time with market conditions having worsened recently. Despite this, the Deutsche Bank AG, London is recommending Michelin shares as a buy, even though the organisation is downgrading its 2001 profits forecast for the French manufacturer by 3%.
Continue ReadingCooperation Between Cooper-Avon And Kenda
An agreement has been reached whereby Taiwanese tyre manufacturer Kenda will make passenger car radials for Cooper-Avon. Cooper says that a number of brand names will be manufactured, including Cooper and Avon, initially T-rated tyres and, again initially, for sale in Europe. The agreement frees up valuable capacity for high performance tyre production at Cooper-Avons Melksham plant, says Managing Director Ron Shield.
Continue ReadingNew Member of TecDoc
American automotive supplier Delphi has become the latest member of the TecDoc automotive parts information platform. With a turnover of 29 billion US-Dollars in 2000, Delphi Automotive Systems is the biggest automotive supplier in the world. Altogether 114 companies worldwide, representing 130 brands, now support the TecDoc platform, covering 100 percent of the European spare parts market.
Continue ReadingEarly Entry Into 500cc Bike Racing For Bridgestone
Bridgestone has announced that it will supply tyres next year to competitors in World Grand Prix 500cc motorcycle racing, one year earlier than originally planned. The company only began testing the tyres this January, in conjunction with Kanemoto Racing; the team that will ride on Bridgestones next season, fitted to NSR 500 bikes from Honda Racing. Bridgestone has supplied tyres for 125cc racing for the past decade and the latest move is designed to enhance the companys image in the ultra high performance tyre sector.
Continue ReadingKelly On The Way Out
In Europe the Kelly brand will be removed as part of a plan to reduce the number of Goodyears brands in Europe. Kellys removal is expected to be followed by other brands (Sava, Debica), with appeal only in Eastern Europe. The decision to scrap Kelly comes only seven months after the brand was comprehensively relaunched in the UK at Tyrexpo Europe.
Continue ReadingEnhanced Warranty In Cooper Settlement Agreement
Cooper Tire and Rubber Company has filed tentative agreement to settle 32 lawsuits brought against the company in the past 10 months. This involves a five year plan offering free replacement tyres for all Cooper produced steel-belted radial tyres, made between 1985 and 2001, that suffered tread separations.
Continue ReadingWorries Over German Winter Tyre Sales
The tyre industry in Germany will not be able to attain its goal of sales of 18 million winter tyres, although sales of 16.5 million are possible. Signals coming from dealers reveal another worry, as it seems likely that, of the 16.5 million tyres delivered, 4 million will remain unsold to end users.
Continue ReadingThe Influence of Tyre Tests On Sales Figures In The Retail Business
The tyre tests appear normally twice a year in spring and in autumn. Millions of people at least notice them, and among these many even study them very intensively. The topic discussed here is the tyre tests which appear regularly every year in the big end consumer-oriented automotive magazines in Germany. Their judgement has a significant impact on the consumers. The tyre manufacturers know this for a fact and promote positive test results in their advertising campaigns. A note as very recommendable, for example, serves as a kind of award, which has a strong convincing effect in the tyre retail shop. However, if the product fails in all important magazines the result will be the opposite and the whole thing can end in disaster. Tyre manufacturers fear these situations, specially when they have introduced a new product to the market. Tyre retailers use positive test results often as an additional argument in a sales discussion with the customer. There is just one small problem: the exact influence of tyre tests on sales in the retail shops – in the sense of knowing the precise percentage of customers who buy a special tyre just because of the test result – is very difficult to measure. But there are some qualitative characteristics of tests that can be found out without problems: Tyre tests have a different relevance and coverage. The effect of tyre tests on customers is of a limited time – especially in the winter-season. The sell-in of the retailer is just as influenced indirectly (backwards) by tyre tests. Experiences from the previous tests play a role. The influence of winter tyre-tests is regarded as much higher than those of summer tyre tests by retailers and customers. Tyre tests have an effect on a certain segment of customers: people who are already concerned about the problem of safety.
Continue ReadingAnnouncement Secures Future Of Nissan Plant In UK
Nissan has made the decision to build its new Micra model at its Sunderland, UK, factory, rather than France, following approval of a 40 million Pound grant. The news is expected to secure 500 jobs at the plant and has been welcomed by the Government as evidence of Nissans long-term commitment to the north east. It is thought that Nissan will demand that, in the future, more of its component suppliers for cars made at Sunderland submit invoices in Euro rather than Sterling.
Continue ReadingScottish Winter Tyre Safety Campaign Results
The annual tyre safety campaign in Scotland moved from October to December last year. A four day clinic programme held in supermarket car parks revealed that 20% of motorists had tyres with tread below 1.6mm. The clinic programme was followed by a week of police enforcement on the roads, which showed an illegal tyre level of 14.4% – almost exactly matching the UK average of 14%.
Continue Reading
