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Goodyear Celebrates 125 Years Of Tyre Brilliance - Take A Look Back At Its Innovative Past
American tyre manufacturer Goodyear is set to celebrate its 125th Anniversary tomorrow. The Akron, Ohio-based American tyre giant is set to reveal four new tyres at Malaysia's Sepang International Circuit tomorrow.
DriveSpark will be at Sepang tomorrow to witness the launch of these four new tyres from Goodyear. Post the launch, we'll be putting the pedal to the metal putting the new rubber to the test at the former Formula 1 track in both wet and dry conditions, with slalom courses in the wet and a few runs around Sepang.
But before we head to the hot and humid tarmac at Sepang tomorrow, let's take a dive into the history books and see the highlights of Goodyear's 125 years of innovation in the world of tyres.
Goodyear or to give the company its proper name, "The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company" was founded in the year 1898 in Akron, Ohio by Frank Seiberling. The company was named in honour of Charles Goodyear, the scientist who discovered the process of rubber vulcanisation in 1839.
Goodyear started production of carriage tyres, bicycle tyres, horseshoe pads and rubber sundries on the 21st of November, 1898. The company's first recorded sale was for $25.80 in rubber tubes for pharmaceutical bottles on the 1st of December, 1898.
In 1899, Goodyear started producing automobile tyres which it continues to thrive at to this day. Two years later in 1901, the firm's iconic Wingfoot logo made its first appearance in an ad in the Saturday Evening Post.
In 1903, Goodyear's Paul Litchfield was granted the patent for the world's first tubeless tyre and a year later the company developed the first detachable rim. In 1906, Goodyear produced the world's first quick, detachable, straight-side tyre.
A year later, Goodyear supplied tyres for the iconic Ford Model T, the world's first mass-market car. In 1908, Goodyear adopted its first All-Weather tread design for tyres.
The company continued to expand, first in 1910 to Canada and then to other places like Australia, Argentina and South Africa and in 1916, it became the largest tyre company in the world.
During that period, Goodyear's tyres were used on the first US Mail flight, and the first transcontinental flight from Long Beach, California to Long Beach, New York, (84 days and 63 landings). In 1914, all cars participating in the iconic Indy 500 were racing on Goodyears.
In 1917, as sales went past the $100 million mark, Goodyear introduced its iconic Blimp airship. Six years later in 1923, the firm introduced balloon tyres.
In 1937, with the US springing back from the Great Depression, Goodyear tested and built the first synthetic rubber tyre made in America. During the Second World War Goodyear built the Corsair fighter planes and worked on major components for the B-29 bomber.
With the war over, Goodyear got back to making tyres and developed its first nylon tyres in 1947. Two years later, Goodyear tyres were on TV, the first time the medium was used for advertising by the firm, with The Goodyear Review hosted by Paul Whiteman.
In 1956, Goodyear took to the track with the firm introducing a full line of stock car racing tyres. The 68-year collaboration with NASCAR is still going strong today and is one of the longest-running partnerships in professional sports.
In 1965, Goodyear introduced its full range of radial-ply tyres and also introduced winter tyres with safety spikes. The same year, the world land speed record was set on Goodyear tyres and the firm found itself on the top step of Le Mans for the first time.
In 1971, Goodyear took to outer space providing the first tyres that were used on the moon by astronauts on the Apollo 14 mission. Six years later, back on earth, the firm introduced its first all-season tyre - Tiempo.
In 1981, Goodyear introduced its Eagle line of performance tyres which continues to delight enthusiasts today. Six years later, Eagle racing radials carried Al Unser Sr. to victory in the Indianapolis 500. In 1983 as the number of Goodyear tyres manufactured overall crossed the 3 billion mark, the firm introduced radial tyres for aircraft.
As the 90s started, Goodyear continued to innovate with its Aquatread lineup, run-flat tyres (1992). In 1997, Goodyear signed a deal with NASCAR to become the official tyre supplier for the top three race divisions of the series.
In 1998, Goodyear hit the century mark and the next year regained its title as the largest tyre company in the world by announcing an alliance with Japan's Sumitomo Rubber Industries.
The 2000s saw more innovations with 2001's GT3 tyre, the first to be made with a compound derived from corn, introduced at that year's Geneva Auto Show. Three years later, the firm introduced its new Assurance lineup of tyres. The firm's Duraseal instant puncture repair technology for commercial tyres followed in 2005.
In 2011, Goodyear broke ground on its new global headquarters in Akron. In the same year, it was also accorded 'Superbrand' status, the first-ever tyre company to get that recognition. In 2013, the firm's global headquarters opened in Akron.
In more recent times, the American tyre firm returned to Le Mans in 2020, a year that also marked the return of the Goodyear Blimp to Europe for the first time since 2011. The firm also started its dynamic driving simulator in Akron, becoming the first tyre manufacturer with the capability.
In 2021, as the world started emerging from the ravages of the pandemic, Goodyear purchased the Cooper Tire & Rubber Company for $2.5 billion, the largest acquisition in company history. And finally this year, Goodyear tyres helped propel the Garage 56 NASCAR entry around Le Mans to the delight of the fans there.
Thoughts About Goodyear
Goodyear's tyres are some of the most recognisable black circles currently available today and over its 125-year history, the American firm has shown an appetite for innovation that doesn't seem ready to stop anytime soon. Stay tuned for all the updates from Sepang.
Image Sources: Goodyear & NascarG56 on X
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