Founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is an American multinational tyre manufacturing company based in Akron, Ohio. It is one of the oldest, biggest and best-known tyremakers in the world. Goodyear makes tyres for automobiles, commercial trucks, light trucks, motorcycles, SUVs, racing cars, aeroplanes, farm equipment and heavy earth-mover machinery. Find all the news and analysis you need relating to Goodyear here.
Thanks to the recent agreement to transfer of brand rights, Dunlop is a name that’s been mentioned a lot lately. But one company may wish to hear less of it. In a refreshingly honest statement, Australia and New Zealand’s largest independent tyre importer and distributor has described its most recent financial results as “poor and unacceptable,” and while the Dunlop brand isn’t solely responsible for this predicament, it certainly hasn’t helped.
Following the news that the recent class-action price-fixing case against tyre manufacturers has been dismissed, we took a closer look at the Judge’s ruling combining her legal opinion with analysis that we produced based on third-party European data around the time the US suits were brought. In short, we found that Judge’s opinion amounts to the belief that operating in parallel isn’t necessarily tyre price-fixing. And furthermore, our data shows that that broader tyre market prior landscapes somewhat contradict simplistic notions of prices always rising.
In the US, on 25 February 2025, US District Court Northern District of Ohio Eastern Division Chief Judge, Sara Lioi, dismissed the recent US tyre manufacturer price-fixing class-action that followed an EC investigation into similar claims relating to European tyre operations. The named defendants, in alphabetical order, were: Bridgestone, Continental, Goodyear, Michelin, Pirelli and Nokian. All six had jointly filed a motion to dismiss the price-fixing case “for failure to state a claim”.
Goodyear has begun its second season as exclusive tyre supplier for the LMGT3 category of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), and for 2025 it is introducing a new slick compound, the ‘Eagle Hard’ specification tyre. This will debut at the 6 Hours of São Paulo in July before returning at Circuit of The Americas and Bahrain; three tracks known for high temperatures or abrasive surfaces.
After recording a net loss of US$687 million in 2023, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company returned to profit last year. The tyre maker sees this result as vindication that the Goodyear Forward Transformation Plan is delivering on promises.
With the debut of a tyre featuring a blimp-motif sidewall, Goodyear has finally brought together the two gas-filled objects it is best known for. This striking design adorns the race tyres that Goodyear will supply for upcoming events and commemorates the centenary of the company’s first branded blimp, Pilgrim. The 100th anniversary blimp tyres will debut in April at South Carolina’s Darlington Raceway, home of the Goodyear 400 NASCAR race.
Just hours after Goodyear Tire & Rubber and Yokohama Rubber confirmed the completion of the sale of Goodyear OTR to the Japanese tyremaker for around $905 million, Goodyear detailed how the funds are being used. The largest part sees Goodyear pay-back $500 million of 9.5% interest-bearing bonds due this year.
Following the news that it will “refocus” tyre production at the Danville, Virginia, USA factory, Goodyear confirmed that 850 jobs will be lost. In a stock market filing dated 30 January, Goodyear executives stated that they have “reached an agreement with the United Steelworkers [union]” to “reduce the company’s production capacity and production cost per tyre in Americas.”
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has named David Anckaert the company’s new Chief of Product Strategy and Planning. In this role, which takes effect immediately, Anckaert will lead Goodyear’s product roadmap and lifecycle planning, leveraging data-driven market insights to “identify opportunities, drive innovation and develop a winning global product portfolio.” He reports to Chief Executive Officer and President Mark Stewart.
Launched at “a secluded winter cabin in the north of Sweden”, the EX30 Cross Country is reportedly “designed for people who want big experiences from their small, fully electric SUV”. Full UK details are yet to be released, but what we can learn from official sources is that is that it has larger wheels and can been seen driving on Michelin tyres.
A further 42 SKUs will join the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 line-up during the course this year, bringing the range to 233 SKUs. According to the manufacturer, these new arrivals will complete “the largest UHP summer tyre offering in Goodyear’s history.”
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has completed the previously announced sale of its off-the-road (OTR) tyre business to The Yokohama Rubber Company Ltd, effective 3 February 2025, in an all-cash transaction valued at $905 million. The two companies’ deal was initially announced on 22 July 2024. For its part, Goodyear intends to use transaction proceeds to reduce leverage and fund initiatives in connection with the Goodyear Forward transformation plan. Yokohama Rubber plans to include the acquired business in its consolidated results from the first quarter of 2025 and is currently examining the addition’s estimated impact on consolidated earnings.
In the US, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company’s Fleet HQ program reports that it has helped 5 million vehicles across North America increase uptime.
“Fleet HQ has transformed how we handle tyre issues,” said Veron Wright, director, Ryder-Roadside. “Its streamlined processes create efficiencies that free up valuable time and resources, allowing us to focus on other critical areas of our business. Additionally, Fleet HQ’s timely and insightful reporting has provided us with the data that we need to continually improve our operations.”
Tyre manufacture at the Goodyear plant in Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg is returning to normal, having resumed two days after a fire at the facility last Monday. The tyre maker also shares the good news that all 12 employees admitted to hospital with suspected smoke inhalation were discharged without need for further treatment.
Denmark has told Donald Trump in no uncertain terms what it thinks of his offer to acquire Greenland, but the USA will likely avoid expletives from Martian life when making good on another of its new President’s stated aims. We’re getting closer to finding out at any rate – NASA is making significant strides in Rover technology ahead of a future visit to Mars, including the development and testing of shape memory alloy (SMA) spring tyres.
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