Following Continental’s 5 November recall of roughly 12,000 Continental and General brand passenger vehicle tyres sold to vehicle manufacturers and the North American replacement markets, company representatives have confirmed that the UK and European markets are not affected. Continental estimates that approximately 39 of the 12,000 tyres recalled in the USA are defective.
Recent data released by the DVLA and Department for Transport (DfT) has illustrated that the UK car parc is older than it has ever been. Older cars are undoubtedly popular, and as a result aftermarket support will be required for these vehicles long into the future.
When the Covid-19 pandemic led to the first national lockdown in March 2020, it wasn’t immediately clear what was allowed to be open. It also took time to clarify who exactly could be defined as key workers. However, it quickly became apparent that – whatever else happens – logistics fleets and blue-light services were indispensable. And these vehicles can’t get anywhere without tyres. Therefore, garages and tyre-fitters were swiftly categorised as exempted businesses and key workers respectively. Having learnt the lessons of the first lockdown, this time things are clear: Tyre garages are allowed to remain open during lockdown. And tyre specialists are key workers.
Motorsport UK has consulted on the implications for motorsport in England with the Government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in respect of the plan to enter a four-week national lockdown on Thursday 5 November.
RH Claydon has today become the exclusive UK distributor of Triangle truck and bus and off the road tyres. The change of distributor for the brand follows Tym International’s decision to cease trading on 30 October. The specialist tyre importer-wholesaler, in which Triangle took a strategic holding in 2013, announced its liquidation in early September. Tym’s managing director, Steve Eke, has since been appointed UK & Ireland sales director of Triangle Tyre Europe. The Chinese tyre manufacturer, among the country’s top five according to Tyrepress data, set up a new European team headquartered in Milan in 2017 under general manager Corrado Moglia. Commencing its distributorship, RH Claydon stated that it looks forward to building a strong relationship with the brand.
Goodyear has been confirmed as the tyre supplier to the Sports Prototype Cup and the partnership will begin at the Cup’s Formula One support race at the Portuguese Grand Prix later this month.
Overall registrations remain under great pressure, but the latest new car sales figures point to another bumper month for electric vehicles. Meanwhile, diesel-fuelled internal combustion engine vehicles have taken the biggest hit. There are also signs that vehicle ownership preferences are changing. But what does this mean for the shape of the car market that feeds aftermarket tyre sales?
GKN Wheels’ multi-million-pound investment programme at its Telford factory has resulted in the achievement of record targets. Despite a number of obstacles, not least the impact Coronavirus pandemic has had on the plant’s operational capabilities, the new manufacturing plant is now producing more than three times as many wheels as the old plant, with 55 high-quality off-highway wheels now being manufactured every hour. With the new line now fully operational, the old lines and assembly cells have now been decommissioned and disposed of.
The UK is at risk of losing out to the rest of Europe when it comes to the automotive lithium ion battery recycling market, according to a new research report published this week by WMG at the University of Warwick and backed by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK, the High Value Manufacturing Catapult and Faraday Battery Challenge at Innovate UK.
Following the closure of Continental’s Aachen, Germany tyre production facility, Tyres & Accessories asked representatives of the company’s UK operation (Continental Tyre Group) what the impact will be on local customers. In short, the company is aiming to continue “high quality” service.Following the closure of Continental’s Aachen, Germany tyre production facility, Tyres & Accessories asked representatives of the company’s UK operation (Continental Tyre Group) what the impact will be on local customers. In short, the company is aiming to continue “high quality” service.
Pilgrim Tyres Plymouth is rebranding its premises after leaving the HiQ network and joining First Stop Tyres & Car Services. Describing the transition as “an ambitious decision”, company representatives said:
Tym International will cease trading from 30 October 2020, effectively winding up the tyre import and wholesale business specialising in Far Eastern-produced and OTR tyres. Writing in a letter dated 8 September, managing director Steve Eke explained “the decision to cease has been forced upon the company by others that control the majority of the shares in the business”. Tyres & Accessories understands that the combination of recent business pressures caused by EU anti-dumping truck tyre tariffs and then coronavirus caused major shareholders to withdraw their investment.
4×4 tyre sales may have fallen due to the effects of coronavirus and lockdown, but prices in certain key sizes are actually higher than they were before those challenges presented themselves at the start of the year. Tyres & Accessories spoke to tyre market and pricing data experts Encircle Marketing in order to find out more.
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4×4 retail tyre sales have long been a growth area and the UK market constitutes one of the leading lights in Europe. More recent growth has been driven by similarly strong SUV vehicle sales as well as consumer switches towards all-season products. At the same time, more practical and off-road-orientated vehicles have also been supporting 4×4 tyre sales.
General Tire is expanding the Grabber X3 line-up. The tyre now offers a total of 38 versions of the off-road tyre, nine of them with red sidewall lettering.
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Cottonbro; Pexels
Triangle
Sports Prototype Cup
SMMT
GKN
University of Warwick
Continental AG
First Stop, Bridgestone
Tym International
Andrew Martin; Pixabay
Dariusz Sakowski; Pixabay
General Tire