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Based in Japan, Bridgestone Corporation is the world’s largest tyre and rubber company.

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Ingrid Celebrates 21 Years at Autofit Ipswich

Ipswich businesswoman, Ingrid Ward, has just celebrated an amazing 21 years as a director of the town’s Autofit garage, which she founded with husband Kevan. During this time, the couple – along with fellow director Dave Chapman – have watched the Britannia Road firm go from strength to strength, winning an army of loyal customers along the way.

“The past 21 years have flown by,” says Ingrid. “There have been some big changes and challenges here over the years, but I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.” Autofit, which is a member of Bridgestone UK’s 200-strong network of independent First Stop tyre dealerships, was opened by Ingrid and Kevan, a former RAF officer, in 1986.

26th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

BFS And Pirelli Hike North American Prices

Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire and Bridgestone/Firestone Canada are increasing prices on all Bridgestone, Firestone, Fuzion and associate brand tyre lines by up to 4 per cent.

25th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

New First Stop Website

Bridgestone UK has launched a new first stop web site. The site, www.firststoppartners.co.uk, has been designed to cater for the growing number of independent tyre retailers signing up to the First Stop network – the loyalty programme of Bridgestone UK. It offers a host of interactive features, including downloadable brochures and guides, latest news, contact details for key First Stop personnel, and an online shop selling promotional products.

The site also boasts access to marketing tools, answers to technical questions, information on Bridgestone UK’s safety campaigns, and details of the company’s training and investment programs – as well as outlining all the benefits of being a First Stop member.

24th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Single Tyre Proposed for MotoGP

MotoGP may go the way of Formula One and become a single tyre championship next year if the proposal adopted by Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of series organiser Dorna Sports, is adopted. Such a move would serve the purpose of cutting costs and is aimed at eliminating what many have called the current “imbalance” between Bridgestone and Michelin.

24th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

BFNAT Adds New On-/Off-Highway Radial

(Akron/Tire Review) Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire has launched the new Bridgestone L320 on-/off-highway drive radial. BFNAT said the tyre features a 31/32nds deep, aggressive block design for traction, tread life and retreadability, open shoulders for traction on soft surfaces, and stabilising tie bars for tread block stability and long-term traction.

Stabilising tie bars link adjoining tread blocks. As the tyre wears and becomes shallower, the tie bars become part of the tread pattern. This creates additional edges to “bite” into soft surfaces, further enhancing soft-surface traction.

The L320 drive has four steel belts and an all-steel casing, and will initially be available in sizes 11R22.5 and 11R24.5 sizes, both in G and H load ratings, and 12R22.5 in H load rating.

21st September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Praised in Independent Tests

Bridgestone’s Potenza RE050A, which Bridgestone reports is from the same high-performance range as official F1 tyres, was a top performer in Evo magazine’s 2007 tyre test, while the Turanza ER300 was also praised in the annual Auto Express tyre test.

The RE050A performed well across all nine disciplines in the Evo test, and was particularly strong in wet braking, and curved and straight-line aquaplaning. Evo personnel used quantitative and qualitative data to analyse the performance of nine different tyres from leading manufacturers. The RE050A finished with an impressive 92.7 per cent overall score, less than four per cent behind the overall winner.

The magazine described the RE050A as “on the pace in both the wet and dry tests,” with driver Jethro Bovingdon particularly impressed with its “very predictable” performance on the dry handling track.

21st September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone’s ‘Steady Growth’ in Europe

At the recent IAA motor show in Frankfurt Bridgestone discussed details of its ongoing major investment programme for 2007, supporting its long-term plan for steady growth in Europe. Following on from expansion in production capacity at existing plants during 2006, this year will see trial production at Europe’s first fully-automated tyre plant, completion of a new European supply chain system and inauguration of the final phase of the Bridgestone European Proving Ground.

With Bridgestone’s focus on added-value products, such as run-flat and high-performance tyres, and the shift in demand towards larger rim-sized tyres in the European passenger car tyre market, heavy pressure has been placed upon current production resources. Capacity at the Poznan, Poland plant has already been boosted plant by 50 per cent to 23,000 units a day and Bridgestone Europe is currently constructing a new fully-automated plant at Tatabanya, Hungary, which will be ready by early 2009.

20th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Cambrian Dealers Win Free Bridgestone Rubber

Tyre retailers from Colchester and Weymouth have secured free Bridgestone rubber to reward their support of a prize draw aimed at promoting bike safety. Sean Davies, of Sean Davies Service & Repair, and Alison Bethell, of Full Throttle, each won of a set of Battle Wing tyres after encouraging customers to win an off-road skills weekend in South Wales in return for a free tyre health check. Bridgestone UK also used the promotion with Cambrian Tyres to raise awareness of its new Battle Wing BW 501-502 pattern, which is designed for road and off-road use on powerful adventure sports bikes.

Sean and Alison were among scores of Cambrian account holders to get involved, submitting entry forms on behalf of customers who fancied the thrills and spills of off-road riding.

19th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Top Online Brand – 2007

Online Brand Equity

Michelin and Bridgestone are the dominant online tyre brands, according to the latest research. The report, exclusively published in Tyres & Accessories for the last three years, was conducted by Cambridge-based online brand monitoring specialists, Envisional and found that Pirelli was the biggest faller in its unique online brand ranking exercise.

The analysis shows that the Michelin brand, as observed in previous years, continues to stand well clear of its rivals. Envisional found that this brand achieves the greatest degree of “online prominence” by a significant margin, though this lead has narrowed again since 2006. The top six most prominent brands are the same as those observed in 2005 and 2006 and there is still a sharp drop between the six leaders and the chasing pack.

19th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Turanza Now OE on New Chrysler Minivans

(Akron/Tire Review) The Bridgestone Turanza EL40002 will be the OE tyre on the 2008 Chrysler Town & Country Limited. The T-rated tire, in size P225/65R17, will also be optional equipment on the Chrysler Town & Country Touring and the Dodge Grand Caravan SXT.

18th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

FIA Reveals Details of McLaren Ferrari Scandal

The FIA has released details of the email conversation between Fernando Alonso and Pedro de la Rosa that led to McLaren being excluded from this year’s Formula One constructor’s championship amid accusations of spying. Interestingly, the emails which were exchanged over the course of three months centred Ferrari’s tyre inflation gas, brakes and weight distribution.

According to the FIA, de la Rosa emailed Alonso on 25 March identifying identified an unspecified gas that Ferrari uses to inflate its tyres to reduce the internal temperature and blistering. The e-mail concludes with a statement (in relation to the gas) that “we’ll have to try it, it’s easy!”

Alonso replied that it is “very important” that McLaren test the gas that Ferrari uses in its tyres as “they have something different from the rest”, and “not only this year. There is something else and this may be the key; let’s hope we can test it during this test, and that we can make it a priority!” de la Rosa replied stating the following: I agree 100% that we must test the [tyre gas] thing very soon.

18th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Goodyear Wins Evo Tyre Test

The new Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric has taken its first major independent tyre test victory, with ‘Evo’ magazine declaring the latest Goodyear ultra-high performance tyre as the winner in a comparison of nine brands. The test was particularly significant because the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric topped the handling tests in both wet and dry conditions.

The test took place at the Bridgestone Research and Development centre, and measured handling, aquaplaning resistance and braking using a Volkswagen Golf GTi. The Goodyear set the fastest lap times in wet and dry conditions, generated the most cornering force and had the shortest stopping distance in the wet. The test drivers raved about the Goodyear performance: “The steering feels clean, direct and positive. It is a decisive win for the new Goodyear” stated Jethro Bovingdon from Evo.

17th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Tyres and Tubes for Today’s Market

Through almost 60 years of trading, the company, a major player in the UK Tyre Wholesale sector, has experienced many changes in this ever-evolving industry, from the early days of crossply tyres, to the now, commonplace radial tyre. Coupled with this the extensive development of the varying aspect ratios now required to meet the many needs and applications of not only road transport, but for all pneumatic tyre equipped vehicles, such as agricultural, industrial, construction, earthmover, open space management, plant & machinery and much more. In meeting the present day requirements R H Claydon offers tyres for all these requirements and being solely a wholesaler, with no retail outlets, there is no conflict with its customer base.

The exclusive brand, BKT, manufactured in India, forms the greater part of this supply for all products outside Car, Van, 4X4 & Truck, The range could be stated as meeting all needs pneumatic, indeed this is signified in BKT’s own advertising strapline “Off-Highway Tyre Solutions”. In this year, there have been many additions to the BKT Range including, 70/65/90&95 Agrimax Radial Tractor, Tele Handler sizes in 460/70R24 (17.5R24) and 19.5R24. BKT Armaturf KV Tyres for the professional ride-on mower, now offer an estimated 90 per cent protection from punctures. The year has also seen the growth in earthmover units; in this sector sizes such as 1800-25 40pr & 1800-33 40pr Rock Grip E4, both sizes also produced for Port & Terminal operations. The BKT range fully justifies Claydon’s own slogan “All- Season All- Reason Agricultural & Industrial Tyres”.

14th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Top in US OE Tyre Satisfaction Across All 4 Segments

Michelin ranks highest in customer satisfaction among original equipment (OE) tyre manufacturers in all four segments examined, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study. Bridgestone was rated average or below average in every survey, coming last in the sport/luxury research where Bridgestone may have expected to have been strongest.

The study measures overall customer satisfaction with their original equipment tyres in four segments: luxury/sport; mass-market/non-luxury; pickup/full-size van; and SUV. Within each segment, five key factors are examined to measure customer satisfaction. They are: wearability, appearance, traction, ride and handling. Rankings are based on owner experiences with their tyres during the first year of ownership.

Michelin ranks highest and well above the industry average in each segment and performs particularly well in all segments on all five factors. Additionally, the 2007 study marks the fourth consecutive time Michelin ranks highest in the luxury sport and SUV segments, and the third consecutive time within the pickup/full-size van segment.

13th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Maxxis Supermaxx in Silverstone Group Test

The popular Maxxis Supermaxx, a ZR rated Sports/Touring motorcycle tyre, now in its third generation, has demonstrated its credentials in a group test at Silverstone. An instructor from California Superbike School put the Supermaxx through its paces using a race specification Suzuki GSXR1000 (2007 model). In good weather conditions he completed 100 miles at race speeds on the Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit.

“Silverstone is a fast, flat racetrack where cornering speeds can reach up to 140mph and 170mph-180mph is the norm on the quickest straights,” said Maxxis International UK managing director Derek McMartin.

12th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors