New NTDA director named
The NTDA has appointed Stefan Hay as its new director, succeeding Richard Edy who is retiring after 25 years in the post. The changeover will officially take place at the end of January.
The NTDA has appointed Stefan Hay as its new director, succeeding Richard Edy who is retiring after 25 years in the post. The changeover will officially take place at the end of January.
Bridgestone’s training and marketing departments have taken part in an informal testing session of the brand’s latest premium product at the Prestwold Driving Centre in Leicestershire. Members of Bridgestone’s technical team presented the tyre to colleagues in an informal approach, which, according to the company, allowed staff to “feel the difference” between the Potenza Adrenalin RE002 and competitor products. Bridgestone is targeting the sport replacement market with the tyre, which it says is tuned mainly for dry performance.
Federal launched its Formoza AZ-01, the company’s latest flagship product, in Bologna. In addition the company display a selection of its latest products and technology including the 595RPM which is aimed at super cars, the 595EVO FRF ultra high performance tyre and the Himalaya ICEO studless snow tyre. At the same time the Couragia FX asymmetric SUV was on show. This product, say company representatives is aimed at meeting the so-called 3H demands of luxury SUVs – that is high horse power, high centre of gravity, and Hhgh chassis. At the same time the Couragia XUV─A, a new SUV all-season Touring tyre was also exhibited.
TRACKER, the stolen vehicle recovery (SVR) company, warns people not to save their home address into their SatNav system, as it could lead car thieves right to their front door. Thieves in stolen vehicles are using the in-car technology to find an owner’s home and burgle their house, as well as stealing their car.
On 18 April, the Boeing Company honoured Goodyear Tire & Rubber as one of its 17 most exceptional suppliers. Goodyear was selected from a pool of more than 23,000 Boeing suppliers from around the world and received a Boeing Supplier of the Year award at a ceremony held in San Diego, US. The tyre maker was awarded in the Electronics/Hydraulics/Mechanical category.
The Geneva Motor Show has served as a backdrop for the official European debut of Bridgestone’s Potenza Adrenalin RE002. The premium sport tyre was first introduced last year, and Bridgestone says the aftermarket-only tyre was launched across Europe in February. The range focuses on 15 to 18-inch rim diameters and 60 to 40 series; the manufacturer describes the Potenza Adrenalin RE002 as an “urban sporty, offering car enthusiasts a daily driving sensation with sharp steering response and exhilarating sporty handling.”
Continental reports that a new feature related to its TPMS system has entered series production. The company says an Asian vehicle manufacturer now offers its customers a sub-function of Continental’s ‘Filling Assistant’ – feature that uses a motorist’s smart phone. An app on the phone omits a short ‘honking’ noise upon achieving optimal pressure during tyre inflation. The Filling Assistant function ensures that tyres always run on the correct pressure, even if they are filled using non-calibrated equipment.
After keeping mum about it for quite a while, Continental has shared that its tyres play a key role in making the London Eye spin. The 442 foot (or 135 metre, for those reading this in metric) high Ferris wheel is spun by drive systems located in towers at each end of the boarding platform; these systems’ hydraulic motors rotate the wheel via friction rollers, and Continental HSR (Heavy Steer Regional) tyres fulfil this role.
Waking up to find your vehicle’s tyres punctured is often followed by a phone call to the police, but if you live in the city of Abbottabad, in Pakistan, a call to the cops will also put you directly in contact with the tyre-wrecking culprits. The Express Tribune newspaper reports that the Abbottabad police, a force fed up with criticism about its powerlessness to prevent cars from being stolen, has introduced a new means of foiling thieves – the police opine that if you can’t move a car you can’t steal it, and based on this logic police officers now spend their nights puncturing the tyres on parked cars in order to immobilise them.
Terry Gibson has been appointed as the Independent Garage Association's (IGA) Operations Manager to reinforce its member offer with effect from 15 October 2012.
Gibson has worked within the motor industry for most of his working life and will bring these skills and experience to the independents. He has achieved success with the AA as the Head of Technical Support and more recently working with the market-leading supplier of security marking and registration systems for deterring thefts of vehicles.
Roderick A. Palmore, executive vice president, general counsel, chief compliance and risk management officer, and secretary for food multinational General Mills, Inc., has been elected to Goodyear Tire & Rubber’s Board of Directors.
"The suggestion that independent garages having access to vehicle manufacturer technical information is the cause of a rise in car crime is entirely false and unfounded" said Stuart James, Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI) Independent Garage Association (IGA) Director, commenting on a recent press article.
A national insurance broker is warning businesses to take precautions as the theft of catalytic converters from vehicles increases. According to latest figures the practice, which involves removing the converter from the exhaust pipe to sell onto scrap metal dealers, has doubled from 1,100 incidents to 2,300 over a five month period as the value of platinum, palladium and rhodium from which the converters are made increases.
Bridgestone will offer visitors to its exhibition area free industry seminars at this year’s CV Show. Visitors can get advice, hints and join the debate on wheel security (cost and consequences); the future of fuel efficiency; and how to save money through improving tyre maintenance. The seminars will run daily during the show, held at Birmingham’s NEC, on 24-26 April.
Bridgestone Corporation reports success in its lawsuit against Chinese manufacturer Guangming Tyre Group regarding the infringement of its design patent rights. The case began in May 2011, when Bridgestone filed a lawsuit in the Beijing Second Intermediate People's Court, alleging its design patent rights were violated by Guangming Tyre Group. Specifically, Bridgestone claimed Guangming was manufacturing and selling tyres that used the Japanese tyre maker’s patented truck and bus tyre tread patterns. Guangming produces tyres under the Heshan and Chaoyinsu brand names.
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