The Foundations What made Akron, Ohio so popular for tires? Why is it “The Rubber Capital of the World?” I can’t really say, but just a short time after Goodyear planted its roots there, The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company set up shop in the small city too. It was 1900, and Harvey Firestone, an early automotive enthusiast, saw an opportunity to make the auto industry better. From the beginning, … Continue reading
What do tires and a rampant horse have to do with each other? Continental Tire, that’s what. In 1882, eleven years after Continental was founded, the tire company adopted the “rampant horse” as their logo. And it’s an appropriate logo for a company that’s devoted to helping your car get the most powerful, exciting performance it can. When the Rubber Met the Road Continental Tire was founded in 1871 in … Continue reading
A good way to understand Kumho Tire is through a message from the current CEO, Kim Chang-Kyu. His statement to customers provides a glimpse into the company’s overall philosophy: “We will place the top priority on quality and environment to move the hearts of customers.” In other words, Kumho’s targets are quality products, environmental friendliness, and harnessing the customers’ love of driving. Those targets have been the aim for Kumho since … Continue reading
Seventy years ago in Japan, Rikimatsu Tomihisa saw an opportunity to provide the world with better tires. As a result, he founded Toyo Tire & Rubber Company. Out of the Ashes After two companies’ manufacturing plants were completely destroyed by Allied bombs during World War II, they cooperated to rebuild and form a new company. Those companies were Toyo Rubber Industrial and Hirano Rubber Manufacturing. Together they successfully reestablished their … Continue reading
During the 1910s and 1920s, competition was stiff in the relatively new automobile tire industry. Especially in Akron, Ohio. General Tire fought through the fierce competition after its founding in 1915 and is still making great tires today. A Focused Beginning The founders of General Tire, William F. O’Neil and Winifred E. Fouse, saw a business opportunity that led to early success. Instead of focusing on tires that would be … Continue reading
Dunlop takes a lot of pride in its history. And for good reason. From its beginnings it was making the roads a safer place and helping win checkered flags. Born from a Tricycle In 1888, John Boyd Dunlop’s son was struck with a bad cold. His doctor prescribed him some exercise to help work out the illness. So John Jr. took to his tricycle. The rough roads of Belfast, Ireland … Continue reading
As of August 14, the world has a new most expensive car ever to be sold at auction. Even though the sale was completed 3 months ago, nothing has come close to breaking the record in the meantime and nothing is expected to come close for some time. So how much did the new world’s most expensive car sell for? $38,115,000 No, there’s no decimal point missing in there. The car sold … Continue reading
An Interesting Beginning Throughout history since the Industrial Revolution, there has been a distinct aim to improve manufacturing processes. The more efficient they are, the more money they can potentially make. So it seemed like a questionable idea to some when, in 1898, Frank A. Seiberling founded The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company in Akron, Ohio. Why? Akron is a landlocked town that at the time had limited railroad access. … Continue reading
“But, Officer, I wasn’t driving. My car was.” That might seem like an outlandish exchange, but with driverless cars becoming a reality, it might not be impossible in the near future. Especially because of new legislation popping up in states around the US. Driving Without a License While public opinion is still up in the air about autonomous vehicles, as you can see in this recent article on The Right … Continue reading
Upsettingly slow. And I’m not talking about how fast it can travel. I’m referring to its technological progression. I was asked an interesting question the other day that pertains to my gripe. That question: Why does my car have such bad data and communication technology even though it’s 1,000 times the size of my phone? When you think about it like that, it is a bit strange that our vehicles, … Continue reading