Michelin in Court to Defend Bibendum
Months after announcing that the company’s Bibendum had been short-listed as one of the world’s most recognised logos, Michelin is going to court to defend the beloved ‘Michelin Man.’
Tyre industry pioneers, Michelin has a long history. Having begun in 1889, Michelin is now the second-largest tyre manufacturer in the world after Bridgestone and larger than both Goodyear and Contineantal.
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Tyre Choice Crucial For Subaru
Product NewsAfter winning the last the last three rounds of the 2004 FIA World Rally Championship, the Subaru World Rally Team will travel to Corsica this week looking for their fourth consecutive win. Subaru team boss, David Lapworth, told the Global Motorsports website that tyre choice will have an enormous impact on the race’s outcome.
“At this time of year, weather is likely to play a large factor,” he said. “You can win or lose the event on tyre choice, and I think what won the rally for us last year was reading the weather conditions right and getting the tyres choices right, those things could well be factors again this year.
“The weather is often unpredictable, but even in the dry it’s a tricky rally as the roads are abrasive and rough. The drivers get the stiffest necks because it’s so twisty and bumpy, while the roads generate the highest tyre wear, the highest grip level and the highest temperatures so you have to look after the tyres – being fast over 50km is very different to being fast over the first 5km. If you’re a little bit too hard, it feels like you’re going faster, but actually the tyres are going off and you’re losing speed so it’s important to find the perfect balance between aggression, commitment and technique. Pirelli have also been working hard on the tyres and have made some good progress. However, we won’t really know where we are until we see the times from the first stage in Corsica. The benchmark is moving forward all the time and we don’t know what Michelin and the other teams have been doing.”
Schumacher and Bridgestone Take ‘Home’ Grand Prix
Product NewsAfter fears that a so-called super typhoon would halt the Japanese Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher has won his 13th race of the season. The fact that qualification was more than a little disrupted by an “undriveably” wet track only meant that more emphasis was put on tyres. After the first ever Sunday morning qualification, Michael Schumacher’s Bridgestone equipped Ferrari blew away the opposition.
Williams’ Ralph Schumacher took second place, with Britain’s Jenson Button taking the third podium spot. According to Button: “I went for the two stops because it worked pretty well for me in the last race.” Michelin drivers took the majority of the other point scoring positions.
When the reigning world champion was asked what it felt like to back in winning form, having set a new record for the number of wins in a season, the Ferrari driver commented: “Yeah. It is obviously nice, for other reasons, particularly that it is Bridgestone’s home Grand Prix and we wished to do well for them and we did. We did very superb in being basically fastest all weekend and finally get the win and it is the way to pay back something to our partners.”
Michelin Recalls 46,000 Tyres
Product NewsAt the end of September Michelin Tire North America announced that it has recalled 46,000 passenger car and light trucks. Now the company is extending that recall to include the other markets that the tyres were supplied to.
Bridgestone After Michelin Teams
Product NewsOnline motorsport news services are reporting that Williams, Renault and Toyota are all linked possible moves from Michelin to Bridgestone next season. According to the website Bridgestone has approached all six Michelin-shod Formula 1 teams, including McLaren, Jaguar and BAR. Williams, Renault and Toyota are believed to have responded with requests fore more information, according to British media sources. The source said Bridgestone wants at least one carmaker-backed Michelin team to switch camps and thus contribute to development of next year’s Formula 1 product.
New rules in 2005, requiring a Formula One tyre to have a longer life, will mean that the quality, and quantity, of this winter’s development will be even more crucial to success.
Petter Solberg’s Rough Road Ahead
Product NewsSubaru team driver Petter Solberg, has won the Rally of Italy keeping alive his hopes of defending the world rally championship title.
Michelin Reiterates Limited Growth Expectations in H2
Product NewsMichelin is fending off critics by reassuring all interested parties that its earnings and sales will improve this year, despite reiterating the fact that it expects higher raw-material prices to limit its growth in the second half.
“Raw-material prices are and will continue to rise and put pressure on margins,” Michelin’s CEO Edouard, told French newspaper Le Figaro.
‘Bib’ Tower If Paris Gets Olympia 2012
Product NewsIn preparation for the 2012 Olympic Games Parisian leaders set a competition to find an unmistakable architectural indication of Paris. The winner, Explorations Architecture, took the title with a tower made from tyres that ends in the colours of the Olympic rings.
If the city were to win the Olympic rights the French area of Les Batignolles would exhibit the observation tower alongside the Olympic village. The architect’s draft plans an 80 metre high, bright tower, which provides most with a reminder of Michelin’s Bibendum. The tower will be constructed with helium filled tyres so that it is flexible and able to move with the wind. The tyres will be interconnected with four ropes, and the highest of the five rings will be illuminated in the Olympic colors.
Michelin Reassure Over US market
Product NewsMichelin has held a meeting in New York where it announced that it is currently utilising its US truck capacity by 100 per cent. The market, which was up six per cent in H1, has dropped in the last two months, especially in the mass market when high performance tyres kept growing.
The company claimed that its price increases in the US are holding however, as they have already commented, they do not think that US customers can cope with a 3rd price increase this year. The company also claims that it doesn’t need another price increase to meet its 04E targets.
Barichello Takes First Chinese GP
Product NewsThe inaugural Chinese Grand Prix was certainly a successful one for race winner, Rubens Barichello. The Ferrari driver has now won two consecutive races for the first time in his career.
Michelin Adds Canadian Franchise
Product NewsCanadian Treads has signed with Michelin Retread Technologies Inc (MRT), Michelin’s fifth MRT franchise in Canada.
Michelin Unveil Airless Tyre
Product NewsMichelin is to exhibit its Airless tyres at the Paris Auto Show 2004. According to Michelin the “Airless Wheel” and “Tweel” tyres are still at the concept stage but would hopefully hit the mass market in the next 10 years.
Michelin Man to Drive Truck Sales at ATS Euromaster
Product NewsATS Euromaster has a new face leading its commercial vehicle sales operation, Phil Payne, who has joined the team from Michelin will now become the company’s national sales director truck.
Commenting on his appointment, Mr Payne said: “I’m joining a business that is seeking to grow by building on the customer relationships it has already developed in the CV, agricultural and industrial markets. There is a new, extremely positive business philosophy evolving at ATS Euromaster and I look forward to helping drive this forward by delivering new levels of service and value to CV operators of all sizes.”
Mr Payne originally began his career with the Mars Group, but more recently moved to Michelin to perform the role of European car fleet manager.
The new appointment is the third senior management selection to be made by the company this year, the other two being Martin Saint, national sales director car and Robert Blaikie, divisional sales director. All three appointments are further steps in the company’s strategy to develop its products and services across the UK tyre and vehicle maintenance market.
Michelin Confident About its US Price Increases
Product NewsRecent market reports have stated that the latest price increases in the US passenger replacement market weren’t sticking. However Michelin is said to be confident that the price increases it instigated (key to offset raw material price increases) were sticking. Michelin passed two price increases in H1of three and five per cent.
According to Deutsche Bank the company also confirmed what it had already stated last summer; that the market may see a third set of price increases this year.
Jaguar Pulls Out of F1
MotorsportJaguar is to pull out of Formula One at the end of 2004 and Ford’s engine maker Cosworth is also up for sale. F1 representatives believe this decision will have huge affects on the sport, which is under threat from carmakers seeking to establish a rival championship. The news certainly won’t be received well by Michelin, Jaguar’s F1 tyre supplier.
Joe Greenwell, chairman and CEO Jaguar and Land Rover said: Jaguar’s presence in Formula One has been a valuable marketing and brand awareness platform particularly outside our main markets of the US and the UK. However it was our collective view that it is time for Jaguar Cars to focus 100 per cent on our core business.”
It is thought that the company could no longer financially compete with rivals BMW and Mercedes, partners to Williams and McLaren. World champions Ferrari and new arrivals Toyota have estimated budgets in excess of $200 million a year. “It is so expensive to be successful in Formula One,” said Ford vice-president Richard Parry-Jones. “The money the sport generates is not distributed equitably to the various stakeholders,” he continued.
