(Akron/Tire Review) Tire and wheel maker Titan International Inc has settled a dispute with the City of Brownsville, Texas, home of its now closed tyre plant, agreeing to give the city 73.5 acres of land. The agreement ends a two-year lawsuit filed by Brownsville in the wake of Titan’s sudden closing of the plant in 2003.
Production of certain models of Corvette could be delayed as a result of wheel supply interruption. Supplier Amcast went into bankruptcy on 2 December. General Motors is changing all orders that were scheduled to be built after 3 January from polished wheels to silver painted wheels delivered by another supplier. Any substitution of a lower cost wheel will be reflected in a reduced invoice for the dealers. The chrome wheel option will be postponed until “late spring production.” The impact on production of the top version Z06 is still undetermined.
Pirelli Tyres has announced that Mill Tyres, Boston has been awarded Pirelli Performance Centre status. Mill Tyres becomes the 50th centre to achieve this prestigious award since the introduction of the PPC concept in the late 1990s.
Mill Tyres, a family run business, operates out of a single depot in Boston, Lincolnshire. John Sands and his two sons Edward and John have been in business for 15 years and pride themselves on offering a first class service from the moment the consumer walks through the front door into the modern, spacious and well equipped reception area, to the tyres being fitted with the latest equipment and to the highest technical standards.
(Akron/Tire Review) Pirelli Scorpion LT/SUV tires have earned an OE position on the 2006 Ford F-150. The new F-150 Harley-Davidson model will have 22-inch wheels with Pirelli Scorpion Zero Asimmetrico tires in size P275/45R22. And the F-150 FX4, Lariat, and King Ranch models will have an available 20-inch wheel with Pirelli Scorpion ATR tyres in size P275/55R20. Pirelli Tire North America said this was the first OE fitment for the Scorpion ATR.
(Akron/Tire Review) American Tire Distributors (ATD) relocated its Salt Lake City operations into a new distribution centre in the city’s Ninigret Complex. The 115,000-square-foot facility nearly quadruples ATD’s distribution capacity, replacing its former 30,000-square-foot location in the Utah city.
Wheel deliveries between Amcast and General Motors have been temporarily restored following the component manufacturer’s second chapter 11 filing this year. The move is said to have averted a shut down at several GM assembly plants. Either way, court documents presented in Amcast’s bankruptcy filing report that it stopped all deliveries of previously ordered wheels to GM on 30 November, the day before Amcast filed for emergency bankruptcy protection. That move came after talks designed to modify business contracts between the two companies broke down.
Autodata has updated its Wheel Alignment Data manual to include information on over 60 new models and important revisions to many other models. The 2006 edition marks 30 years of accurate up-to-date information on Wheel Alignment from Autodata.
Amcast Industrial Corp has again filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy three months after emerging from an earlier filing, according to court documents. Previously the company had filed for bankruptcy in November 2004 before clearing this status in August.
AEZ is to launch the first self-cleaning wheel onto the market in 2006. The AEZ Raver, is said to be a groundbreaking innovation and the first alloy wheel to have been made using a nanotechnology-based coating.
OZ Racing have released a new wheel aimed at powerful premium vehicles like the Jaguar, Mercedes, Audi, BMW and Lexus. The Michelangelo II PL is available in 18, 19 and 20 inch sizes and is priced between 440 and 650 euros.
Hayes Lemmerz International, Inc has announced that its Commercial Highway operations in Akron, Ohio and Berea, Kentucky have received the 2005 Supplier of the Year Award from Strick Trailer for their exceptional effort in providing quality products and services.
(Akron/Tire Review) Continuing its emphasis on its sub-brand products, Yokohama Tire Corp. launched two new tyres during last week’s SEMA Show – the Advan S.4 all-season UHP, and the Parada Spec-X for the custom/tuner market segment.
Hofmann Megaplan has launched what it claims is “a totally new concept in tyre fitting and removal technology,” namely The Boss super automatic tyre station.
The Boss revolutionises the way tyres are changed by mounting the tyre in a vertical position, enabling a better view of both beads, and eliminating the need for a tyre lever. Designed specifically for stiff, low profile tyres and run flat tyres, the machine is operated by a keypad control, making the whole process fully automated and non-contact.
During the third quarter 2005 Trelleborg experienced a strong trend in both agricultural and industrial tyre sales. Between January and September sales rose by 12 per cent compared with 2004 totalling 721 million Swedish Krona. Operating profit rose by slightly more than 40 per cent compared with the previous year, amounting to 55 million Krona. Trelleborg puts this down to increased sales volumes, new OEM customers, favourable product mix and high utilisation of capacity. Price increases were said to have offset increased raw material costs.
A Dallas man and his customised 1937 Ford pick-up truck has received the top Dunlop “Maxxed Out” Award at the SEMA show in Las Vegas. John Davis, Emmy Award–winning host, producer and creator of US TV programme, MotorWeek, presented the Dunlop awards. “We were looking for the ultimate in ‘maxxed out’ style and performance,” said Andy Traicoff, director of Dunlop consumer tyre marketing. “Through these awards, Dunlop celebrates the artistry and all-out performance created by the people who personalise their vehicles to reflect their personalities and attitudes.”
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