Cooper Tire Europe has confirmed that it will proceed with its plan to end light vehicle tyre production at its facility in Melksham, Wiltshire. The company’s latest statement follows the conclusion of its collective consultation process with employee representatives, which began in October 2018.
British motorcycle brand Avon Tyres is the original equipment fitment for the KTM 790 Adventure, which debuts this week at the EICMA show in Milan.
The AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building Freestyle class, supported by official sponsor Avon tyres, has been won by Russian customiser, Zillers Garage. In the Cafe Racer class, Italian outfit FMW Motorcycles with its Avon-shod ‘Hurakan’.
Cooper Tire Europe is to enter a 10 month consultation period to decide the future of light vehicle tyre production at its Melksham, Wiltshire facility. News sources suggest that light vehicle tyre production currently in Melksham would be shifted to its factory in Serbia, pending the outcome of the consultation. The company states that the proposed change is a result of the “cost-competitive, globalised environment.” It adds that the Melksham facility “in its present form is not competitive within the Cooper global manufacturing network or the tyre industry at large.” It is Cooper Tire Europe’s highest cost production facility, and the company adds that it considers expanding or updating the facility to meet its light vehicle tyre needs to be “not economically feasible.”
Avon Tyres has unveiled its latest van product – the AV12 – at Fleet Live this week, offering van drivers the chance to improve fuel efficiency and save on running costs.
The successor to Avon Tyres’ Cobra motorcycle range has arrived. The Cobra, which has built up a reputation in the custom and cruiser segments in the decade since its launch, now hands the baton to the Cobra Chrome. Avon Tyres says the new cruising tourer tyre line offers “improved longevity and more fitment options than ever.”
Avon Tyres will unveil a new motorcycle tyre during the 2018 Intermot motorcycle expo (3-7 October, 2018; Hall 6 B-021 Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany). Avon adds that its stand will feature its entire range of motorcycle tyres, special guest appearances and custom bike exhibits.
Cooper Tire Europe has launched a new Cooper Brand Portal, providing online access to a host of digital assets for media and brand partner use. Product photography, event images and video content are now all readily available for download.
Avon Motorcycle Tyres will return to the 2018 Classic TT, supplying tyres to some of the most prestigious race bikes at the event. With practice currently underway, John McGuinness has already made his much-anticipated return on Saturday evening in first practice for the Senior Classic TT Race. Using Avon AM22 race tyres, McGuinness set the fastest time of the event.
Avon Motorcycle Tyres says it is capitalising on the recent surge of interest in British bike brands, adding original equipment fitment contracts to its roster and responding to increased demand for premium whitewall tyres.
As far as years go, 2017 was a special one for Tyre Trading International (T.T.I.). Early on in the piece it delivered growth through the acquisition of Van Aalderen Twen-Tyre, it then witnessed expansion with Reifen Kraftwerk and was rounded off by organisational restructuring following the sale of the company’s Motoria business. T.T.I.’s owner Peter-Alexander van ’t Hof sees last year’s changes as a “big step” for the wholesaler, and 2018 is also looking to be a red-letter year.
Cooper Tire Europe has reported on what it says was a successful The Tire Cologne trade fair, an event that saw the Cooper and Avon brands drawing large numbers of visitors to the stand. The Cologne show proved, the tyre maker adds, “an excellent venue” for the global launch of its new Discoverer AT3 line.
Avon Tyres’ Motorsport division is also using its knowledge from race programmes to develop its high performance car tyres. Its partnership with competitive Caterham championships has spanned more than 25 years and is still going strong. This year the brand retained the title sponsorship of the Roadsport Championship, which is for drivers fresh from the Caterham Academy starter series. This grassroots sport is what underpins Avon’s “arrive and drive” ethos – transferring its expertise and development from the production of race tyres to passenger car products that are track-ready.
Road racing legend Guy Martin and former British and European flat track champion Peter Boast took second place at the 12-13 May Endurance Legends event on Avon tyres. Racing a 1981 Suzuki GSX-R1100 XR69, Martin and Boast battled it out against 50 of the world’s top classic endurance race teams at Donington Park.
Avon Tyres will showcase its three main product lines – passenger car, motorcycle and motorsport tyres – at this month’s The Tire Cologne. The latest and most innovative from the Avon range will be displayed on stand C-070, Hall 6, together with the British brand’s new style and completely redesigned website.
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