Recent restructuring at Heuver Tyrewholesale has given the company’s agricultural division a more prominent role, and Heuver reports its intention to strengthen agricultural tyre export activities, in particular the export of its brands to Germany, Belgium and France. The Dutch wholesaler says it “expects a great deal” from this.
It has been a clear two months since my last rant about the state of the MOT test and with road safety minister Mike Penning having recently confirmed that a wholesale review of the test will be carried out, it is about time for an update. While almost everybody in the UK industry agrees that moving to two year testing intervals – whether it is in line with the rest of Europe or not – some would argue that a review of the system is overdue. In addition technological advances such as the mandatory fitment of tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS – scheduled for 2012) and the widespread use of ESP have moved quicker than legislation or testing rules that examine if these safety critical systems continue to work correctly throughout the life of a car.
Pirelli has its ‘Cal’ – the latest of which, incidentally, is being unveiled in Moscow on November 30 – and the company’s Metzeler brand also has a calendar of its own. London’s Ace Café was chosen as the launch venue for the 2011 edition of Metzeler’s ‘Classics’ calendar, and the tyre maker reports an enjoyable evening was had members of the Metzeler ‘community’.
While most German and Polish drivers make preparations for the bleak midwinter, Goodyear Dunlop says the only response from the west and south of Europe is often to “hope and pray the snow will stay away.” Snow has already fallen in parts of the country and the European Centre for Medium Range Forecasting predicts temperatures colder than average for this winter, yet despite warnings of another big freeze coming our way, a recent survey held for the tyre maker reveals a “Europe divided” between those countries who are switching to winter tyres and those that think they can weather the storm. More than half of French and Belgian drivers, two thirds of Spanish and three quarters of British drivers admitted they would not use winter tyres.
When the Dunlop shod Suzuki Endurance Racing Team took the chequered flag at the 8 Hours of Doha on November 14, the result ensured not only race victory but also victory in the whole 2010 FIM World Endurance Championship. Half of the season’s top-ten ranked bikes rode on Dunlop, and the tyre maker points out that this championship victory marks the eighth occasion in which Dunlop has clinched the world title in the last ten years.
It’s getting cold out there, and tyre maker Continental notes “there are no Europe-wide regulations for winter tyres in sight.” So until the day when nations throughout the region are encouraged to sign up to the tyre world’s equivalent of EMU, those planning to take their vehicles across the Channel during the coming cold months need to study up on the various national regulations in effect. Fortunately, Continental has made such swotting easier by outlining the winter tyre rules currently in effect in Europe.
A study carried out by Goodyear in the UK and six other European countries has confirmed what most of us already suspected – while the majority of road users are aware of the important role tyres play in road safety, many remain in the dark when it comes to tyre purchasing and maintenance. A total of 3,500 people were interviewed for the survey, both here and in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain.
As reported in Tyres & Accessories’ October edition (see page 14), at the start of September a further thirteen European countries were added to the 24 national markets where Continental’s mobility offer has operated since February. The product, known as Conti360° Fleet Services, is specifically aimed at fleets operating across national borders and includes five components that cover the spectrum of fleet operator needs.
Michelin has developed a new “sound logo” as an integral part of its corporate identity. Designed in collaboration with Sixième Son, the 32-second sequence of musical notes is designed to support the brand’s “image, message and baseline.” It will now be deployed across all media platforms (television, radio, telephone hold systems, advertising campaigns and trade fair stands). The audio brand was unveiling in parallel with the 2010 Paris Motor Show as part of a project begun in 1998 to enhance the Michelin brand and its identity.
Stoke-based Daily Tyres, a new mainland venture from Eamon Daly of Daly Tyres (Limerick), used the recent Brityrex show to publicise the enhanced availibility of the Westlake in the Midlands and North of England. The Westlake brand was featured on Eamon Daly’s rally racing car which was prominently on display in the main entrance to the tyre show.
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One outcome of the recession has been increased awareness of the need to maximise tyre value through related services. Several manufacturers of budget-segment brands have shared with Tyres & Accessories their view that simply producing affordable tyres holds little future; service, they realise, will increasingly be a dividing point between brands that do well and those that don’t. Established tyre majors, such as Goodyear Dunlop, enjoy a significant head start in this area, and this is helping them gain a better foothold in a market increasingly focused on whole-life savings.
To mark the occasion of the Monte Carlo Rally’s centenary, French tyre giant Michelin has announced that it will reward the efforts of the top 25-placed amateur competitors with a free set of its racing tyres. The 79th Monte Carlo Rally is the first event of the 2011 Intercontinental Rally Challenge and is scheduled to take place between 18 and 22 January 2011. The rally will begin in Valence, France.
Whether 1966-born Jean-Philippe Rouchon really is the illegitimate son of Patrice Michelin, who died in 2006, is a case for the court to officially decide. On October 12, the Tribunal de Grande Instance de Paris set a November 9 hearing date for the issue. Lately, French newspapers have been filled with reports and the internet is abuzz with alleged or actual titbits of information on the matter, and Rouchon himself is clearly aware of how to use the media to his own advantage. In videos it can be seen and heard that it is not really all about the money (although it does play a role, for example with inheritance, as today the Michelin family belongs to the five or six richest families in France with wealth that goes far beyond the Michelin Group’s assets) but rather ensuring justice and making amends. He has surely suffered, having to lead a hidden life somewhere while the esteemed members of the large Michelin family lived happily like children sitting under the Christmas tree.
At the Intermot exhibition, held in the German city of Cologne, Nankang Rubber Tire has shown off its first-ever motorcycle tyre. Aimed at the growing sport touring segment, the radial Roadiac WF-1 is said to be the product of three years’ intensive joint development work between Nankang and Delticom/Pnebo.
Bridgestone promises to have a “strong presence” at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, which opens to the public on October 2. The tyre maker is an original equipment supplier to all major French car manufacturers, and at the Bridgestone stand (Hall 1, Booth 550D, for those of you planning a jaunt across the Channel) visitors will be able to see Bridgestone’s prêt a porter range worn by some of France’s top models, including the new Citroën DS3 and Peugeot 207 SW Outdoor.
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