Tyrespot Scoop RMA Green Dealer Award
Skidding Accidents to Double as Weather Turns
Heritage Motor Centre to Celebrate 100 Years of Michelin in the UK
Caterham Smashes Top Gear Record on Dunlop Tyres
Bibendum Hitches a Ride
Goodyear Dunlop Announces Hi-Q Rebrand
Rally Australia: Hirvonen Takes the Spoils while World Crown goes to Loeb
Michelin Wraps Up F1 Double
Independent Test Reveals Run-Flat Findings
Battery Distributor Leaves Abergele After 54 Years
Michelin Scoop Greenfleet Awards
Bridgestone to Begin Production of Aircraft Tyres at Tokyo Plant

Tyrespot Scoop RMA Green Dealer Award

Tyrespot Ltd has confirmed its credentials as an environmentally-friendly company by scooping the inaugural Green Dealer Award presented by the Retread Manufacturers Association (RMA). The Award was presented to Tyrespot Managing Director John Shaw by RMA Director David Wilson at the Rubber Industry Dinner held at the Marriott Renaissance Hotel in Solihull on September 29th.

The Green Dealer of the Year Award is a new award introduced by the RMA to recognise tyre dealers who have been particularly supportive to the retreading industry and who continue to market passenger retreaded tyres both actively and successfully. Tyrespot has supported the retreading industry for many years in the North East of England and MD John Shaw has been outspoken in his support of the industry on many occasions, particularly emphasising the environmentally-friendly nature of retreaded tyres. The company continues to positively promote a full range of retreads through the company's retail and wholesale operations and continues to be one of the country's largest dealers of retreaded tyres.

Skidding Accidents to Double as Weather Turns

Road accidents involving cars skidding will almost double from this month, as the Indian summer gives way to a somewhat soggier climate, says Cooper Tire & Rubber . Stopping distances are at least doubled in wet weather as opposed to dry, with the driver of a car travelling at 50mph needing to increase their stopping distance from 53m (175 feet) to 106m (350 feet).

"Unfortunately, too few of us change our driving style to accommodate the more treacherous conditions under the tyre at this time of year," explains Malcolm Jones, Product Planning Manager for Cooper Europe. October traditionally signals the start of a distinctively autumnal turn in the UK's weather, with rainfall records dating back to 1903 showing that the winter half-year (October-March) marks a dramatic increase in precipitation, which makes road surfaces unpredictable. Of cars involved in accidents in wet conditions, 18.7 percent slew across the road, as opposed to 10.5 percent in fine weather. The figure is even higher for motorcyclists, with 27.2 percent sliding under locked brakes in rainy conditions.

• With too many motorists still unaware of how they can reduce the risks of having an accident, Cooper Europe has come up with the top five safety tips for driving in the rain.
• Check your tyre pressures - underinflated tyres sustain excessive wear, causing aquaplaning and unpredictable handling
• Check your tyre tread. Legally, tread must be at least 1.6mm deep but stopping distances increase significantly when the tyre is worn down to 3mm
• Keep speeds down and remain well back from the vehicle in front. This will allow you to see further and plan ahead
• If steering becomes unresponsive, it probably means you are going too fast for the tyre to grip. Ease off the accelerator and slow gradually
• Make sure you have plenty of windscreen washer, as spray from vehicles in front of you will smear your windscreen, impairing your view

Heritage Motor Centre to Celebrate 100 Years of Michelin in the UK

A fascinating exhibition celebrating Michelin being present in the UK for more than 100 years has opened at the Heritage Motor Centre (HMC) in Gaydon, Warwickshire, and will run until 20 December 2006.

The exclusive showcase has been put together to mark Michelin's centenary in the British Isles, with classic posters, advertisements, innovations and images demonstrating the Company's many achievements and milestones. The exhibition not only chronicles the past, present and future of one of the country's most interesting businesses, but also charts the defining moments of the nation's motoring and social development in the 20th century.

The Michelin Tyre Company Ltd was established in London in 1905 and since then the Company has created one of the longest and richest histories of any business in the British Isles. Known primarily as the world's leading tyre manufacturer, Michelin is responsible for many of the industry's most significant breakthroughs. It created detachable steel wheels in 1913 and radial tyres for cars in 1946, two inventions that are arguably the most important contributions any tyre maker has made to motoring. It then went on to develop the 'green tyre' in 1992, which significantly reduces fuel consumption, and is now working to revolutionise wheels and tyres again by combining both in the form of the Michelin Tweel.

In addition to its substantial involvement in the development of tyre technology, Michelin has also been responsible for innovation in many other sectors. Publications such as road maps and the world famous Michelin Guide have simplified travel for millions and given rise to the highly regarded Michelin Star rating system for restaurants. Most recently Michelin has pioneered new products in areas as diverse as satellite navigation and tennis shoe soles.

Throughout Michelin's history one thing has been consistent - the Michelin Man has always been the Company's trademark. This exhibition shows how he has evolved from a round, cigar smoking character to his comparatively slimline self today.

Jim Rickard, UK MD thinks that he is one of the Company's greatest assets: "The Michelin Man is one of the best known logos in the world. People may not be aware of Michelin's breakthroughs like the radial tyre and Michelin Guides, but they instantly recognise him"

Caterham Smashes Top Gear Record on Dunlop Tyres

A stunning power lap from a Dunlop test driver in a Caterham CSR260 has spectacularly smashed the Stig's Top Gear track record and ousted the Koenigsegg CCX from its place at the top. The 250-horsepower Caterham was pushed to the top with the help of Dunlop track-day tyres and beat supercars such as the Maserati MC12, Pagani Zonda F and Ferrari F60 Enzo in a triumphant day at Dunsfold.

The former top power lap time held by the Koenigsegg CCX was 1:17:06 before the Caterham piled in with a result of 1:17:04 to take the new title by 0.2 of a second. The result saw the underdog come out on top as the £30,000 Caterham thrashed the £350,000 supercar on Dunlop Tyres.

Dunlop communications manager, James Bailey said: "Our track-day tyres are designed to offer drivers more precise handling and ultimate feedback so that they can push their limits. We were over the moon to hear that Dunlop Tyres played a part in taking the power lap top spot."

Bibendum Hitches a Ride

Quinton Tyres, a Michelin MBA dealer covering Cheshire and most of Lancashire, has unveiled a striking new livery for its fleet of eight mobile tyre fitting vans which operate from branches in Dukinfield in Cheshire and Chorley in Lancashire. The livery incorporates life-size images of The Michelin Man waving to motorists on both sides and rear doors of each of the company's Mercedes-Benz Sprinter panel vans.

Stuart Quinn, Managing Director of Quinton Tyres, explains: "The Michelin Man is one of the most famous advertising icons in the world and is instantly recognizable as an ambassador for safe motoring. When we began to brainstorm ideas for our new livery, he seemed like the perfect passenger to hitch a ride on each of our vehicles.

"The feedback we have had from customers and passing motorists has been fantastic," adds Mr Quinn, whose mobile fitting fleet has doubled in size over the past 12 months.

Quinton Tyres carries out the majority of its work at its customers' own sites, with seven of the mobile tyre fitting vans dedicated to truck fleets and one serving car and van customers. Almost a third of Quinton Tyres' overall business comes from Michelin managed accounts; an area which also represents the fastest growing sector of its business. The company's portfolio of clients includes Clitheroe-based AJ Smith Transport and Boughey Distribution in Nantwich, which combined operate a 500-strong fleet of vehicles running exclusively on Michelin tyres.

Goodyear Dunlop Announces Hi-Q Rebrand

Goodyear Dunlop has announced a complete rebrand of its Hi-Q retail operation as well as a series of new franchise opportunities surrounding the fast-fit business. Peter Tye, franchise development manager, said the rebrand was more than just a completely new look.

"Our aim is to revolutionise the industry. In the coming years we want to considerably increase our number of outlets to become a challenging force within the UK fast-fit industry. Goodyear Dunlop believes there is a unique opportunity in the fast-fit industry to deliver a groundbreaking concept.

Peter said: "Let's be honest, fast-fits don't always have the best reputations. Our extensive research has shown drivers are dissatisfied with poor service, unwelcoming facilities and confusing jargon and pricing.

"We're looking for franchisees that will join our revolution to blow the lid off the industry and offer that priceless commodity - certainty. Certainty with clear, jargon-free communication, open and honest pricing, modern, comfortable facilities, better choice and value and excellent customer-focused service."

Potential franchisees don't necessarily need to have any fast-fit industry experience; however they must possess relevant commercial skills and the acumen to run their own business. Benefits of owning a Hi-Q franchise include:

• The support of a global organisation, Goodyear Dunlop
• A complete package including marketing, human resources, IT, purchasing, technical support and an innovative training academy
• Own defined territory
• Access to fleet business thanks to national fleet agreements
• Access to on-line business through a new state-of-the-art website

Hi-Q will begin a programme of re-branding the current owned / franchise stores from 2007 with Nottingham announced as the first one.

Rally Australia: Hirvonen Takes the Spoils while World Crown goes to Loeb

Sébastien Loeb and his co-driver have secured their third consecutive world rally title despite not being in Australia. Meanwhile, Finns Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen score their first WRC win. Both teams drive on BF Goodrich.

This is not the first time a driver has clinched a world title without being present on an event. In 1998, Tommi Mäkinen had retired from the RAC Rally and was about to board a plane for Helsinki when a third Drivers' crown fell into his lap following the last-minute retirement of his rival Carlos Sainz, 800 metres from the end of the final stage!

Like Mäkinen, Sébastien Loeb (Citroën/BFGoodrich) secured his third title without fighting for it to the very end. Sitting some 20,000km away from Perth because of a forced convalescence following a fall while mountain biking, the Frenchman had to give both the Turkish and Australian rounds a miss, but his cushion at the top of the Drivers' points table was such that Marcus Grönholm needed to finish on the podium of all the remaining events if he was to stand any chance of stealing the glory from his absent rival. However, the Finn was unable to do any better than 5th 'down under' after he lost 10 minutes when he rolled on Friday morning. The incident dropped him to 40th overall and, despite a spirited fight back, his bid finally fell two places short of the top-three finish he needed.

Meanwhile, at the age of 26, Mikko Hirvonen (Ford/BFGoodrich) became the twelfth Finn to win a round of the World Championship since its creation. He fully deserved his maiden WRC success which comes after an amazingly consistent season that has harvested 6 podium finishes from 11 starts. Handicapped by his status as first driver on the road pretty much throughout the opening leg, the Finnish youngster successfully completed Day 1 in front ahead of the 2003 Rally Australia winner Petter Solberg (Subaru). The next day, Hirvonen heroically shrugged off pressure from the Norwegian over the classic 'Bunnings' stages despite the fact that his mission was to stay on the road and score as many Manufacturers' points as possible for BP-Ford.

Hirvonen commented: "My tyres were competitive and I made some good tyre choices, including Saturday morning when I went for the hard compound g-Force Gravel '9+'. It gave me good high-speed stability and the rather special 'cut' I had made to the tread pattern paid off handsomely."

Michelin Wraps Up F1 Double

In it's final scheduled Formula One appearance, Michelin has completed a clean sweep of this year's world championship titles. Fernando Alonso (Renault) finished second to become the sport's youngest double world champion, helping his team secure the world championship for constructors for the second consecutive season.

To cap an excellent day for Michelin, six of its drivers achieved points scoring finishes in the season's 18th and final grand prix. Jenson Button (Honda) took third ahead of Kimi Räikkönen (McLaren Mercedes, fifth), Giancarlo Fisichella (Renault, sixth), Rubens Barrichello (Honda, seventh) and Pedro de la Rosa (McLaren Mercedes, eighth).

Nick Shorrock, Michelin F1 director commented: "Today's higher temperatures caused us a few concerns before the race, because they were some way beyond the ideal operating window of certain partners' tyre choices. As things turned out, though, we had no problems at all. The tyres held up very well and were extremely consistent throughout the race.

"The main thing today, naturally, is to compliment Fernando Alonso and Renault on retaining their two world titles and to thank all our partners for the excellent work they have put in throughout the year. Our main rival was clearly very fast today, but one or two incidents worked in our favour during the race's early stages. That's the nature of this sport.

"This year's world championship was decided not today but over the course of a long, 18-race season and Michelin has proved the excellence of its products throughout the campaign. We were determined to go out in style in our farewell F1 season and I think the results speak for themselves."

Independent Test Reveals Run-Flat Findings

An independent test carried out by the UK's leading consumer motoring magazine has categorically proven that motorists with cars set up for and fitted with run-flat tyres must not replace them with standard tyres. The Auto Express test, carried out in summer 2006, demonstrated that fitting a standard tyre to a car which was designed and set-up for run-flat tyres can cause a loss of performance and ultimately a reduction in the safety of a vehicle.

The results published today on 11th October show that using a standard tyre with the same tread pattern can severely increase braking distances and reduce overall wet and dry handling. Andy Lane, marketing manager with Bridgestone UK, said: "Ever since Bridgestone first launched our run-flat tyres, we have maintained that retro-fitting to a vehicle not set up for the technology must be avoided. We have also said that when replacing a tyre, a like-for-like replacement will ensure maximum performance and optimum safety, a statement which has been borne out by this test."

"It has been reported that some consumers had asked for RFTs to be fitted to their vehicle even though the car was not designed for them, and in other cases drivers were opting to replace their RFTs with standard tyres to avoid the small premium on the more technologically-advanced tyre," said Andy. "We can now state that doing either of these things will ultimately reduce the performance and safety of a vehicle."

As part of its annual tyre test, Auto Express assessed the performance of Bridgestone, Continental and Michelin run-flat tyres, with the Bridgestone Turanza ER300 RFT scoring an unbeatable overall 100 per cent rating. The test drivers then took the same car onto the same circuit, except this time shod with standard tyres.

According to the magazine's consumer editor Kim Adams: "The message is clear - always replace run-flats with run-flats. "Some drivers will be tempted to fit standard rubber when they're worn out, as replacement run-flat tyres are generally more expensive. But you shouldn't let your wallet decide. On a car that is designed specifically to use run-flat tyres, conventional rubber simply won't work as well - as we discovered in our exclusive test."

Andy Lane added: "Factors such as a car's brakes, suspension and all manner of minor adjustments are taken into consideration at the design and manufacture stage to ensure that the handling of a vehicle is complemented, not compromised, by the run-flat tyres. "These minor differences in set-up are magnified when a standard tyre, which does not feature the run-flat's stiffened sidewalls, is fitted to the vehicle, making the ride different in a multitude of ways," he said. "Thanks to these independent test results, we now have the evidence to educate motorists with absolute authority. If your car comes with run-flat tyres, stick to run-flat tyres."

Bridgestone's RFT features reinforced sidewalls, so that in the event of a puncture or loss of air pressure, the tyre can still support the vehicle, allowing the driver to continue their journey to a safe stopping point to replace it. Continually developed over the last 20 years, the number of Bridgestone RFTs on our roads has increased massively in the last two years thanks to original equipment fittings on many of the UK's most popular car brands including BMW, Volkswagen and Audi, and luxury brands such as Ferrari, Maserati and Porsche.

Battery Distributor Leaves Abergele After 54 Years

Battery distributor, Manbat, is bidding farewell to its premises in the heart of Abergele, North Wales, after more than 54 years in residence. The company is relocating to larger purpose-built premises on the Expressway Business Park, Abergele Road, Bodelwyddan. The Manbat branch has become a key landmark in Abergele and is the company's original home.

Started by Harry Pemberton, who manufactured batteries on the Abergele site for 20 years, Manbat established the battery brands Glassklad and Snowdon, which have been fitted to hundreds and thousands of vehicles in and around North Wales. Today Manbat operates 10 branches throughout the UK and has grown to become the UK's largest battery distributor.

As with the Abergele location, the new branch at Bodelwyddan will cover North Wales, Mid Wales, parts of Cheshire, The Wirral and Liverpool, supplying customers in the leisure, marine and automotive sectors. The branch has 8 staff and operates 4 vans. The move has been long overdue, due to the company's increased business in the area and also in Ireland where the Abergele branch acts as a hub supplying Irish customers.

Paul Clayton, Branch Manager at Manbat Abergele, said: "With a new purpose-built premises, will be able to manage the branch more effectively, ensuring a significantly enhanced service to customers."

Michelin Scoop Greenfleet Awards

Michelin's latest "longlife" tyre, the Primacy HP, has secured one of the most prestigious environmental awards in the motor industry, being presented with the Industry Innovation Award by GreenFleet, the leading motoring publication dedicated to promoting environmental aspects of the fleet business in the UK.

The GreenFleet Awards, presented by TV motoring broadcaster Tiff Needell at the ceremony held at the glittering new Emirates Stadium, home of Arsenal FC in North London, recognise the efforts made by many sectors of the motor industry to reduce the economic and environmental impact of the motor car and motoring, particularly in the business sector.

Commenting on both awards for Michelin, Peter Snelling, head of communications said: "This is great recognition of the values of Primacy HP and also Michelin's responsible efforts to provide sustainable mobility products, particularly for the fleet market."

Bridgestone to Begin Production of Aircraft Tyres at Tokyo Plant

Bridgestone Corporation has announced that it is to start production of radial aircraft tyres at its Tokyo Plant in order to meet increasing global demand. Production of aircraft tyres had previously been undertaken only at the company's factory in Kurume. Through this move, Bridgestone's production capacity for radial tyres for aircrafts will double by 2011 relative to the current level. Bridgestone plans to start production at the Tokyo Plant in the second half of 2008. Total investment earmarked for the project is around ¥5.0 billion.