Giti Tire
In its first truck and bus tyre racing series partnership anywhere in the world, Giti Tire has become the main sponsor of the 2017 Super Truck Nationals race series in Australia. The tyre maker’s truck and bus race debut coincides with the launch of the Giti brand truck and bus range in the Oceania region.
Giti Tire has launched the GT Radial WinterPro2, available for the 2017 winter season in the UK from exclusive PCR distributor Micheldever Tyre Services. The manufacturer’s Giti brand commercial range has also received a winter boost with a leading UK coach hire company endorsing its first specific winter marked tyre.
While Giti Tire presented the first six patterns for its Giti brand truck and bus tyre range at this year’s CV Show and intends for these products to replace the GT Radial commercial range in Europe, the company has yet to announce when it will launch its flagship brand into the UK consumer tyre market. Germany remains the only European market to have received the Giti car and SUV tyre range to-date, and this means we won’t be seeing the newest winter product, the GitiWinterW1, over here – at least for the time being.
An open relationship after 22 years of monogamy: German wholesaler Reifen Gundlach has lost exclusive distribution of the GT Radial passenger car tyre range in Germany. Although remaining a close bedfellow of brand owner Giti Tire, from the start of the coming winter season it will share this bed with three other wholesalers.
A total of 394,378 Primewell brand passenger car tyres are being recalled in the USA due to their potential to develop cracks in the lower sidewall. Beginning 20 July, GITI Tire (USA) Ltd. is recalling the replacement market Primewell Valera Touring II in sizes 185/65R14 86H, 195/60R15 88H, 205/55R16 91H, 205/60R16 92V, 215/60R17 96H and 235/60R17 102T.
Giti Tire has received confirmation that two sizes of Giti brand tyres will be fitted as original equipment on the 2019 Volkswagen Passat in North America. The Passat will wear the All-Season GitiComfort A1 in sizes 235/45R18 95H and 235/40R19 92H. These approvals are the first original equipment placements for Giti brand tyres that will be manufactured at the company’s plant in Chester County, South Carolina, which is expected to begin production later this year.
Giti Tire participated in the 45th ADAC Zurich 24h Race at the Nürburgring partnership with Team Dörr, one of Germany’s most experienced motorsport companies, finishing second in the SP8 class and 40th overall. Its fastest lap time was 09:11.087 minutes. The team’s Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo gained pole position in its class after qualifying but had its winning chances snatched away with a broken drive shaft with two hours remaining. The relationship with Team Dörr dates back to January 2017.
Giti Tire has introduced its leading urban bus tyre, the Giti GT867, into the European market. The tyre, also suitable for refuse collection fleets, has reinforced sidewalls to prevent kerb damage, and is designed for constant stop and go operating conditions with frequent changes in speed and direction. The GT867 is available in 11R22.5, 295/80R22.5, 305/70R22.5 and 315/80R22.5 sizes. Load capacity ranges from 148/145 to 158/150.
Giti Tire rides again with Fun Cup UK, having returned as official tyre partner for its second consecutive season. New for the 2017 season, the tyre manufacturer has taken its place on the grid too with a fully liveried GT Radial racing car. The company said the extension of its partnership with the series is part of its growing involvement in European motorsport. The car will be used to raise consumer awareness of the brand while supporting a number of marketing activities throughout the GT Radial Performance Centre (GTPC) network alongside exclusive UK distributor, Micheldever Tyre Services.
Corrado Moglia has taken on a new position of responsibility within the tyre industry. He has swapped his position as managing director Europe at Giti Tire, a role in which he was responsible for the Chinese maker’s commercial vehicle tyre business within the region, for a role at another Chinese manufacturer. Moglia is now general manager Europe at Triangle Tyre.
A ‘Dream Factory’ solution for end-to-end automated materials handling will be installed in the Giti Tire passenger car tyre plant now under construction in the USA. Cimcorp reports that it and parent company Murata Machinery (Muratec) will supply a complete turnkey system that includes all required automation equipment and offers total system control, project management and seamless integration. The automated handling systems will be delivered and installed in three stages during 2017 and 2019.
The company supplying as many as a fifth of all car tyres fitted to new vehicles manufactured and sold in China is preparing for the European launch of its flagship brand, and has its sights on both the original equipment and replacement markets in our region. With its new, designed-for-Europe Giti range, Giti Tire aims to become “an established original equipment supplier and recognised technology partner in Europe.” Three product lines will be introduced into a key initial market in the coming months ahead of a wider European rollout.
Giti Tire has celebrated the 500,000th sale of its GT Radial FE1 with a ‘Golden Tyre’ presented to GT Radial Performance Centre (GTPC), Perry’s Tyres & Exhausts Service of Cinderford, Gloucestershire. The FE1, launched in 2014, is the fastest selling European pattern in Giti Tire’s history. As of September 2016, more than 580,000 units have been sold in the 21 months it has been available.
Giti Tire is recalling around a quarter of a million tyres in the USA and, in a separate notification, Continental is recalling almost 15,000 tyres.
Following up the European launch of Giti branded truck tyres at Reifen 2016, Giti Tire has now launched a new flagship Giti branded passenger car and SUV summer portfolio for the German market. The range, which consists of four “premium performance” tyres, has been developed and tested exclusively throughout Europe by the company’s Hannover-based R&D Centre. Giti stated that there were “no plans to replace the GT Radial brand”, previously positioned as its global flagship, in Europe when the commercial range was launched. According to the manufacturer, this remains the case, with the Giti PCR range designed to complement its existing GT Radial, Primewell and Runway brands; Giti will offer selected sizes aimed at specific vehicle segments.
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