The 47th edition of Rétromobile, a leading international consumer event for vintage cars, bringing together more than 600 exhibitors, will kick off the festivities celebrating the centenary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This unprecedented display dedicated to French craftsman and manufacturers who have shone at Le Mans will be held in Pavilion 1 of Paris Expo Porte de Versailles from 1 to 5 February 2023.
Continental has announced a voluntary replacement programme for a total of 7,103 tyres worldwide. According to a statement detailing the news published on 7 December 2022, the exchange programme is being offered in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, France and Italy. In the German market, for example, a total of 745 tyres that were sold through the tyre replacement business or are still in the stocks of tyre dealers are eligible for exchange. A Continental Tyre Group spokesperson confirmed that the UK market is not affected by the voluntary exchange programme.
The Tractor of the Year 2023 awards have taken place at the SIMA show, with BKT serving as main sponsor for the third consecutive year. As this year’s winners were announced, the tyre maker also gave word that it would return as main sponsor in 2024.
Inflatable structure specialist AirCaptif, a Michelin company since late last year, has unveiled a new innovation in partnership with Dassault Aviation. At the same time, Michelin announces that AirCaptif plans to double its production capacity from 2023 and bring new talent into the team.
Following the news that Goodyear is investing in converting its Montluçon into a two-wheel tyre production centre of excellence, company officials have confirmed that, subject to consultation with the relevant employee bodies, Goodyear expects the plans to be “substantially complete by the beginning of 2024”.
Following the news that it is consulting on the closure of the Cooper Melksham tyre factory, Goodyear has announced that it is set to invest 16.5 million euros into the “modernisation” of its Montluçon, France tyre production plant over the next 18 months. The news also marks the end of light truck tyre production at Montluçon. Prior to the announcement, the production of two-wheel tyres accounted for 50 per cent of the site’s activity and the site has also made motorsport tyres during its recent history.
The UK’s largest aftermarket manufacturer of exhausts has announced the opening of a dedicated distribution centre in France. The new Klarius Products site near Lille will enable next-day deliveries to stockists and distributors in the majority of France, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, as well as 48 to 72-hour deliveries to other parts of the EU.
They are a stoic bunch and nobody has come forward to seek professional help so far, but participants in the Tour de France 2022 may be forgiven for wondering if they’d experienced a collective hallucination during the gruelling 2,081-mile race. For at a strategic location along the 21-stage route between Copenhagen and Paris, cyclists were confronted by the looming presence of an oversized agricultural tyre.
After four years as chief executive officer of German tyre and car service network ATU, Matthieu Foucart is returning to parent company Mobivia in France. There he will assume overall responsibility for the group’s workshop and specialist dealer business, which includes the Norauto, Midas, Auto 5 and ATU brands. His successor heading the four-person ATU management team is Sascha Bopp, who will take over as chief executive officer on 1 October 2022.
Toyo Tires is sponsoring the fourth of five majors on the international women’s golf tour 2022, the Amundi Evian Championship. The tournament begins today in Evian-les-Bains in France, overlooking Lake Geneva.
Seven-time French Elite Drift FFSA champion, Benjamin Boulbes has commenced the 2022 season on new rubber with GT Radial Champiro SX-R tyres on the rear axle. Available exclusively for Boulbes in Europe, the ultra-high performance, semi-slick sport tyre features a professional racing grade canopy, a special tread formula and unique casing structure for maximum performance and integrity at high temperatures and extreme forces.
Michelin is growing its non-tyre activities with the debut of Michelin AirProne, an air cushion kit designed for patients suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Made by AirCaptif, a French start-up that Michelin acquired in 2021, the kit will soon be available throughout Europe following its initial launch in France.
Hopium, France’s first manufacturer of hydrogen-powered vehicles, is partnering with Bridgestone to develop tyres for its Hopium Machina saloon. Bridgestone will create the tyres using its proprietary Virtual Tyre Development technology, working to a remit of minimising rolling resistance in order to enhance the car’s 1,000-kilometre range.
Bridgestone has confirmed a second year of partnership with the Hawkers European Talent Cup (HETC). As of this year, the tyre manufacturer is also official partner of the Federation Française de Motocyclisme (FFM) and sole supplier for the Objectif Grand Prix (OGP), the French national championship dedicated to promising young riders. Bridgestone says it shares the passion for competition and performance that are the basis of motorcycle racing.
Following its 100 per cent acquisition by the Michelin Group, French online tyre firm Allopneus has a new chief executive officer. Michel Vincentelli succeeds Mathieu Blaise, who launched the Allopneus site in 2004 together with father Didier and brother Antoine.
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Continental
Christian Marx/Profil Verlag
Christian Marx/Profil Verlag
Bridgestone