(Akron/Tire Review) Few people know that South Korea’s Kumho Tire started as a taxi company back in 1946. To celebrate its humble beginnings, Kumho recently purchased two 1933 Ford sedans, similar to those that the now international firm began with.
The cars are on display at Kumho Asiana Group’s headquarters in Yongin.
Pirelli has won several summer tyre tests carried out by German motoring publications. Products ranging from the ultra high performance sector to the balanced performance ranges were put through their paces.
In particular, Pirelli’s UHP tyre, P Zero Nero, fitted to BMW Z4, Mercedes-Benz C 320 Sport Coupé, Audi A3 and Audi TT and the P Zero Rosso fitted to Mercedes-Benz CLS 350 returned performances of “extremely high levels,” says the manufacturer, winning tests on both wet and dry asphalt.
Pirelli’s SUV Scorpion STR tyre, tested on a Jeep Cherokee, also received recognition, as did the high performance P6 on a Volkswagen Golf V and P3000 Energy on a Ford Fiesta.
Avon Tyres Racing and the Ford Racing Formula Ford Australian championship will continue their association due to the recent selection of the Avon ACB10 Semi Slick as ‘control tyre’ for a further six years. Completion of the agreement in 2010 will make Avon’s 15-year control tyre selection the longest such arrangement in the world, says the manufacturer.
Commenting on Avon’s involvement in the Australian Formula Ford championship, Julian Baldwin, Avon Tyres’ director of marketing and motorsport, said: “As part of Avon’s worldwide support of the Formula Ford class we are very happy to be associated, once again and on a continuing basis, with the Formula Ford Australian championship.”
Drivers from 15 different countries, including Great Britain, Venezuela and Canada, will be among the contenders of the opening two rounds of the 2005 Cooper Tyres Championship for Formula Ford 2000 cars, that kicks off as part of the Grand Prix of Atlanta ALMS event at Road Atlanta next weekend.
Drivers Jay Howard and Joey Foster will be representing Britain. Howard contested two races in the Cooper tyres championship last season, winning once at Infineon Raceway. Foster won the Formula Ford Festival and World Cup at Brands Hatch in 2003, and will drive for Cape Motorsports, which has won the title in three of the last five years.
(Toronto/Tire Review) Canadian Press reports that the Big Three automakers – Ford, GM and DaimlerChrysler – continue to lose market share in the United States but are regaining ground in Canada. US sales by the Big Three have declined by six per cent so far this year, reducing their market share to 59 per cent – the fifth consecutive month below 60 per cent – said the report released Monday, citing research by Scotiabank.
Meanwhile, the Big Three led the way in Canada last month, with volumes advancing 16 per cent year-over-year – the best performance in more than five years.
(Akron/Tire Review) A report in the Detroit News says that SUV sales have dropped sharply as fuel prices in the US have continued to rise. The newspaper, citing a study by J.D. Power & Associates, said that full-size SUVs have been the hardest hit by the sales downturn. Sales of full-size SUVs were down 31 per cent in January and 21 per cent in February, according to the report.
Through February, sales of Chevy Suburbans were down 37.8 per cent, Hummer H2s were down 32.6 per cent, Ford Expedition sales fell 24.4 per cent and Toyota Sequoia sales were down 14.4 per cent, said the report. Still, some models showed increases, including the Nissan Armada (+33.5%), Dodge Durango (+17.3%), and the Cadillac Escalade ESV (+8.8%), the report noted. A Ford analyst quoted by the paper said, “Gas prices probably accelerated a trend already under way. The best days for those products (large SUVs) are behind us.”
Sébastien Loeb has won his third Monte Carlo Rally. The French driver’s success brings Michelin’s total to 20 wins in the principality since the creation of the World Rally Championship in 1973. In a repeat of last year’s Monte Carlo classification, Citroën and Ford secured first and second places. Sébastien Loeb and the Michelin-shod Citroën Xsara WRC dominated the season’s opening round from start to finish and Michelin’s tyres were competitive from the very first group of stages, which saw Loeb pull out a significant early lead.
This year’s Monte Carlo Rally also marked the introduction a new tyre regulation which, for this event, allowed drivers to use a maximum of 55 tyres from their allocated quota of 80 asphalt tyres and 50 snow tyres (although the latter weren’t actually fitted given the conditions). After consultation with their engineers and Michelin technicians, the drivers had to finalise their choice on the Monday before the event. The 80 asphalt tyres included the three or four compounds they believed would be competitive but the difficulty was determining the ideal quantity of each option for the three-day event. According to Michelin, its one-two finish in Monaco shows that the work put in by its technicians and partner teams and drivers in pre-event testing paid dividends.
The Detroit Motorshow has increased Pirelli’s profile in America’s Original Equipment segment.
The P Zero product range was chosen for two OE fitments in the market. The new Jaguar Coupé will be fitted with 21 inch P Zero Nero tyres and the Ford Mercury with a concept P Zero tread design.
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Continental has gained further recognition in the North American market as OE fitment to the newly declared North American Car of the Year and Truck of the Year, chosen at the North American International Auto Show currently being held in Detroit.
The Chrysler 300/300c and the Ford Escape Hybrid truck were chosen for their “innovation, value, safety, ride and handling,” reports an American news source.
In a statement summing up the company’s plans for the New Year, Pirelli has called 2005 “the year of OE.” In the company’s words, its New Year strategy will be based on four key business pillars – MIRS, original equipment, brand and new products.
The company recently announced that it would be bringing a fourth MIRS system into operation. In addition Pirelli highlighted the fact that its “Fist” advertising campaign has received awards for its “original equipment on the world’s finest” message.
Gaetano Mannino, president and CEO of Pirelli Tire North America, explained that only a few days into the New Year, the list of vehicles riding on Pirellis includes the following well-known names: The Dodge Ram SRT-10, SRT-10 Quad Cab and the Durango, made by Daimler-Chrysler; Ford’s F250 and F350 pickup trucks and the Five Hundred, Freestyle and Mustang GT. Chevrolet’s new Cobalt is also shod with Pirellis as an OE fitment.
Ford Motor Company will now offer a new line of 20-inch Alcoa wheels as Genuine Ford Accessories for Super Duty trucks. Referred to as Super Duty Dubs, customers may now choose from five styles of the strong, hot-forged aluminum wheels – from a flared 6-spoke to a wide 5-spoke design. Each is engineered to meet Ford specifications for durability and vehicle dynamics standards. These wheels are now included as a Genuine Ford Accessory by the U.S. automaker.
ArvinMeritor Inc has been awarded Q1 certification from Ford Motor Company. The award, which was presented by Terry Revord, Ford North American Supplier Technical Assistance Engineer, recognises Ford suppliers who demonstrate excellence in product quality, on-time delivery and outstanding customer service.
When presenting the award, Revord said: “The Q1 award symbolises that ArvinMeritor Chickasha is among the very best suppliers to Ford Motor Company, with the commitment and processes in place to consistently provide the highest quality parts to our customers.”
“We are very proud to receive Q1 certification today,” added Paul Rogers, director of operations for the Chickasha facility. “Our employees have worked very hard for almost a year to meet Ford’s stringent requirements to be certified Q1. We value our relationship with Ford and look forward to supplying them with superior ride control products for many years to come.”
The Chickasha facility has more than 650 employees and manufactures automotive shock absorbers and MacPherson struts. The Q1 celebration included a cookout served to employees by facility management.
Ford has started using Hankook’s Ventus Prime tyre on its new Ford Mondeo. The vehicles will use 205/55R16V and 205/55R16H sizes. The company reports that Ford will also fit its Focus and Fiesta models with Hankook tyres. Both models are made at the Ford’s factory in Valencia, Spain.
Continental AG has reportedly won the “lion’s share” of a large order to supply Chrysler with its ESP anti-rollover system for (SUVs), according to the German automotive supplier. The deal means Continental will now supply all of the ‘big three’ US carmakers after winning an order from General Motors, said company spokesman Hannes Boekhoff.
The Toyota Prius has been awarded the European title of ‘Car of The Year 2005.’
The car was chosen from a group of finalists including the Citroen C4, Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra, Renault Modus, Peugeot 407 and the BMW 1-series.
Steve Cropley, editor-in-chief, Autocar magazine, was one of the six UK members of the Car of the Year Jury, he said: “Toyota’s Prius is the most successful hybrid car available today and is being used as everyday transport by 120,000 drivers worldwide. Toyota has clearly demonstrated the way forward.”
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