New President For The Swiss Tyre Dealer Association RVS
The Dr. Jürgen Gerster & Partner AG is no longer leading the association. Together with Mrs. Maggie Soder, he has been made an honourable member of the association. Gersters successors are Fischer & Sievi, a law and consulting firm.
Continue ReadingGet The Lead Out
The motor industry is under attack from all sides by the green lobby and the car is subject to environmental constraints at all stages of its life cycle. It looks as though yet more restrictions will be imposed on the industry with the likely adoption of the End Of Life Vehicle Directive (ELV); this lays down minimum requirements for the recyclability of cars and also seeks to reduce or eliminate toxic or environmentally-unfriendly materials used in construction. Lead is one such material and it is not only used in car building, but also in wheel balancing weights. If lead is outlawed, what are the alternatives for the automotive industries, and the tyre trade? What alternative materials are available, and what are the likely costs? Coated lead weights do not solve the problem, which leaves steel and tin as the most likely solutions. Tin is easier to work than steel, but it is many times more expensive than lead, and could lead to significant increases in costs for tyre shops, who will have to decide whether or not to pass this on to the customer. The ELV places the responsibility for disposing of vehicles squarely on the shoulders of the manufacturers, and they will put pressure on their suppliers to ensure that levels of toxic materials are kept to a minimum.
Continue ReadingFine For SITA Tyre Recycling Ltd After Environmental Offences
On January 24, SITA Tyre Recycling Ltd., the company running the whole-tyres-to-energy power station which has been closed since June, pleaded guilty at Wolverhampton Magistrates court to five environmental offences. The case was brought by the Environment Agency and SITA were fined a total of £28,500, and ordered to pay costs of £15,392.50. Meanwhile, the SITA tyres-to-energy power station (formerly Elm Energy), based in the midlands in the UK, is unlikely to open its doors again as a tyre-burning facility, at least under SITA ownership. Initial investigations indicated that rectification work would cost 4 million Pounds and a closer examination revised this figure to 6 million. There were doubts too that a viable price could be achieved for a regular supply of tyres. Eventually, the decision was taken to mothball the plant until SITA either finds a buyer, or uses it for something else. 59 of the 60 employees have been made redundant.
Continue Reading26 Million Dollars For Victim of Accident
As reported in the German newspaper Die Welt, car producer Ford is to pay 26 million US-Dollars to a woman, seriously injured in an accident caused by an allegedly defective Firestone tyre. Since the accident the woman is paralysed and can only breathe with artificial aid. Because of this agreement, the legal process due to begin shortly, has been dropped. In the USA there are about 200 actions outstanding claiming damages against Ford and Firestone and the sum of money involved could amount to billions of Dollars. It is claimed that defective Firestone tyres have been responsible for the deaths of 148 people in the United States.
Continue ReadingMalaysian Tyres Now Accepted World-wide
The Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers – Malaysian Tyre Manufacturers Industry Group claims that Malaysian manufactured tyres now conform to the highest international standards. Products have now been accepted in over 40 countries, including markets with strict regulations such as in Europe, Australia, US and Japan. Malayas four major manufacturers, DMIB Bhd, Goodyear Malaysia Bhd, Silverstone Bhd and Sime Tyres International Sdn exported over 2 million tyres in 2000.
Continue ReadingAggressive Expansion Plans From Pit Stop
Pit Stop, the fast-fit group belonging to Kwik-Fit (and thus, ultimately, Ford) is pushing ahead with plans to open up to 400 centres in Germany within the next two years. Pit Stop focuses on exhausts, brakes, shock absorbers, etc., as well as selling tyres.
Continue Reading“Sam” Gibara Joins SRI Board
Samir G. Gibara (61), chairman and chief executive officer of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, has been elected to the board of directors of Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. in Kobe, Japan. Gibaras election is in conjunction with Goodyears 10 percent ownership of SRI, following the companies global alliance, completed in September 1999. This ownership makes Goodyear SRIs second-largest shareholder. SRI holds 1.4 percent of Goodyears common stock.
Continue ReadingOriginal Founder Buys Finelist Brands
Chris Swan has bought the Autela and Edmunds Walker brands of Finelist, the car parts group which went into administrative receivership last year. Swan was the founder of Finelist in 1991, leaving the company in March 2000. The two brands will complement Bulldog Express, Swans new parts venture formed earlier this year, and together they claim to be the third largest player in UK automotive parts distribution market, which is estimated to be worth four billion Pounds.
Continue ReadingOE Success For Yokohama
The Super Sport Car V 12 Vanquish will be fitted by Aston Martin with Yokohama tyres AVS Sport in 255/40 ZR 19 (front) and 285/40 ZR 19 (rear). Yokohama has added the exclusive logo AML on the sidewall for the tyres delivered to Aston Martin.
Continue ReadingCommercial Truck Steel Wheels From ArvinMeritor
ArvinMeritors expansion at its San Luis Potosi (Mexico) manufacturing facility includes the production facility and machinery to produce steel wheels up to 22.5 inches in diameter. The addition of steel truck wheels augments its wide range of steel wheels currently produced for passenger and light truck OEMs.
Continue ReadingConfidence In Bridgestone And Firestone
John Lampe has spent all his working life with Firestone and then Bridgestone/Firestone. He has recently been put in charge of the Bridgestone groups largest subsidiary, Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. in the USA. In addition – and this is a first for Bridgestone and very rare for large Japanese businesses – Lampe sits on the board. This illustrates how highly he is thought of in what are difficult times for the company. In our exclusive interview, he talks of the relationship between Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. and Ford. However, since the interview, this attitude changed dramatically, with Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. ending its business relationship with Ford. Our follow-up article after the Lampe interview traces this change in attitude and the increasingly-bitter war of words as the companies try to pin the blame on each other.
Continue ReadingTyre Hearing Claims Disputed By Goodyear
Goodyear has disputed data cited at the congressional hearing into the Ford/Firestone dispute. The company claims to have submitted its own safety data and is questioning the committees interpretation of the data they have already received. According to Goodyear the Ford data of damage claims of five parts per million is based on a Ford standard and that a damage claim does not reflect a defect. Goodyear added that the use of relevant data and comparisons by the committee will remedy any consumer confusion of fears.
Continue ReadingApproval For Continental By Jaguar
Continental Tyres has gained approval for fitment of its ContiSportContact and CH95 tyres for the new Jaguar X-Type. The sizes are 225/45 R17 V (ContiSportContact) and 205/55 R16 (CH95).
Continue ReadingJittery Ford Drop General Ameri*550 AS
Ford has reacted quickly to the NHTSA defect investigation into the General Ameri* 550 by dropping the brand from its replacement campaign. The General Ameri*550 was one of the brands being used to replace the recalled Firestone Wilderness ATs which have been deemed unsafe by Ford. However, Ford stated that the tyre was performing well on the F-series pick up, where it is fitted as original equipment.
Continue ReadingMcLaren Considering Changing Tyres
Although happy with the performance of Bridgestone tyres, McLaren are said to be considering switching to Michelin next season. The Michelins have performed well for competing team Williams, but are said to need further development. McLaren feel that any improvement in performance from the Michelins could put them at an advantage against arch-rivals Ferrari.
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