A brief history of the modern-day tyre

There are all sorts of tyres in circulation, the original rubber tyre was not made to be filed with air. The solid rubber tire was used for slow speed vehicles as they were poor with shock absorption. The first iteration of the rubber tyre used for gasoline power cars was used by Benz in their first powered car. The tyre was filed with air and set onto a metal frame; this was known as the pneumatic tyre. Tread was introduced in 1905 to offer better grip for the part of the tyre that is in contact with the road. Up until the 1920s the rubber used was naturally occurring. Alongside the invention of the production line from Henry Ford, Du Pont created a synthetic rubber. Increasing the ability to meet the increasing demand for automobiles. Tyre development is still an ongoing process, and the health and safety of drivers was even more important with the increased speeds of cars. With the invention of run flat tyres in 1980; drivers were protected from more serious accidents such as blow outs at higher speeds.

Falken

One of the newest tyre brands on the market, Japan based company Falken was created in 1983. They set up their first European based office in 1988 and their USA office in 1991. Later in the decade they revealed their first high performance summer tyre called the FK451 which had great wet and dry grip with excellent handling. Over the years Falken tyres were used in the ADAC 24th-race and in 2011 started a cooperation with Porsche; finishing third in the ADAC 24th-race at the Nürburgring. Falkens grew rapidly and as recent as 2017 became the original equipment manufacturer for the Volkswagen Tiguan.

Pirelli

One of the original tyre manufacturers, Pirelli have been around in one form or another since 1872. The Italian based company made rubber-based products and by 1885 they started the rubber band production line for carriages. The first velocipede tyre was launched in 1894 which was the first step on the road to a number of innovations in the manufacturing of tyres. In the early 20th century, Pirelli expanded operations across the world which also cemented their commitment in racing. Between the years 1902 to 1928, Pirelli opened 5 plants in Barcelona, Southampton, Buenos Aires, Manresa and Burton on Trent respectively. The first Grand Prix of the Automobile Club of France was won by a car thar was fitted with Pirelli tyres.

Michelin

As with most early tyre manufactures, Michelin were already running a rubber factory in 1889. The story goes that the Michelin brothers had a cyclist visit with a damaged pneumatic tire. The tyre was glued to the wheel and proved problematic to fix, which is where they came up with the idea of a removable tyre. After years of development and growth, Michelin revealed their iconic mascot, Bibendum; also known as the Michelin Man. Michelin are also known for their incredible marketing campaign known as the Michelin Guide, then later the Michelin Star. Michelin made a guide for “food worth traveling for” which offered insight into great cuisine but at a distance. Meaning people would use their tyres more and need to buy new ones more often.

Dunlop

John Dunlop’s origins are very different to other tyre manufacturers, he was watching his son riding his tricycle and noticed how slow and uncomfortable it was. To give his son a better overall ride he glued two rubber sheets together and pumped air in between with a football pump. This was the first iteration of Dunlop’s air cushioning system.