Hannover-based Continental AG is a leading automotive supplier and – according to the company – is “the choice of leading car manufacturers, offering award-winning tyres that deliver responsive braking in all weather conditions.”
18 top General Tire dealers from the UK recently visited the SEMA aftermarket show in Las Vegas as invited delegates of Micheldever Tyres, the UK distributor of General Tire.
The trip was hosted by Amelia Lion, MTS marketing manager house brands and Alan Baldwin, MTS wholesale director, who commented: “After distributing quite a few million 4×4 tyres in the UK market over the past years, visiting SEMA, the home of 4×4, was long overdue.”
Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., has announced that its ADVAN Sport V105 MO tyres are original equipment for the new Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake. According to the company, the CLS Shooting Brake will feature two Yokohama tyre sizes – 255/40R18 99Y, and 285/35R18 97Y (only for the rear).
The ADVAN Sport V105 MO was developed jointly by Yokohama Rubber and Daimler, with the MO mark on the side of each tyre signifying approval by Daimler. Improved performance on wet and dry surfaces and braking has been priotised along. Quiet ride and a high level of comfort have been finely balanced.
Continental, in collaboration with Safe Kids China, has launched the Youth Safe-Driving Program 2012/2013 at Tongji University in Shanghai.
Under the motto, "Be a Responsible Young Driver", the two-year program aims to enhance road safety awareness and promote safe driving behaviour among young drivers as well as reduce road injuries. Representatives from the Shanghai Municipal Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the Automotive Studies School at Tongji University joined student ambassadors at the opening ceremony.
Continental has introduced the ContiClassicAttack; a new radial tyre that has been designed to revitalise the handling, stability, grip and safety performance of classic motorcycles. It is the only radial tyre in this category, says Continental and enables riders to eliminate many of the performance compromises of older bias-ply (aka cross-ply or diagonal) tyre designs.
Recent rises in fuel costs may hit the revenues of tyre, brakes and automotive spares suppliers, according to Moody's Investors Service comments published today (7 November 2012). According to the report, the potential loss of revenue is “credit negative” for rated automotive spare parts suppliers.
The biggest downside risk from a 5 per cent aftermarket contraction in Europe is seen at brake manufacturer TMD friction, which could feel a 3 per cent hit to its revenues in this scenario and Michelin which is expected to see revenues drop 1.8 per cent if this were to happen. However it is not just an aftermarket problem, Moody's expects that higher fuel prices could also affect suppliers that focus on automotive manufacturers.
Writing in The Times on November 1st, Simon de Bruxelles says: "Nearly half of all new cars now come without a spare tyre, putting unprecedented pressure on breakdown companies called out to deal with punctures, according to a survey.
"MINI, Volvo and SKODA have abandoned the spare altogether, and other manufacturers, such as Audi, fit them only to certain models. Where a spare is fitted, it is likely to be a thin ‘space saver' that can get the vehicle to the nearest garage but is not suitable for normal driving."
While financial analysts were not more than satisfied with what they characterised as an “in-line” set of third quarter financial results from Continental AG, a spell of cold weather could be just the tonic for the German tyre maker which is strong in winter tyre sales.
Continental has launched a new winter tyre for coaches, the Scandinavia HSW 2 Coach, saying that an increasing number of transport companies are now using its latest seasonal heavy commercial vehicle products. In several European countries, the use of winter tyres on trucks is a legal requirement with, in some cases, a minimum tread depth requirement of 6mm.
Continental is introducing a 385/65R22.5 version of its Generation 2+ steer axle tyre, making the HSL 2+ front axle tyre now available in 11 different sizes. The range includes four XL versions of the long distance tyre for front axle loads of up to eight tonnes. Conti says this is in recognition of the increasing load on the front axle for vehicles with heavier drive trains to meet the Euro 6 emissions standard.
Following Delticom’s announcement of a profit warning, financial analysts have issued a warning of their own – Delticom AG could now witness market watchers slash their 2012 earnings estimates for the company by around 30 per cent.
On 31 October Continental AG will host a conference call and tyre division investor day to coincide with the release of the company’s third quarter results. Analysts at Deutsche Bank anticipate that Continental will report revenues of 8.1 billion euros for the quarter, a five per cent year-on-year increase. Other expected results include an adjusted EBIT of 844 million euros – the analysts note that this projected 13 per cent year-on-year growth is driven by Conti’s tyre business – and a net profit of 401 million euros, up 90 per cent on a year earlier.
Michelin UK managing director, Eric Le Corre, has been elected as the new chairman of the British Tyre Manufacturers Association (BTMA) at a recent Board meeting. The new chairman-elect replaces Continental Tyre managing director David Smith whose two year chairmanship ended recently. Le Corre will also represent the BTMA on the board of the Tyre Industry Federation (TIF). He brings with him 14 years experience in the business and takes over with immediate effect.
Michelin has won two prestigious Tyre and Fast-Fit (TAFF) awards at this year’s ceremony held by the National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA) held on 10 October in Manchester. The company picked up both the Industry Advertising award and the Product Innovation award at the association’s annual dinner hosted this week in Manchester.
Shares in Nokian Tyres fell by as much as 12 per cent following a profit warning issued by the company today (16 October 2012). According to Bloomberg, the fall was the biggest drop since 5 August with prices tumbling to 29.94 euros (down 11 per cent) as of 15:08. But it didn’t stop there and instead the market experienced a degree of negative contagion following this news and similarly gloomy demand projections from European tyre makers.
This week an important automotive component celebrates its 110th birthday. No, it’s not the pneumatic tyre – John Boyd Dunlop is credited with its creation in 1887 – the birthday kid is the speedometer. To mark 110 years of its existence, automotive supplier Continental has released a text explaining where the speedometer came from, how it works and where it is heading:
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