Hawleys Tyres to Celebrate Centenary in 2010
Following Hawleys Tyres Ltd’s winning of the oldest tyre dealer in Britain title, Tyres & Accessories/tyrepress.com has compiled this overview of the company’s extensive history: Hawleys Tyres was formed by Ernest Hawley, a taxi driver who established the business by selling tyres to other taxi drivers in the area in 1910. The business grew gradually as vehicle take-up increased, before Ernest’s son Reg Hawley took over during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. During this period more depots were opened before Reg's sons David and Martin expanded the business in the 1970s. The company is now managed by Martin Hawley, his son Simon and David’s son Tim. The business employs 50 people at five branches in and around Sheffield. According to company literature, Ernest always had an interest in motorcars, and was one of the few who pioneered motoring in its earliest days. A foreman engineer at Oughtibridge Silica Works by profession, his links with the tyre trade began when he started a motor taxi service from outside a shop that the family owned in Wadsley Lane, in the Owlerton district of Sheffield. The taxi side of the business thrived and Hawley became known for doing a lot of his own repairs. This includes the mending of punctures, which were numerous in the early days, and the fitting of new tyres he obtained. The tyre business began when car owners came to him for help with punctures and even brought tyres bought elsewhere to him for fitting.
Continue ReadingReifen China Opens its Doors
The third Reifen China exhibition, held in Shanghai between 11 and 13 November 2009, opened its doors to 3769 visitors (412 international visitors) on the first day of the show. These were welcomed to the show by exhibitors mainly from the world's largest production market. In addition to the wide variety of Chinese and international tyre manufacturers and traders at the show, the 2009 event featured an increased number of retreading equipment and consumables companies (such as tyre valve suppliers) over previous years.
Continue ReadingAvon Tyres Names National Tyre Staff ‘Best of British’ Winners
National Tyre’s staff members Ted Midgley and Dan Taylor have been named as the winners of Avon Tyres’ Best of British promotional campaign. Dealers from across the UK were encouraged to display posters featuring the Aston Martin DBRS9 racing car from the Avon Tyres British GT Championship, and invited to enter a draw for the prizes. National Tyres’ Harrogate branch got the nod, and Midgley and Taylor presented with exclusive watches.
Continue ReadingTurbo Technics MD Claims Speed Championship Titles
The managing director of Northampton-based turbocharger specialist Turbo Technics has taken the overall championship title in this year's BARC SBD Speed Championship, as well as the class honours in the Richard Egger Insurance Hillclimb and Sprint Association 2009 Speed Championship. Geoff Kershaw formed Turbo Technics in 1981, and claimed the titles at the wheel of his famous twin turbocharged Ford Sierra in his first year back in competition after a three-year break. Kershaw began sprinting and hillclimbing in 1967 and has been a regular competitor ever since. He cites as his inspiration a fellow driver who continued to race well into his 80s. Kershaw, who is 65, has no intention of giving up in the foreseeable future.
Continue ReadingKönig Wheels Boasts Video Game ‘Fitments’
With a raft of new motorsport video game releases comes the opportunity for top brands to score some novel recognition points within the market. König Wheels distributor, Varga Trading Company, contacted tyrepress.com to let us know that its wheels are currently optional fitments to the high performance machines featured in recent title, ‘Need for Speed: Shift’. The brand also features as part of the Audi models’ in-game livery. The ability to modify vehicles has become more prevalent in recent games, prompted by the pretty incredible choices offered by virtual racing simulator series, ‘Forza Motorsport’ (Xbox 360) and ‘Gran Turismo’ (Playstation 3). With the latest editions of both of these series due over the next few months, auto manufacturers seem to be realising the impact appearances in video games can have in brand conscious markets.
Continue ReadingSumitomo Announces Next Generation Dunlop Run-Flat
The development of a fourth generation run-flat tyre has been announced by Sumitomo Rubber Industries. The Japanese firm reports its proprietary ‘Thermal Control Technology’ has been utilised to produce the new run-flat, and it says this technology provides excellent ride comfort equivalent to or better than a standard tyre while maintaining its run-flat performance. Sumitomo reports that following a loss of tyre pressure, motorists using this fourth generation run-flat are able to travel 2.3 times further than with the previous generation tyre.
Continue ReadingConti Basks in Auto Express Test Win
Continental is rather pleased to have Auto Express magazine declare its ContiPremiumContact 2 the winner in this year's summer tyre comparative test. In their summary, the Auto Express tyre testers stated "The Continental is the best all-round summer tyre you can buy." Twelve tyres in the popular 205/55 R 16 size, all fitted to an Audi A3, featured in the test.
Continue ReadingEuro Car Parts Offers Support on MOT Bay and ATL Purchases
ECP have invested in personnel, stock and warehouse facilities in order to supply a four ton two-post mechanical locking lift; full rise scissor lift and a five ton baseless two-post lift; plus after sales support. The Cappello range now includes two post four ton lift baseplate, which has a litfting capacity of 4000kg, 3 stage arms, twin hydraulic rams, robust design steel frames. Also a three ton Scissor lift which is 'great place saver' for workshops with minimal space, it comes with the option of a platform extension for longer wheel base, pneumatic locking system, competitively priced. Euro Garage Solutions also offer the new Cappello lifts with high weight capacity at great value prices, all featured in the brochure.
Continue ReadingPirelli’s PZero, Cinturato Display “Green Heart”, “Performing Soul” in Frankfurt
Pirelli is promoting its ecological and performance credentials at the Frankfurt Motor Show, where its tyres are paired up with some of the leading lights in high-performance automotive engineering. The company has also stated that Dekra and TÜV tests have “confirm[ed] the success of Pirelli’s commitment to Green Performance, that is to say the reduction of consumption and environmental impact, increasing at the same time performance connected with safety.”
Continue ReadingFederal and Grouptyre Launch Red Letter Day Promotion
Grouptyre has teamed up with Federal – the value brand for which the independent wholesaler has exclusive distribution rights in the UK – to launch a national promotion, which promises a Red Letter Day for six lucky retailers.
Continue ReadingMorghew Park Estate Chooses Michelin and Mitas Fitments
Morghew Park Estate has selected a new tyre fitment policy across three of the off-road vehicles it uses to support its commercial shooting, which takes place around a 2,000 acre Estate in Tenterden, Kent. One of the first changes made was to fit new Michelin 280/80 R18 MXCL tyres to the primary shoot transport – a 1968 ex-Belgian Army Mercedes Benz Unimog 404S, powered by a 2.2 litre petrol engine. The vehicle had previously featured an ageing set of Russian tyres which were not providing the necessary grip to enable the driver to make proper use of the simultaneous front and rear diff locks. Piers Carey, Farm manager on the Morghew Park Estate, explained: “When the terrain got challenging, the tyres on the Unimog just weren’t up to the job. ATS Euromaster advised us to fit Michelin MXCL’s and they have transformed the Unimog into a transporter which can tackle the steepest and muddiest terrain we encounter.”
Continue ReadingCTNA Unveils Three New Truck Tyres
Continental Tire North America has released a trio of new truck tyres, the HSU2, HSR2 and HTL1. The HSU2 (Heavy Steer Urban) heavy truck steer tyre replaces the HSU, and Conti says the redesigned size 315/80R22.5 tyre offers increased tread life through its wider 26/32-inch deep rib design, now with 17 per cent more wear volume than the HSU. The HSU2’s tread is formulated with a cut and tear-resistant tread compound, intended to provide excellent wear in both high scrub and on/off road applications. These qualities, notes Conti, makes the tyre ideal for waste haulers, construction and other on/off highway service.
Continue ReadingAnticipation for 2010 Pirelli Cal Grows with Online Pic Leaks
Various online celebrity news sources are helping to build on the hype for the 2010 Pirelli Calendar, which has reportedly begun shooting in Brazil. Interest is particularly high in the tyre manufacturer’s homeland Italy, where the national edition of Vanity Fair has featured the 2010 models on its front cover, and Australia, the country in which the most high-profile model, Miranda Kerr, was born. The Cal 2010 will feature the photographic work of renowned eroticist Terry Richardson from the USA, with modelling by Kerr’s fellow Australians Abbey Lee Kershaw and Catherine McNeil. Kerr has appeared nude in various media several times already this year, addressing the plight of koala bears and the plight of spotty teenagers in Rolling Stone magazine. Reports suggest that the 2010 Cal will feature one photograph in which the model wears only a hat, while McNeil will pour milk over her own naked body. The censored pictures are available at the end of a simple Google picture search.
Continue ReadingGoodyear Dunlop Presents BioTred2 at Cereals Show
On the 10 and 11 June Goodyear Dunlop’s UK Farm and OTR team were present at the UK Cereals Show in Cambridge, an event widely acknowledged as the leading technical event for the UK arable industry. The team were out in full force presenting the Goodyear and Dunlop farm tyre ranges to the 30,000-plus farmers who attended the annual show. The team presented the new BioTred2 tyre on their stand. BioTred2 is the latest in farm tyre development using vegetal oil instead of crude oil in the processing phase of its manufacture. Goodyear Dunlop reports that the tyre generated heavy interest from consumers and vehicle manufacturers in addition to the press coverage generated by its presence at the show. For example, the tyre was featured in an online video overview of the event. Additionally, key fitments were spotted around the show: on the JCB exhibition stand, two of their new 7000 series Fastrac machines were equipped with Optitrac R+.
Continue ReadingTyre Recovery Professionals turn out in Force for “Successful” Event
Taking place on Friday 15 May in the conference rooms of the Chesford Grange Hotel in Kenilworth, the Tyre Recovery Association’s annual Forum Day was labelled a “success”, having attracted a populous audience of recycling professionals, which remained in place throughout all of the afternoon’s speakers. In addition to introductory remarks by Peter Taylor, the TRA’s secretary general, and chairman of the British Tyre Manufacturers’ Association, Mark Brickhill, the day featured a wide variety of tyre recovery presentations – ranging from French collection methods at Aliapur to the potential of pyrolysis – focused by the theme of “Innovation and Opportunity”. For his part, Brickhill was keen to stress the quality of recycling in the tyre industry within his keynote introduction, stating that it is currently “top class”. He also referenced the continuing themes of increased regulation, the environmental theme that is very much entrenched within the industry in the widest sense – particularly when one considers the omnipresence of rolling resistance – and the continued emphasis on safety.
Continue Reading
