After having fitted the V 12 Vanquish with tyres Yokohama has now announced that it will supply the 2002 DB7 Vantage with OE tyres. The sports car will be fitted with the AVS Sport in 245/ ZR19 93Y on the front axle and 265/30 ZR19 93Y on the rear. All Yokohama Aston Martin original equipment tyres are marked with the letters AML on the sidewall (Aston Martin Lagonda).
Yokohama Rubber Company Limited has taken majority possession of its Hangzhou Yokohama Tire Company Limited joint venture in Hangzhou, China. Just two weeks in advance of the ground-breaking for the venture’s radial tire plant, scheduled for 22nd April, 2002.
The ten-year old technology and co-operation between Toyo and Continental has ended, nine months ahead of schedule. This follows the formation of a joint venture between Continental and Yokohama to co-operate on technology and tyre production in Japan. Conti is also co-operating with Bridgestone in the development of run-flat tyres. The ending of the Conti/Toyo agreement was brought forward at the request of the German manufacturer, according to Toyo.
Yokohama Rubber and Continental AG have confirmed a contract for the creation of a joint venture to supply original equipment to Japanese motor manufacturers and to develop Continental in the Japanese replacement market. The 50/50 joint venture will be called Yokohama Continental Tire and will aim to sell OE tyres to Japanese and Korean vehicle manufacturers. Importation and distribution of Continental tyres, to be sold through Yokohama outlets in Japan, will begin in April.
The Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd has announced that the Chinese Government has approved the establishment of a joint venture company in January 2002 to make and market radial car tyres in China. It is a jv between Yokohama, YHI Holdings (of Singapore) and Hangzhou Rubber, of China. Production will begin in April 2003, initially of 750,000 tyres a year. A second stage of investment will increase this figure up to 1.5 million tyres, depending on demand. Each stage will require an investment of $30 million.
Within days of RubberNetwork.com receiving the all clear from the German Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt), Yokohama Rubber Co has joined Continental, Michelin, Pirelli, Goodyear, Sumitomo and Cooper in the global electronic purchasing and procurement market. The RubberNetwork marketplace will be open to all tyre and rubber industry manufacturers and suppliers. The European launch of the market is scheduled for early July.
The Super Sport Car V 12 Vanquish will be fitted by Aston Martin with Yokohama tyres AVS Sport in 255/40 ZR 19 (front) and 285/40 ZR 19 (rear). Yokohama has added the exclusive logo “AML” on the sidewall for the tyres delivered to Aston Martin.
Continental and Japanese tyre manufacturer Yokohama, who already operate a plant together in the USA, producing truck tyres, want to intensify this cooperation. They want to create a 50-50 joint venture in Japan by the end of the year, merging their Japanese activities and focussing on their Japanese OE customers. Yokohama will also help Continental increase its replacement market business. In addition, the two companies want to work more closely together in production in the NAFTA area and are looking at potential synergies, in areas such as purchasing.
The latest study by J.D. Power & Associates, measuring OE tyre satisfaction, puts Dunlop at the head of light truck OE tyres for the first time and Michelin tops for passenger vehicles, for the fourth year running. The study sought the views of more than 39,000 consumers in their first three years of vehicle ownership.
Japanese tyre manufacturer Yokohama presents, as a highlight, its new tyre, the “AVS decibel”, which will be distinctive due to its smooth running – even at high speeds and after thousands of kilometres. It will unite athletic driving with pleasantly quiet running noise, as well as providing dynamic performance and stability. The market launch is planned for 2002. The “AVS decibel” will replace its predecessor, the AVS TW.
A year ago, there were rumours that Yokohama was seeking an alliance with Michelin. TYRES & ACCESSORIES recently visited the company and, in addition to factory and R&D facility visits, interviewed the President of Yokohama Rubber Company, Mr. Yasuo Tominaga. Mr. Tominaga spoke of the company’s wide-ranging restructuring plan and whether a company the size of Yokohama can survive alone in a global market dominated by the big three manufacturers.
With the exception of Peugeot, Porsche and Beru, other share prices from automobile and tyre companies have fallen to an all-year low. Companies in this category include DaimlerChrysler, Volkswagen, Kiekert, Delco Remy, Delphi, Phoenix and Johnson Controls, as well as Continental, Cooper, Yokohama, Toyo and Goodyear.
Junichi Okishima, who has been managing director of Yokohama Germany for five years, is returning to Tokyo at the end of this year to take up new challenges within the group. His successor will be Noria Karashima.
While Pirelli and Toyo shares – although only from time to time – displayed an upward trend in February, most of the other important tyre manufacturers (for example Bridgestone, Continental, Cooper, Goodyear and Michelin) were among the losers. Their shares have fallen to a new 52-week low, but shares in Yokohama rose 20 per cent at the end of February.
Yokohama Rubber’s share price surged by at the end of February. Analysts are speculating whether this marks the beginning of a new round of consolidation in the tyre industry.
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