On 15 May 2009 Apollo Tyre’s purchase of Vredestein Banden was completed with the signing of contracts ratifying a deal estimated to be worth between 175 million and 220 million euros. The new combined company, Apollo Vredestein BV, will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Indian tyre giant Apollo, with full responsibility for selling all of both company’s tyre brands (Vredestein, Maloya and Apollo) in Europe. Having witnessed Amtel-Vredestein go to the wall earlier this year, observers agree that the company's previous alliance with the now defunct Russian tyre maker turned out – with the benefit of hindsight – to have been a mistake.

Nevertheless Vredestein's re-marriage to an ambitious manufacturer with its own designs on European market access puts the new combined company just outside the top 10 global tyre manufacturers, somewhere around 12 or 13; fulfils Vredestein’s desire to find emerging market production capacity and a route into the related sales markets; and is being hailed as a new beginning for Dutch tyre maker. Tyres & Accessories recently travelled to Apollo Vredestein BV's Enschede headquarters and asked the newly merged company's CEO, Rob Oudshoorn, why it will be second time lucky for the tyre manufacturer.