Tyres Continental

Like most of the current leaders of the world tire industry, Continental AG, founded in October 1871 in Hanover, was engaged in the production of not automotive, but bicycle tires, as well as cast-iron tires for horse-drawn carriages. In addition, the range of products in the early days largely consisted of rubberized fabric and rubber products of various purposes. A year later, the company acquired a trademark with an image of a horse standing on its hind legs, which has a very logical explanation. It was partially borrowed from the coat of arms of the land of Saxony, whose capital is Hanover, where, as mentioned earlier, the company Continental was founded.

In 1892, the company became the first in Germany to start producing pneumatic tires, first for bicycles, and several years later for cars. It was with these tires that the sensational series of victories was associated, won by Mercedes racing cars in the early 1900s.

It was from the beginning of the 1900s that a new era began in the history of the famous German tire manufacturer. In addition to pneumatic tires, the company mastered the production of so-called "anti-skid" tires, which became the prototypes for modern studded models.
In 1908, the company "invented the wheel" - a removable rim for passenger cars was introduced, thanks to which today car owners save a lot of time and effort when replacing faulty tires. A year later, another invention appeared, which has survived to this day almost unchanged. We are talking about a synthetic rubber mixture, which was only possible to be serially produced in 1936.

The First World War, which began in 1914, provided the German company with military orders. However, the defeat of Germany that followed had quite negative consequences for it, from which it was able to recover only by the beginning of the 20s of the last century, exactly to the 50th anniversary.

This event, which took place in 1921, was marked by tires with an elastic cord made of fibrous fabric, as well as the first pneumatic tires for trucks in the world. And five years later, carbon was introduced into the rubber mixture, which gave the tires a characteristic black color and significantly increased their service life.

World War II also brought the company a multitude of military orders, which allowed it to "bring to mind" several interesting developments. In 1943, a patent was obtained for tubeless tires, the first serial samples of which, due to another military defeat of Germany, were released only in 1955. Also, due to the war, the full-metal cord (1951) and tires with the M+S marking reached the factory conveyor belt a few years later.

By the 1960s, the company had finally recovered from the negative consequences associated with World War II. The serial production of tires with a radial cord was established. However, a more important achievement seems to be the practical implementation of a plan to diversify the business, which provided for the opening of production of technical and plastic products for the automotive industry, both in Germany and in France.

In 1970, the company released the first non-studded winter tires ContiContact, which happily survived to this day, transforming into a whole line, numbering several dozen models. In addition to innovations in the production of tire products, the German manufacturer was actively engaged in expanding its market share. In particular, the American company Uniroyal Inc. was acquired, which at that time had a decent share of the market not only in the USA but also in Europe. A similar absorption awaited the Austrian Semperit and the Czech Barum, which were acquired in 1985 and 1993, respectively.

The 90s were marked by the release of the ContiEcoContact model, which is distinguished by fuel efficiency and a long service life. Its operational characteristics were at a very high level, sufficient for this tire, continuously being modernized, to retain its place on the factory conveyor belt and today.

In the 2000s, it was announced about cooperation with the company Bridgestone in the development of the technology of so-called "puncture-proof" tires. It is these two manufacturers that stand at the origins of the creation of Run-Flat type tires, which have become a worldwide standard.

Today, the German giant Continental is one of the recognized world leaders in the tire industry. For decades, these positions have been supported by the continuous introduction of new technologies, thanks to which car owners around the world can safely drive a car, regardless of even the most unfavorable road conditions.