The Japan Automobile Tire Manufacturers Association (JATMA) has reported that domestic tyre production grew to 13.5 million units in August, up 1.1 per cent year-on-year. The 13th successive month is significant because output levels are generally down in August, when factories shut down for summer holidays.
Sumitomo Corp, the third-largest trading house in Japan, said it has reached an agreement to acquire US automobile tyre retailer TBC Corp this year for some 120 billion yen (£600 million). Sumitomo said it will complete the acquisition at the end of December. The acquisition is intended to solidify Sumitomo’s existing tyre business and increase profits by expanding into tyre retailing, the company said in a statement. The Japanese company plans to expand its tyre business in the U.S. by adding TBC’s more than 1,000 retail stores to its Treadways Corp. wholesaling business.
Jussi Valimaki (Finland), of Team MRF Tyres, won the Indonesian round of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship at Makassar during the September 10/11, 2005 Gudang Garam International Rally 2005.
Driving a Mitsubishi Evo 8, the Indonesian victory also confirmed the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship Drivers’ title for Valimaki, the 31-year old MRF Team driver, who collected 15 points and reached a total of 70 points in the Drivers’ Championship – a lead that no APRC driver can match this year. Valimaki wins both the overall and the Group N categories.
Federal’s 595 competition tyre has reportedly become something of a favourite amongst professional Japanese drifting drivers. According to popular Japanese drifting magazine, Drift Tengoku, 54 contestants participated in the recent D1 Super Challenge in Japan. Five contestants, 9.3 per cent of the total number of competitors, used Federal’s 595 on their vehicle. Second place driver Atsushi Goto used 215/40/17s on the front and size 215/45/17 on the rear. Atsushi Goto noted that the wear and tear on his 595s was minimal after the event, according to Federal.
Forbes.com has reported that Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd, Yokohama Rubber Co. and Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. plan to increase prices on their “synthetic-rubber tyres” by four per cent to seven per cent sometime this fall. While none of the companies has made a formal increase announcement, Forbes.com said Japan’s major chemical companies and companies that buy petroleum-based raw material are “scrambling to raise prices of their products” because of fast-rising crude oil prices.
Toyo representative Junko Koide confirmed that the company would increase its prices from the 1 October. The price increases were said to affect passenger car, light truck, and studless truck tyres.
Nankang’s European winter tyre sales have grown to 10 times the size they were in 2003, the Taiwanese company has reported. According to company representatives, Nankang expects to move some 400,000 units of winter tyres, across Europe, this season. This is something, the company, which was reportedly the first Taiwanese company to produce snow tyres, is understandably proud of. The historically high target is set against previous records of 80,000 tyres in 2004 and 40,000 units in 2003.
Federal Tire plans to make the most of the opportunity provided by the Tyrexpo Asia exhibition and debut not one, but two complete motorsport series. The range, known collectively as “Federal Motorsport” is made up of the “595 Competition Series” and the “FZ Combat Series.”
In addition, Federal will also unveil the new Couragia M/T all terrain tyre, and the Milanza HZ-I, a brand new Hero brand UHP tyre. The company’s Himalaya WS-I winter product, Couragia S/U, Formoza FD-I and Hero branded 558 and 668 tyres will also be on display. The 595 Competition series has evolved from Federal’s popular SS595. Now the tyre has been renamed as simply the 595 and has spawned three variations, the 595 Drift Competition, 595EVO Street Competition and 595RS Sport Competition.
Terra-S, located in Owingen, Lake Constance, Germany has developed a modern alternative to the spare wheel to meet the requirements of a modern puncture situation. The practical Tire-Repair-Kit, which contains sealant, a high performance miniature compressor and additional accessories, is designed to replace the spare wheel completely. Terra- S claims the system saves space, fuel and weight provides “much easier puncture-help than a strenuous wheel change.”
The Tire-Repair-Kit is applied by unscrewing the valve using the provided valve remover; the punctured tyre can then be filled with liquid tyre sealant. Once the valve is screwed in again the compressor can inflate the tyre. As the tyre moves the liquid fills the holes, hardening in any punctured areas, the company says.
Michelin Aircraft Tire Corp, based in Greenville, South Carolina, has been awarded a $93 million contract to supply 23 separate naval aviation tyres for aircraft including, F14 and F18 jets.
Yokohama Rubber has been appointed as the official tyre supplier to the World Touring Car Championship. The manufacturer will replace Michelin for the 2006 season.
The company will also supply the control tyre for the first FIA European Touring Car Cup to be held this October at the Vallelunga circuit in Italy.
Bridgestone brand Potenza RE050A tyres will be original equipment on all of Mazda’s new MazdaSpeed6 vehicles. Bridgestone Corporation will supply the tyres to Mazda’s Hofu, Japan manufacturing facility in a 215/45R18XL 93Y size. The Bridgestone Potenza RE050A carries a UTQG rating of 140 for treadwear, A for traction and A for temperature.
Silverstone Bhd has expanded its range of premier tyres to remain competitive in the market, according to managing director Phang Wai Yeen.
“We have been paying lot of attention to research and development since our inception in 1990 and that is why we have been making headway in the luxury and motor sport segments,” Mr Phang said during a visit by Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Peter Chin to the company’s plant in Kamunting, near Taiping.
Andrew Blair, 22, from County Antrim, has scooped the UK’s only gold medal at the 2005 WorldSkills Competition in Helsinki, Finland. He won the medal in Autobody Repair, competing against 14 other countries including Japan, Korea, France, Germany and the US.
Mr Blair, who works for Mallusk Accident Repair Centre in Belfast, also achieved 7th place in the overall Competition (almost 700 competitors competed in total), which took place over four days at the end of May.
The Vladivostok-based Vostokshintorg group of companies recently opened the very first Bandag Dealership in this distant part of Russia, a virgin market for retreaded tyres.
Although Russia is often thought of as a European country, it also has Asian roots. The Russian Far East, more than 9,000 km to the east of Moscow, extends from Siberia to the Pacific. The city of Vladivostok, on the Pacific coast, is less than 100 km from the Chinese border, and only the Sea of Japan separates it from the main Japanese island of Honshu. Oil, gas, fishing, mining, forestry and four major ports combine with foreign economic ties to make the region one of the most dynamic in Russia.
Bridgestone is to recall some 500,000 tyre valve cores used in its tyres due to a pressure leak problem. The manufacturer reports that it has informed the Japanese Ministry of Land Infrastructure of its plans to recall the valve cores which were made by Asahi Metal, and produced between October 2004 and May 2005.Bridgestone said it has received reports of 20 cases of malfunction in Japan relating to the valve cores but no accidents. The affected tyres are only said to be available in Japan.
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