Continental celebrates the 90th anniversary of its first winter tires
In 2024, 90 years have passed since the release of their first winter tires, and the Finnish Nokian Tyres is celebrating this anniversary, and in 1934, the German Continental also presented its first tires for the cold season, and this year it is also celebrating its 90th anniversary.
The first winter tire from Continental was called Gelände, and the company says it was one of the first of its kind on the global market, with a new tread pattern designed specifically for use on snow, ice, and slush. In 1953, the company tested how well winter tires worked in difficult conditions, and cars equipped with Continental M+S tires successfully overcame the snowy mountain pass of St. Gotthard in the Alps.
"Continental has been developing and manufacturing winter tires for 90 years," notes Continental. "Decades of work in this area have paid off, and the tread patterns and rubber compounds of modern Continental winter tires are perfectly suited for winter conditions, providing improved traction and reduced braking distances on snow, ice, and wet surfaces."
To ensure that each new generation of winter tires meets high safety standards, Continental conducts thorough testing at test sites around the world, and the effectiveness of this work is confirmed by the high ratings that the company's tires regularly receive in independent tests. Thus, in a recent test by ADAC, the best were Continental WinterContact TS 870 tires, which received praise for their high level of safety in all conditions.
Not long ago, the Tyre Reviews portal compared the braking distances of summer and winter tires on snow and ice surfaces. In the first case, the Continental WinterContact TS 870 P stopped the car from 40 km/h in 18.25 meters, while the control summer tire had a braking distance of 44.18 meters, which is almost the length of six cars. On ice, when braking from 25 km/h, the WinterContact braking distance was 11.13 meters, and the summer tire was 32.19 meters, which is three times or 4.5 cars more.
Before entering the market, all new tires are thoroughly tested and cover a distance of about 500,000 km, and their characteristics are evaluated in more than 20 disciplines. During the tests, aspects such as traction, cornering stability, and braking qualities in various conditions are evaluated, and great attention is also paid to other parameters, including wear resistance, noise, and overall comfort level.
Part of the tests are carried out near the Arctic Circle at the Continental test site in Arvidsjaur (Sweden), where the conditions are ideal for testing winter tires. Every winter, a total of more than 60,000 measurements are made, and additional tests for directional stability are also provided. There is also a closed ice track at the Contidrom test site near Hanover (Germany), which can be used throughout the year, regardless of weather conditions. Here, Continental experts evaluate how rubber compounds behave at low temperatures, for which the braking distance is measured, after which the data is compared, and the ice temperature can be adjusted. The Contidrom complex also allows testing the effectiveness of braking on dry and wet surfaces using fully automatic equipment, i.e., without the participation of a pilot.