The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has named Peter Lawton as Aftermarket Development Manager. After nearly 15 years as an automotive journalist and the last three years as Editor of CAT (Car and Accessory Trader) magazine, he will assume responsibility for SMMT aftermarket activities from 23 April 2014. Lawton replaces Wendy Williamson who is joining the Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF) as Chief Executive.
The latest edition of Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport contains its annual summer tyre test, and 2014 is something of a jubilee year – the magazine published its first tyre test exactly 50 years ago, a test that pitted modern radials against conventional cross-ply tyres. This year’s winner in the size 205/55R16V comparison – a size unimaginable half a century ago – is the ContiPremiumContact 5. Tyres that were “recommended” include (in order) the Uniroyal Rainsport 3, Pirelli Cinturato P7, Dunlop Sport BluResponse, Toyo Proxes CF2, Hankook Ventus Prime 2 and Michelin Energy Saver+. The Premiorri Solazo and – surprisingly and disappointingly – the Bridgestone Turanza T001 were only “conditionally recommended”. The Westlake Radial RP 18 and GT Champiro VP1 E/C were labeled “not recommended”. The tyres were tested fitted to a VW Golf.
It’s been a double victory for the home team as Continental receives first place in two German magazine polls. The tyre maker says, as you may expect, that it is very pleased with the results of the AutoBild and Auto Zeitung reader surveys.
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has been recognised as the world’s most admired motor vehicle parts company by Fortune magazine. The tyre maker rose from third place last year to top the current category list on the 2014 World’s Most Admired Companies list, and was ranked first within its category in five of the nine the key evaluated attributes: people management, use of assets, social responsibility, long-term investment and product/service quality. Goodyear’s overall score was 7.09. Michelin, the only other tyre maker named in the motor vehicle parts category, dropped two places since last year to number six and gained an overall score of 5.93.
US industry magazine Tire Review reports that workers at the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co plant in Fayetteville, North Carolina were forced to evacuate the building early morning on Monday, 10 March. According to company officials, employees were evacuated at the plant around 2am after someone called in a threat. No one was injured, and […]
On 14 February 2014 Brian Smith unofficially broke the production car land speed record with a 270.49mph run on Florida’s Space Shuttle landing runway, according to Top Gear magazine. Before now the fastest was the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, which managed 269.86mph on the Ehra-Lessien test track in 2010.
Eight decades after Nokian Tyres introduced its first winter tyre, the Finnish company has announced the addition of five new products to its winter range. Three new tyres have entered the Hakkapeliitta line-up; all three, the studded Hakkapeliitta 8 SUV and the Nokian Hakkapeliitta C3 and Hakkapeliitta CR3 van tyres, are designed for use in […]
As long as TPMS remains the third largest selling intelligent car component after ABS and ESC, the performance of this technology in key emerging markets will remain of significant interest to the wider industry. With this in mind, and as part of more detailed coverage in our February magazine’s TPMS feature, we have prepared this brief market overview:
The UK’s biggest selling superbike magazine has awarded the Dunlop D212 GP Pro its ‘Tyre of the Year’ honour in the 2013 Fast Bikes Awards. The supersport tyre, launched in 2013, received the accolade in the magazine’s round up of 2013’s leading motorcycles, accessories and events.
Just a week after being named Tyre Retailer of the Year at the TyreSafe Awards, Micheldever Tyre Services Limited and its retail arm Protyre, have picked up two more industry awards. This time for customer service and staff training. Both awards were judged by an independent panel of experts organised by Training Journal magazine. Nominations came from all sectors of UK industry. According to the company, Training Journal is the UK’s leading training publications and their annual awards. The scheme attracts entries from major and international companies and this year submissions were up by 30 per cent.
The Contidrom test facility operated by Continental near its Hannover headquarters in Germany has been named ‘Proving Ground of the Year 2013’ by Automotive Testing Technology International magazine. The 12-person judging panel presiding over the 2013 awards are said to have been particularly impressed by the Automated Indoor Braking Analyzer (AIBA) facility, which opened at the Contidrom site in autumn 2012.
Motor Trader magazine, which focuses on dealer activities, has reported that last minute self-registration activity distorted the record breaking September plate change, with over a quarter of the month’s volumes being registered on the closing day of the month. But could the heady days of growing registration figures be over? Some analysts believe strengthening markets elsewhere could knock the UK market back.
Metzeler has enlisted some celebrity help to introduce its latest models at the Metzeler Legendary Knight, a free entrance and open bar event to be held on 5 November at Fonderia Napoleonica in the Motoquartiere of Milan. Aerosmith frontman and Dirico Motorcycles USA spokesman, Steven Tyler will unveil Metzeler’s custom touring ME 888 Marathon Ultra tyre in a Whitewall version and new 23” front size, while popular British rider Guy Martin will help the brand launch its new Sportec M7 RR supersport tyre.
Nokian’s WR D3 winter tyre has been “especially recommended”, scoring the top “good” rating, in German automobile club ADAC and consumer protection organisation Stiftung Warentest’s 2013 winter tyre test. The tyre was equally recommended by German car magazine Auto Motor Sport. The Finnish manufacturer and winter tyre specialist also received plaudits for its new WR SUV 3 tyre in two German SUV specialist titles.
The Dunlop Sport BluResponse is a finalist in the ‘Green Steering Wheel 2013’, an annual competition held by leading car publication AutoBild in Germany.
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