On 1 February, Michelin took the wraps off a reference tool that targets classic car fans and industry professionals. The tyre maker says its new www.michelinclassic.com website is unique in Europe; rather than merely inaugurating a conventional website to provide tyre information for historic vehicles, Michelin says it is introducing a “complete” global service, from Michelin expert advice right the way through to online sales.
Vintage Tyres has announced the launch of the Dunlop 145SR10 SP44 Weathermaster. According to the company, the firm had to go “right back to the drawing board and create a brand new mould to the original specification” in order to give the new product its current lease of life. The SP44 is described as the classic rally tyre for the Mini Cooper and with its rugged design was also widely used on the famous Mini Moke.
Michelin has introduced a new size in its TB5 range of road legal race tyres aimed at young classics. The 17/58-14 or 185/60VR14 is suitable for Peugeot 205GTi, VW Golf GTi, Toyota Corolla Gti, Alfa Romeo Alfasud Ti and Ford Escort XR3i. Vintage Tyres, which distributes the Michelin classic line-up, says the new TB5 fitment “will offer the ultimate in performance for both track and road on these cars.”
On Saturday 29th June 2013 over 200 outstanding vintage and classic cars and motorcycles will set out from Ascot Racecourse on a 20 mile Rally Tour via beautiful Windsor Great Park en route to Broomhall Recreation Ground, Sunningdale. There they will be displayed as a focal point for the Lynwood Summer Fete starting at 12.30 pm.
Although it boasts dimensions similar to those shown on recent Bridgestone and Michelin concept tyres, the latest Waymaster product released by Vintage Tyres is strictly old school. The new Waymaster Thirty features a tread pattern the classic tyre supplier describes as “recalling a bygone era”; the WM30 pattern harks back to the late 1920s, a time when tyre design moved on apace as designers sought ways to overcome the inherent instability and road noise associated with “block” tread patterns and create tyres suitable for the next generation of quality cars, such as the “Silent Sports Cars” soon to arrive from Bentley, Lagonda and Rolls Royce.
After a year of steady sales increases in 2012, Conti says it is ready to ‘Attack’ in 2013 and is looking to maintain the company’s position as the UK’s fastest growing motorcycle tyre brand. UK Product mix demand has changed dramatically in the last few years and Continental believes its product range is well suited to the wide variety of tyres now being purchased.
Three UK moto series supported by Pirelli-owned bike tyre brand Metzeler came to an end on the weekend of 13-14 October at Brands Hatch. The company supplied tyres to the Superstock 1000 and 600, in addition to the Triumph Triple Challenge in 2012. Metzeler Product and Marketing manager Jim Worland commented: “Once again our three Metzeler supported Championships have supplied fantastic racing, large fields of riders and most importantly supplied a great route for young racers to progress through the ranks. The Metzeler Racetec Interact tyres have helped give fast, consistent lap times and give excellent feedback to the riders.”
To celebrate half a century of keeping older cars on the road, Vintage Tyres has produced a car tyre fitment wall chart of British cars covering popular sizes for everything from AC to Wolseley, as well as lots of other information on tyre fitting and safety.
Following Mike Penning Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport’s announcement that an amendment will be made to regulation 6 of The Motor Vehicles (Tests) Regulations 1981 to enable the MOT exemption for vintage vehicle, the RMI has voiced its displeasure.
Automotive industry charity, BEN has announced details of its Summer Fete activities at its Birch Hill and Lynwood Care Centres. On 30 June 2012, more than 200 vintage and classic vehicles will start a 20 mile Rally Tour from Ascot Racecourse travelling via Windsor Great Park on their way to Lynwood Care Centre, where they will be on display from 12:30. Meanwhile on Sunday, 1 July 2012 Birch Hill’s Summer Fete will take place between 14:00 and 16:00 within the grounds of the Care Centre in Norham.
“A serviced tyre is a happy tyre,” that’s what the purveyors of fine vintage tyres at Vintage Tyre Supplies say. But old or not, as the only contact a car has with the road, tyres are perhaps the most critical factor in road safety and they are also a big investment. With this in mind, Vintage Tyres have created this unique tyre service kit as part of their 50th celebrations.
This year, Vintage Tyres is planning several special events and offers to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary.
This year Vintage Tyres itself reaches a healthily vintage age – during 2012 the Beaulieu-based company, which claims to be the first firm in the world to set up as a dedicated supplier of older and specialist vehicles, celebrates 50 years in the business. To mark its half-century, Vintage Tyres will run a number of events throughout the year, including May’s Vintage Tyres New Forest Classic Car Run, and the company says customers can also take advantage of special offers during this anniversary year.
Calibre has announced the next in its collection of niche wheel designs, which will launch in 2012. The Askari is “a new take on the ever-popular ‘Y Spoke’ genre,” according to the manufacturer. It is designed with motorsport aesthetics in mind; a gloss black centre sits within a polished and deep-set lip, reflecting what Calibre says are current trends.
Fashion wheel brand Calibre has released a new 18” version of its Dub wheel. The new Dub enlarges the style of the 15” version to create a design that gives a realistic pseudo-split rim appearance. The wheel measures 8” in width and is available in a variety of PCDs for five-stud fitments. Wheels can also be ordered blank to allow for custom drilling.
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